Mazda CX-3 vs Skoda Karoq

What's the difference?

It’s easy to see why the Mazda CX-3 remains such a favourite with small SUV buyers. The Evolve grade tested is dynamically capable, space efficient and well equipped for the money. That said, although I don’t like being ageist, as it starts to creep up on a decade on sale, the market leader is giving ground to the competition in key areas including design, fuel efficiency and refinement. It’s time for a new-generation model, but in the age of electrification, will there be one? In the meantime, this evergreen favourite remains a solid urban SUV option.

This new entry-level Karoq gives the already accomplished mid-size SUV an even sharper value-for-money edge. On top of that it's space efficient, hugely practical and economical. Safety's up to speed, the ownership package is solid and it's a quiet, refined drive. Before joining the RAV4 queue, we'd suggest giving this Skoda some serious thought.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

You’re not going to mistake the current CX-3 for anything other than a Mazda, which speaks to the consistency of the brand’s design approach.

Tightly wrapped and neatly detailed the CX-3's exterior has aged well, and thanks to cosmetic tweaks over time it’s still looking clean and contemporary. 

The step up from 16-inch alloys on the lower Sport and Pure grades to 18-inch rims on this Evolve also lifts the look to a more mature, premium level.  

The interior is a simple, fuss-free environment, but in a small-SUV world moving rapidly towards slick integrated screens for multimedia and instrumentation, the CX-3 is showing its age.

The 8.0-inch media display stands proud in the centre of the dash, almost like an afterthought, and the instrument cluster, while okay from an ergonomic point of view, is dated by an analogue tachometer in the centre and LCD-style read-outs either side.

And although it’s always a subjective call, I’m guessing the Evolve’s white and tan interior trim combination won’t be to everyone’s liking, from an aesthetic or practicality point-of-view.

That said, the interior surfaces across the dash, doors and centre console flow into one another nicely, and brushed metal look highlights around key controls and vents enhance the quality feel.

Speaking of which, physical dials and knobs for adjustment of the ventilation system and audio volume is welcome. Maybe old-school is the best school?

However… the multimedia screen can only be accessed by a rotary dial in the front centre console once the car is mobile (it works as a touchscreen when you’re stationary).

Keenly aware there are various opinions on this set-up when it comes to safety. Touchscreens, by definition, take your eyes off the road ahead, so on one hand it makes sense to transfer control to the rotary dial.

But when you’re using a sequential app like Spotify, it can take a hell of a lot of twirls of that controller to get to where you want to go.

Soon you’re grinding your teeth in frustration which upsets concentration and your eyes are well-and-truly off the road, anyway. 

For what it’s worth, I’d prefer the relative ease of a quick press on the screen rather than having to go ‘around the horn’ to hit your favourite track or podcast.

Skoda's distinctively broad, vertically slatted grille stands the brand apart, and even after six years in market the Karoq looks crisp and contemporary with chiselled character lines and jagged head and tail-lights blending successfully with more gently curved surfaces along the car's flanks and turret.

It might be a subconscious side-effect of knowing Skoda is part of the VW Group, but I can't help seeing hints of Tiguan here and there, particularly around the side windows and rear end.

But cool touches like aero-influenced inserts in the 18-inch alloy rims reinforce the Karoq's individual look.

Move to the inside and while the 8.0-inch central media touchscreen and 8.0-inch digital instrument display are on the pace the overall design shows the car's age.

Quality trim materials lift the tone, the cloth seats with contrast stitching look (and feel) great, but the understated dash design in particular is 'traditional', the vibe accentuated by liberal use of piano black highlight elements.

That said, the mix of on-screen functions and physical controls works well ergonomically and the leather-trimmed, partially-perforated, flat-bottom steering wheel is hard to fault.

At just under 4.3m long, less than 1.8m wide and a little over 1.5m tall the CX-3’s footprint is squarely city-sized, and no surprise it shares the Mazda2’s 2570mm wheelbase because it’s underpinned by the same platform as the small hatch.

But there’s more than enough breathing room up front and storage options are creative.

Rather than the ubiquitous single storage box between the front seats the CX-3 offers up an adjustable multi-compartment arrangement, with cupholders and bottle retainers ready to flick into position in multiple locations. 

It’s still covered with a padded lid which doubles as an armrest, and there’s also a generous glove box and bins in the doors with space for large bottles, even an overhead drop-down glasses holder.

Move to the back and there’s a surprising amount of head, leg and shoulder room for an SUV of this size. Sure, it’s no limo, but sitting behind the driver’s seat set to my 183cm position, I was pretty comfortable.

