Long-termers

LONG-TERMERS MAZDA MX-30

We’ve had the MX-30 for quite a while now. Jon Reay explains what it’s been like living with Mazda’s latest EV

After a year in our possession, it’s time to hand the MX-30 back to Mazda – and to sum up what we’ve learnt after living with the uniquely shaped EV for the past 12 months.

Let’s start with the positives. When the MX-30 first arrived, I wasn’t at all convinced by its crossover-slash-coupe looks – I thought it was a niche that, quite frankly, didn’t need to exist. A year on, though, I’ve grown to like its shapely body and rough-and-tough plastic body cladding. I suspect it’s one of those cars whose design is a smidge ahead of the curve and will age pretty gracefully as a result.

Then there’s the cabin. I’m forever banging on that Mazda is the king of interior design – at least for the price point – and nowhere is that more true than in the MX-30. Not only is it well built and attractive to look at, with an interesting mix of recycled and unusual materials, but it’s typically well thought out too. Rivals might attempt to wow you with their walls of touchscreens, but in day-to-day use the MX-30’s sensible ergonomics beats them hands down.

I’m also a big fan of the infotainment system. It’s not heavily laden with extra features, but it’s attractively designed – feeling properly integral to the car – and blissfully easy to use while on the move. Perhaps most importantly of all, it works flawlessly: quick to start up, and without any of the teething troubles that plague plenty of manufacturers’ efforts these days.

Another typical Mazda trait is the way the MX-30 drives. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s quite a stretch to suggest the MX-30 handles like Mazda’s famous soft-top of a similar name, but for a tall-ish electric crossover it’s not half bad. My biggest takeaway, however, is how downright luxurious it feels against rivals such as the Vauxhall Mokka-e and Nissan Leaf. There’s an air of solidity and refinement to the MX-30 that’s missing from the majority of circa-£30k electric cars – and that’s worth bearing in mind if you’re asking it to soak up the miles of a daily commute.

Now for the not-so-good bits... The elephant in the room with the MX-30 is, of course, its battery – and 12 months on, I can report that it’s very much still its Achilles’ heel. Much has been said about Mazda’s ‘right-sized’ battery gambit, but the reality is its small capacity feels like it was born out of technical and financial limitations rather than anything else.

We’ve kept an open mind over the past year and have used the MX-30 as we’d use a normal petrol-powered car – sometimes to the Mazda’s advantage, sometimes not so much. Short journeys are of course where the MX-30 is happiest – instantaneous torque around town, no noisy engine to warm up and absolute pennies to run. The whole experience is a joy.

Long journeys, on the other hand, are completely impractical. Even with all the stars aligned and perfectly positioned chargers along your route, the MX-30 simply doesn’t rapid-charge quickly enough to make progress. There have been a few other foibles along the way, too. For example, the ‘freestyle’ barn doors aren’t particularly practical, and on our car they began to rattle irritatingly after a few thousand miles.

So, how can we sum up our time with the MX-30? A great-to-drive, nice-to-sit-in EV for around £30k, but fundamentally flawed not just by the size of its battery but also the speed at which it’ll charge. It’s a car we’d have no hesitation recommending – or even buying – as a second car; one that doesn’t have to be burdened with travelling more than 90 miles at a time.

In reality, you’ve got to really want the MX-30 to warrant picking it over its other rivals with bigger batteries – particularly something like an MG ZS, which now offers a tantalising 270mile range for around the same cash. Pick the MX-30 though and you’re guaranteed one of the best-handling, most-refined EVs for the money, with an interior that shames even German premium marques for look and feel. Now please Mazda, just give it a bigger battery would you?

THE KNOWLEDGE

Mazda MX-30 GT Sport Tech

Price (after govt grant): £30,345 Engine: Single electric motor Power: 143bhp Torque: 271Nm Max speed: 87mph 0-60mph: 9.7 seconds Fuel economy: 19kWh/100km Emissions: 0g/km CO2 Mileage: 10,910

This month’s highlight:

Even after 12 months’ ‘ownership’ we still love the MX-30’s luxurious feel – especially compared with its rivals.

OTHER CARS WE’RE DRIVING

Audi Q4 e-tron Launch Edition

Mileage: 9,066 We’ve been finding out whether it’s possible to live with an electric vehicle if you can’t charge at home.

Nissan Qashqai

Mileage: 11,221 The Qashqai has been ferrying family to and fro, but a cracked windscreen has dulled our mood.