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2021 Seltos vs 2020 CX-30

3424 Views 7 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  conwelpic
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Great comparison and I completely agree with his observations and conclusions. It’s uncanny really as I could see myself giving almost the exact same review.
It came down to these 2 for me and I chose the Seltos. I’m in Canada so we get the ventilated seats, heated steering wheel and HUD along with heated rear seats.
A couple of small things. He mentioned the Bose in the Seltos and wished they would have used Harman Kardon as in the Soul. I found the HK in the Soul much too bass heavy without the ability to adjust. The Bose is much cleaner and more enjoyable, to my ears anyway. Savage Geese made quite a point of it in his Soul review. And Apple CarPlay does cover the whole screen in the Seltos. It’s not the default though and needs to be turned on in the settings.
Keep in mind that he is comparing top trims as was I.
I was almost swayed by the Mazda interior quality coming from an Audi. 2 months in and it’s a non issue.
Very happy with my choice but the Mazda is excellent as well for someone with different needs and priorities.
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Keep in mind that he is comparing top trims as was I.
I was almost swayed by the Mazda interior quality coming from an Audi. 2 months in and it’s a non issue.
Very happy with my choice but the Mazda is excellent as well for someone with different needs and priorities.
It can change when you go to lower trims, I'm presently comparing the Seltos EX to the CX-30 GS FWD. I just wish the Seltos EX was offered in FWD, as I have no interest or need for AWD. I picked these two as they are in a similar price range as I really don't want to go any higher. I had considered another Soul, looking at the EX Premium version (but wanted a change from yet another Soul - had two) so the Seltos EX and CX-30 GS FWD were close to the same MSRP.
TFL did their own comparison with the Seltos and CX-30.

Verdict: Two compelling new choices in an increasingly crowded field
If you’d asked me a year ago if I was excited that Kia and Mazda were coming out with two new small crossovers, I probably would have laughed while shaking my head. So it’s with a humble smile that I will now say my pessimistic assumptions were not justified. The Seltos and CX-30 are excellent new cars that prove that you don’t need to spend a lot of money on a nice set of wheels.

For my money, I’d buy the CX-30. Although I’d probably be kicking myself if I didn’t wait for the turbocharged engine to hopefully arrive down the line. That said, I won’t fault anyone for picking the more youthful Seltos instead — especially if you need the extra space.


I agree with everything mentioned in this short comparison , except maybe the comments about the transmission. I have not noticed any jerkiness at all but enough have commented on it that it must exist. For me it could be that I have owned this type of transmission so my driving style might mitigate some of the effects. The quick shifting and sporty nature add up to a plus for me.
What this review doesn’t delve into is the difference in features (Including power train which was mentioned) in the highest trim levels which is what led me to the Seltos. If I was looking at lower trims I may have chosen otherwise although space and, less so, looks would still have been a factor.
Just read an article that said the CX-30 will now make Apple / Android standard on the base model too. They are also not raising the price for 2021.
After many months and waiting for a month for a specific model to arrive at the dealership for me to see and test drive I made my decision yesterday and purchase a 2020 CX-30 GS FWD in Snowflake White Pearl Mica. I take delivery next Tuesday.
I traded in my 2016 Kia Soul SX, which was my third Kia, hope the Mazda is just as reliable as they have been.
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Feb 9, 2021 - comparison between the 2021 Seltos turbo vs the 2021 CX-30 turbo

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