Let’s be honest: I don’t really need a car. I’m perfectly connected to public transport in Hamburg. U-Bahn or S-Bahn, I can even choose when there are construction sites or strikes.
If necessary, I’ll ride my bike. And I’m usually faster with public transport than with the car in the rush hour. I’m single with no kids, just a cat, and walking distance to doctors and shopping.
Impractical! It’s still unclear to me what Mazda had in mind when it came to the portal doors.
When I get in, I immediately notice: what a cool interior. The seats, the vegan leather, the fabric door panels – all of this not only feels very good, but is also sustainable. And the cork in the center console is really something else.
Bose sound system convinces
Unfortunately, the climate control is far too deep and can only be operated by touch. At least that always distracted me from traffic. After two weeks and despite acoustic feedback, I only made the settings while standing at a traffic light.
After I connected my phone (unfortunately still via cable) to Apple CarPlay, the Bose sound system convinced me. So you can sing along in the after-work traffic jam – and that too with no local emissions!
The rubber mat in the trunk is very practical. Especially if the charging cable has become dirty.
Of course, the Mazda also has the advantages of every electric car: gentle yet brisk acceleration allows you to overtake in a relaxed manner, but also to swim well and calmly in traffic. The battery is happy.
With a lot of effort I managed to walk almost 60 kilometers in one week. The range is absolutely sufficient for this. Shopping, transporting things or driving my cat to the vet, the Mazda is good for that.
Perfect as a daily commute
The trunk is big enough for this, even if the coupe line steals some space. The rubber mat is also practical if, for example, the charging cable gets wet.
The one-time recharge in the two weeks was only for the feel, because the battery level had fallen below 50 percent. I can’t assess the range on the freeway and country roads, but it’s perfect for a daily commute.
There is plenty of space in the trunk for shopping and transporting things for me alone.
In everyday traffic, I really liked the head-up display, which shows a good amount of information without being too overloaded. The 360-degree camera is also really practical, but also really necessary given the complexity of the vehicle.
The portal doors, on the other hand, are impractical for the city. In tight parking spaces, just throwing something on the back seat or even getting in the back is not that easy. And to be honest, the Mazda is simply too big for finding parking spaces quickly.
After the two weeks, I’m not entirely sad to have to return the car. I don’t really need it in the city. But: Here in Hamburg there are also a few car-sharing MX-30s driving around. That fits perfectly – and that’s where I get back into it.
relationship status
Commute: In the city perfectly adequate. Points: 4 /5
Shopping: Perfect for me alone. Points: 5/5
Transport: Enough, but the hatchback takes up a lot of space. Points: 3/5
Vacation: Because of the range, only the Baltic Sea is included. Points: 1/5
Hobby: Excessive book purchases and choral music find good space. Points: 5/5
family life: Cat can easily be chauffeured to the vet. Points: 4/5
In a nutshell
What will the neighbors say if I drive up? They are happy that it is a quiet electric car.
Why would I recommend the car to my best friend? Because it drives calmly and solidly and is completely sufficient for the city.
What do I remember? The design takes some getting used to, but it’s a rock-solid electric car that’s pleasant to drive.
Specifications and price: Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv
• Battery capacity 35.5kWh
• Perfomance 107 kW (145 hp)
• trunk 366-1171l
• 0-100km/h 9.7s
• Top 140km/h
• Consumption (WLTP) 17.3kWh/100km
• Price from 35,990 euros
