Holden Acadia vs Mazda CX-30
What's the difference?

Holden Acadia

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2020 price

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Mazda CX-30

$22,850 - $41,950

2024 price

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Summary

2020 Holden Acadia

2024 Mazda CX-30

By Laura Berry

By James Cleary

Safety Rating

Engine Type

V6, 3.6L

Inline 4, 2.5L

Fuel Type

Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

8.9L/100km (combined)

6.6L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Truck-like looks
Advanced safety tech
Good value

Value
Practicality
Safety

Dislikes

2000kg braked towing capacity
Engine needs to rev hard to make grunt
Wireless charging not standard on LT

Dated interior
Fuel efficiency could be better
Bit noisy

2020 Holden Acadia Summary

If the Acadia had an accent it would be a southern drawl because this big seven-seat SUV is built in Tennessee, USA, and wears a GMC badge when it’s at home.

In Australia of course it wears a Holden one and comes straight from the factory in right-hand drive. So how does it suit Aussie conditions? Does it even know the importance of a sausage on a piece of bread bought outside a hardware store on a Saturday?

All this and more was learnt when the entry grade LT front-wheel drive came to live with my family.

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2024 Mazda CX-30 Summary

If you’re in the market for a city- and family-friendly compact SUV, you’re in luck.

The small SUV segment is one of the most heavily populated and hotly contested in the Aussie new-car market and the Mazda CX-30 G25 GT SP FWD is pitched against a seething pack of at least 10 similarly sized, generously specified and highly-credentialed competitors.

So, stay with us on a mission to determine whether this high-end version of one of Mazda’s best sellers is worthy of a spot on your new-car short list.

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Deep dive comparison

2020 Holden Acadia 2024 Mazda CX-30

Verdict

The Holden Acadia is a proper seven-seater SUV in that it will fit adults in the third row without turning your friends into enemies. It’s also practical and well fitted out with storage places and utilities such as USB ports.

I was particularly impressed with the advanced safety equipment on-board even at this entry LT level. Yes, it’s a V6 petrol and it’s not the most fuel-efficient SUV, but our time with it showed that with cylinder deactivation and the stop-start system it might not be as thirsty as you’d think.

Verdict

About to enter its fifth year in market the Mazda CX-30 is holding up well and this GT SP FWD grade delivers solid value relative to its key competitors, of which there are many. It’s also space-efficient, practical and performs well with top-shelf safety, decent refinement and good dynamic ability.

Alternately, it’s crying out for a hybrid powertrain to improve fuel efficiency, the interior form and function is starting to date and while it meets the market the ownership promise could be sharper. But this little SUV is still worthy of a spot on your new-car short list.

Holden Acadia vs Mazda CX-30 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Holden Acadia vs Mazda CX-30
What's the difference?