Best for two full-size adults in the rear, although a third can squeeze in for short, relatively uncomfortable journeys. Three up to mid-teenage kids will be fine.  

Rear storage includes bottle shaped cavities in the doors, a map pocket on the back of the front passenger seat only (a weird Mazda habit) and dual pop-out cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest.

No adjustable ventilation outlets in the rear, but in a car this compact, their absence isn’t as big an issue as it might be elsewhere.

For power and connectivity, there are two USB-A sockets in the front (one media, one power-only) as well an SD card slot, an ‘aux in’ jack and a 12V outlet. No power options in the rear, which won’t play well with the kids.

With the back seat upright, boot capacity is an okay 264 litres. Enough to accommodate either the largest 124L or the smaller 95L and 36L suitcases from out three-piece set. But not all of them together.

With a bit of not so gentle persuasion, the large CarsGuide pram just squeaked in, but lower the 60/40 split-folding rear backrest and available space expands to 1174L.

Tie-down anchors to help secure loose loads is a plus and a speed-limited space-saver spare sits under the boot floor.

And if you need to hook up a small boat or other lightweight trailer, the CX-3 Evolve is rated to 1200kg (braked) and 640kg (unbraked).

In terms of dimensions, at just under 4.4m long, a bit more than 1.8m wide and a fraction over 1.6m tall the Karoq is a relatively small medium SUV.

Yet, its 2638mm wheelbase means there's enough space between the axles for generous accommodation front and rear with enough room left over for a decent boot.

There's ample room for me, at 183cm, in the front with plenty of breathing space between driver and co-pilot. Not to mention heaps of storage including big door bins with room for large bottles, an open area in the centre console under an extending and height-adjustable centre armrest, various coin and oddments slots, a good size glove box, a broad lidded dash-top compartment and a drop down box near the driver's right knee.

Move to the rear, and sitting behind the driver's seat set to my position, I've got good head, leg and shoulder room. Best for two adults, although three would be possible for (cozy) short trips.

Three up to teenage kids will be fine back there, but if your kids are in a capsule, child seat or booster you'll be good with two but three will be a bridge too far.

Again there are door bins with enough room for oversize bottles, three cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest (one is 'venti'-sized) as well an oddments tray at the back of the front centre console and map pockets on the front seat backs. Adjustable ventilation is another plus.

With all seats up the Karoq offers a healthy 588 litres (VDA) of storage space, expanding to 1810L with the 60/40 split rear seat folded. A rear seat 'ski-port' style door also increases flexibility.

There are numerous bag and tie-down hooks as well as thoughtful storage spaces around the boot space. A full-size (speed limited) spare sits under the floor and while the tailgate misses out on power assistance, there's a typically useful dangling grab handle to help with closing.

For those keen on towing the FWD Karoq is rated up to a 1.5-tonne braked trailer (750kg unbraked).

To tempt people away from the Toyota RAV4 juggernaut you need a distinctive brand personality, which the Karoq has in spades, as well as a standard features list long enough to entice but not so lengthy that it sends the asking price over the top.

And this new Karoq entry-grade model is set at $39,990, drive-away, which is a shot across the bow of the base RAV4 GX 2WD sitting at $39,760, before on-road costs.

It's also in the same ballpark as the X-Trail ST five-seat 2WD ($37,250 before on-roads) and Outlander ES five-seat 2WD ($37,740 BOC).

So, the balancing act between price and equipment lands with standard feature highlights including dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, 18-inch alloy rims, auto LED headlights, an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a reversing camera, built-in nav and eight-speaker audio.

That's pretty handy, although it's worth noting while the start is keyless, entry to the car isn't, and while the Karoq Style and SportLine boast an auto tailgate, this grade misses out.

Clearly, there's been careful fine-tuning of the value equation but the car maintains a premium look and feel that stacks up well in the segment.

The CX-3 is powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine sending drive to the front wheels via a six-speed auto transmission.

The all-alloy unit features direct-injection and variable valve timing to produce 110kW at 6000rpm and 195Nm at 2800rpm.

The Karoq is powered by a 1.4-litre, all-alloy, direct-injected, turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine sending 110kW (at 6000rpm) and 250Nm (from 1500-3500rpm) to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Mazda’s official fuel economy number for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 6.3L/100km, the 2.0-litre four-cylinder emitting 143g/km of CO2 in the process.

That’s an impressively small emissions figure for a 2.0L petrol engine, more in line with smaller-capacity engines.

Stop-start is standard and over a week of city, suburban, and some freeway running, we averaged 7.4L/100km (at the pump), while the car’s on-board computer indicated 7.1L/100km for the same period.

