2021 Toyota Venza vs 2022 Mazda CX-30

The 2021 Toyota Venza was a bit shorter and closer to the ground compared to the Toyota RAV4, but it shared the same wheelbase. Critics noted that the Venza's design closely resembled that of a Lexus, particularly the Lexus LF-1 Limitless concept. This resemblance was evident in its grille and elongated profile, giving it a more premium look than other Toyota SUVs. The Venza was available in three trim levels—LE, XLE, and Limited—and offered seven paint colors, though not all were available across all trims. Standard features included dual chrome-tipped exhausts, LED headlights and taillights, automatic high beams, and 18-inch alloy wheels. The base LE model came with a wireless charging pad, dual-zone automatic climate control, and an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, among other amenities. The XLE trim added features like black bumper garnishes and 19-inch alloy wheels, while the Limited trim included a digital rearview mirror and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen.

The 2022 Mazda CX-30 had the look and styling of a downsized CX-5, featuring an upright grille and smooth, flowing fenders. It rode on the same platform as the Mazda3, essentially making it a raised-up version of the Mazda3 hatchback. The CX-30's raked windshield acted like a greenhouse on sunny days, and its slight curve could distort the view for taller drivers. Inside, the cabin was comfortable and quiet, with solid-feeling buttons and doors. The instrument cluster blended conventional and digital displays, and the infotainment screen rose organically from the dashboard. However, the infotainment system had a steep learning curve. The CX-30 was available in multiple trims, including 2.5 S, 2.5 S Select, 2.5 S Preferred, 2.5 S Premium, Turbo, Turbo Premium, and Turbo Premium Plus. Standard features on the base 2.5 S included 16-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, and an 8.8-inch infotainment screen. Higher trims added features like 18-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, and leather upholstery.

The 2021 Toyota Venza came standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine paired with a lithium-ion battery pack and electric motors, resulting in a combined 219 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid system used an electronically-controlled continuously-variable transmission (eCVT) with a sequential-shifting feature for increased regenerative braking. While the Venza's acceleration was smooth, it was not particularly rapid, and getting up to speed was a noisy affair due to the engine and transmission sounds. However, once at cruising speed, the noise levels became more tolerable. The Venza's handling was confident and typical of a Toyota, with no surprises. It excelled in fuel economy, achieving an EPA-estimated 40 mpg on the highway, 37 mpg in the city, and 39 mpg combined. Toyota backed its hybrid powertrain with a 10-year/150,000-mile hybrid battery warranty and an eight-year/100,000-mile Hybrid System warranty.

The 2022 Mazda CX-30 offered a base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 186 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. Our test model featured the upgraded 2.5-liter turbocharged engine, which delivered 227 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque on 87 octane fuel, and 250 hp and 320 lb-ft on 93 octane fuel. Power was routed to all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. The turbocharged engine provided decent acceleration, especially in Sport mode, which altered throttle response and shift mapping for a livelier drive. The CX-30's conventional shifter design, steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, and manual tap-shift mode added to its sporty feel. The ride was refined and sporty, with well-weighted steering and quick, precise turn-in. However, the suspension could be rough over potholes and bumpy roads.

The 2021 Toyota Venza was practical and well-appointed for its price point. Inside, it featured a unique cabin design with premium appointments in the center stack, including piano black capacitive buttons for climate and infotainment controls. The deep center console housed resizable cup holders, a traditional stick shifter, drive mode buttons, and more. The front seats were accommodating, and the rear seats were comfortable for two adults on extended drives. The Venza offered nearly the same passenger volume as the RAV4, with more headroom but slightly less legroom up front. Cargo space was around 60 percent of the RAV4's, with a maximum of 55.1 cubic feet. Despite this, the cargo space was sufficient for daily driving needs, and the 60/40 split-folding rear seatbacks made arranging the space easy.

The 2022 Mazda CX-30 provided up to 45.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 20.2 cubic feet with the seats in use, which was average for the subcompact SUV segment. Our Turbo Premium Plus model featured a power rear liftgate, adding convenience. The front seats had a sliding center console cover, which could get stuck under the seat when the rear seats were folded. However, the center console offered ample space for personal items, and the front doors had deep pockets for large water bottles. The rear seats provided solid headroom and were suitable for adults on short-to-medium trips, though they lacked the headroom of the larger CX-5, making longer drives less comfortable.

The 2021 Toyota Venza featured an 8-inch infotainment system on the LE and XLE trims, while the Limited trim had a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen. All screens ran the Entune infotainment system, which had improved over the years but was still not the best in the industry. The larger screen had good response time and could display three separate sections of information, but it was not user-friendly. Toyota included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa as standard across all trims, along with a Wi-Fi hot spot, AM/FM/HD Radio, Bluetooth, and a six-speaker audio system. The XLE and Limited trims offered a nine-speaker JBL premium audio system. Toyota also provided connected services like Safety Connect, Remote Connect, and Service Connect, with varying trial periods.

The 2022 Mazda CX-30 had an elegant dash design with an infotainment screen nestled into the dash, controlled by a rotary dial/joystick and toggle buttons. This setup was inspired by luxury-car systems like BMW's iDrive but lacked touch functionality, making it less user-friendly. Navigating out of Apple CarPlay was particularly cumbersome, and operating CarPlay and Android Auto with a rotary dial was frustrating. Despite these issues, getting into CarPlay from the Mazda home screen was relatively easy. The system remained confusing even after setting up presets, and it could be distracting for new users.

The 2021 Toyota Venza came with the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 suite, which included eight airbags, a rearview camera, hill start assist, parking distance sensors, tire pressure monitoring, and adjustable front seatbelt anchors. Additional features included a pre-collision warning system with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, and road sign assist. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was standard, with an upgrade to automatic braking available on the XLE and Limited trims. The Venza had two full sets of LATCH connections on the rear outboard seats. The safety features performed well, though the lane-keeping and lane-tracing assists kept the SUV slightly to the right within the lane.

The 2022 Mazda CX-30 came with standard driver-assistance features like forward collision avoidance, pedestrian detection, automatic high beams, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, rain-sensing wipers, and adaptive cruise control. Our Turbo Premium Plus model included additional features like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic-sign recognition, front-and-rear parking sensors, and reverse automatic emergency braking. The adaptive front headlights turned with the steering wheel, and the 360-degree parking camera was very helpful. The head-up display provided crisp graphics, easily readable with polarized lenses. The CX-30 also had a system that kept the electronic parking brake engaged until the driver fastened their seatbelt, which could be annoying for low-speed maneuvers. The CX-30 earned five stars from the NHTSA and the highest Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS.