There are a ton of things that you need to consider when buying a used crossover on a budget. You need to strike a good balance between price, comfort, practicality, efficiency, and reliability. In all of these areas, there is one subcompact SUV that manages to perform exceptionally.
If you’re on a budget, you want to get as much as you can for your money. You also want to make sure that you’re not having to shell out tons of cash on long term costs like fuel, maintenance, or repairs. On top of all this, you want to drive something that you actually enjoy. One model ticks all these boxes and goes for a bargain of a price on the used market.
We’ve found a five-year-old crossover that we think offers the best value for money for used buyers with a limited budget. We dive into how much each trim goes for and which offers the best value. We also dive into how this model’s fantastic interior and exciting driving dynamics help it stand out.
In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including TopSpeed, the EPA, CarEdge, RepairPal, J.D. Power, and Cars.com. The average used price for this vehicle was sourced from Edmunds.
You Can Get a 2020 Mazda CX-30 for Under $20,000
If you’re looking for a small and affordable used crossover, you honestly have a lot of options to choose from. The subcompact segment is super competitive despite not being as popular as some larger segments. However, we think that the option that offers the best bang-for-your-buck is the 2020 Mazda CX-30. It looks and feels like a new car, but you may get it for a bargain.
$17,548
$18,557
$19,535
Premium
$21,383
The 2020 Mazda CX-30 comes in four different trim levels. Of those trims, only one has an average list price that sits above $20,000. Back in 2020, the starting MSRP of Mazda’s subcompact crossover sat around $23,000. This means that you’re saving close to $5,500 by going with the used model.Every model feels like a bargain, but the biggest saving is on the Premium model, which cost $29,300 back in 2020 when bought new.
If you’re wondering which trim to go with, you may’t really go wrong here. The only model that we’d really stay away from is the base model. The Select offers a ton more features for not all that much more money. If you’ve got a little bit more in the bank to spend, you can’t go wrong with top trims either, with depreciation meaning that you get near-luxury features at a crazy low price.
Mazda’s CX-30 Is Reliable Enough to Last You a Long Time
Mazda may not have as strong a reputation for reliability as some other Japanese brands, like Toyota and Honda, but they still buildextremely solid vehicles. The CX-30 is evidence of this, scoring highly when it comes to reliability. When buying used, reliability is one of the most important factors that you should consider if you want to save yourself money in the long run.
Reliability and Owner Testimonials
J.D. Power is a site that collates data from verified owners of vehicles to determine the reliability, driving experience, resale, and dealership experience of any given model. Overall, thanks to the reviews of owners, the 2020 CX-30 nabs itself an 82 out of 100 overall. This is in no small part thanks to its score of 80 out of 100 for quality and reliability. This score puts it in the ‘Great’ category.
Beautiful, finely crafted vehicle. Nothing else comes close to the quality and value for the money - or for even significantly more. Great fuel economy. I’m not a CUV guy, but the ride and the handling are especially impressive for a “tall” vehicle. In a sea of clunky, uninspiring designs this vehicle is truly elegant. Very happy.
Cars.com
Finding owners who are unhappy with the CX-30 is not an easy task. The 2020 model in particular has 45 reviews on Cars.com, with almost all of them being glowingly positive. This model year gets 4.9 stars out of five overall, with five stars out of five for reliability. The lowest overall score given to a CX-30 from 2020 to 2025 is 4.6 stars out of five.
Expected Maintenance Costs
Maintenance costs are something that many used buyers don’t consider, but they should. While grabbing a reliable car is great, maintenance is something you need to be diligent with, and chances are at some point you’re going to need to repair something. While the CX-30 isn’t class-leading in terms of its maintenance costs, they are lower than the average crossover on average.
CarEdge estimates that you’ll spend around $7,866 on maintenance if you own your CX-30 for ten years. This is a couple hundred dollars less than the average SUV. A 2020 model is already five years old, though, meaning if you own it for another five, you’ll have to spend an average of $5,384. Annually, you should put away about $1,000 for maintenance.
The 2020 CX-30 Is Exceptionally Modern and Incredibly Comfortable
The CX-30 was Mazda’s first attempt to move its brand image slightly upscale, and it was a cracking attempt. On the exterior looks alone, you’re able to tell that it is more upscale than most of the mainstream choices around it. Climb inside and the story continues, with one of the most impressively designed cabins of any vehicle at this price point.
Cargo Capacity
20.2 Cubic Feet
The CX-30isn’t the largest car in its classwhen it comes to interior space, but it isn’t cramped by any means either. Those in the front row would definitely agree, with more than enough space to stretch their legs. Those in the back seats may not be as happy, but we doubt you’ll hear too many complaints unless your passengers are particularly tall. Cargo space is pretty decent for its class, and you may fold the rear seats away for up to 45 cubic feet of space behind the front row.
While it may not be the most spacious, you’d be hard-pressed to find another subcompact crossover that is as nicely designed as the CX-30. Controls are easy to get to but also neatly tucked away so that they don’t feel gaudy, which is especially true of the infotainment screen. Base models are great, but top-spec trims offer high-quality materials and luxury features that put them in contention with crossovers from the likes of Lexus or Mini.
Infotainment and Technology
For a five-year-old car, the CX-30 is exceptionally modern. There aren’t many features that you’d want that it doesn’t have on offer, if any at all. A standard 8.8-inch infotainment screen sprouts from the dashboard, standard on all models. Every model also comes equipped with Mazda’s Connected Services, which allows you to use your smartphone to lock and unlock your car, remotely start it, and monitor it.
While not standard on the Base trim, every other model comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, another reason to skip the most affordable trim. Two USB slots are available at the front and Bluetooth is, of course, standard as well. The Base and Select trims come with a pretty decent eight-speaker setup, but the Preferred and Premium trims get a 12-speaker Bose system instead.
Those That Love to Drive Will Love the 2020 CX-30
One thing that has defined Mazda as a brand for almost as long as they have been around is that their cars are agile and a ton of fun to drive. The CX-30 is no exception. It is based on the smaller Mazda 3 hatchback and is equally agile. On top of this, the 2020 CX-30 is decently light on fuel, another way that you’re saving yourself some money in the long run.
186 HP
186 LB-FT
FWD or AWD
0-60 MPH
126 MPH
Fuel Economy (City/Highway/Combined)
25 MPG/33 MPG/28 MPG
The 2020 Mazda CX-30 is thequickest naturally aspirated car in its class, with only turbocharged models able to beat it. For 2021, Mazda introduced a turbocharged model with 250 horsepower, but we wouldn’t exactly call it budget-oriented. The 2020 models come in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and we think it’s worth locking for a used model with the latter.
The CX-30 is all about balance. It isn’t the outright most efficient crossover you can get, but it still ranks fairly highly. It balances this with some pretty impressive performance dynamics. Its chassis and steering are extremely well-tuned, meaning that it is an absolute blast to drive hard, even if it isn’t all that quick. The only thing to note is that its ride can be a little stiffer than you’d expect.