Minimum fuel requirement is 91 RON ‘standard’ unleaded (or E10) and you’ll need 48 litres of it to fill the tank.

Using the official number, that translates to a driving range of around 760km, which drops to roughly 650km using our real-world figure.

Skoda's official combined cycle fuel economy number for the Karoq is 6.5L/100km, the 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine emitting 147g/km of CO2 in the process.

On the launch drive program for this new entry-level model, covering city, B-road and freeway running along the coast south of Sydney, NSW, we recorded an average of 7.6L/100km.

That's useful for a conventional combustion engine without the benefit of electric hybrid assistance. Worth noting, however, minimum fuel requirement is the pricier 95 RON premium unleaded.

You'll need 50 litres of it to fill the tank which equates to a theoretical driving range of 770km using the official figure or around 660km using our on-test result.

The CX-3’s compact size makes it easy to steer through tight city and suburban streets. 

It weighs in at just under 1.3 tonnes, which is marginally lighter than most of its key competitors, and acceleration is sprightly with the 0-100km/h covered in less than nine seconds.

Close to 200Nm of pulling power is plenty for a car in this class and unusually for a non-turbo engine, peak torque arrives at a relatively low 2800rpm, so there’s ample mid-range urge.

The downside is the 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine makes its presence felt inside the cabin, with mechanical noise noticeable even at around-town speeds. Not a conversation stopper by any means, but it’s there.

No complaints with the six-speed auto transmission. It’s smooth and the ratios keep the car in its performance sweet spot nicely. It also shifts into sequential ‘Manual’ mode if your prefer or need to call the shots.

Electric ‘drive-by-wire’ throttle response is smooth, but flick the console-mounted rocker switch to ‘Sport’ and things become more urgent, with the transmission shifting down earlier and holding on to ratios longer.

The steering is evenly weighted for easy parking and road feel is good. Speaking of parking, a 10.6m turning circle is large-ish for such a diminutive SUV, but surprisingly, not out of line for the category.

Suspension is by struts at the front and torsion beam at the rear, and despite the CX-3’s relatively short wheelbase and the Evolve’s bigger 18-inch wheels, ride comfort over typically pock-marked urban roads is surprisingly good. The Toyo Proxes R52A (215/50) tyres are also quiet and reassuringly grippy.

Braking is by generous ventilated discs at the front and solid rotors at the rear, and they’re more than up to the task of calmly washing off speed in this city-sized SUV. 

The front seats proved comfy and supportive on test, although you’ll have to step up to the next Touring grade to score electric adjustment for the drive or lumbar control of any description.

Despite riding on sizeable 18-inch alloys (shod with 215/50 Goodyear Eagle F1 rubber), first impressions behind the Karoq's wheel are dominated by how composed and refined it is.

Even on coarse, irregular B-roads the car remains supple yet balanced and well buttoned down in the corners. The steering is nicely weighted and road feel is good.

Skoda says the Karoq will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 9.2 seconds, which isn't ferociously fast but the 1.4-litre turbo four delivers its peak pulling power from 1500-3500rpm, which means you're never short of mid-range urge.

The smooth eight-speed auto also helps keep things on the boil although power delivery isn't always linear. Squeeze the throttle and the engine can take half a beat before responding in something of a rush.

Shift from 'Normal' to 'Sport' mode and the transmission will respond more urgently, holding on to ratios longer and changing down more readily. And if you want full control, move the lever over into the 'Tiptronic' manual position for satisfyingly rapid changes on-demand.

The engine remains quiet, only making its presence felt at higher revs, the supportive front seats remain comfortable over lengthy stints and the brakes (vented discs front, solid rotors rear) deliver firm, progressive stopping power even under the pressure of an enthusiastic twisty backroad run.

Under the heading of miscellaneous observations, the multimedia system is easy to navigate and quick to respond, the extending, height-adjustable front centre armrest is brilliant and the adaptive cruise system responds to changes quickly yet calmly.

The Skoda Karoq's previous five-out-of-five ANCAP star rating has timed out, given the assessment was from 2017, so it's now unrated.

But that doesn't mean it's underdone in terms of active crash-avoidance tech, this base version featuring AEB (operational from 4.0-250km/h) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, 'Lane Assist', 'Side Assist' (with rear cross-traffic alert), Parking Distance Control (front and rear), a reversing camera, rear AEB as well as tyre-pressure and fatigue monitoring.

If a crash is unavoidable, there are seven airbags on-board - dual front, front side, full-length side curtain and a driver's knee bag.

Multi-collision brake minimises the chances of subsequent collisions following an initial impact and there are three top tethers and two ISOFIX anchors for baby capsules and/or child seats across the second row.

Mazda covers the CX-3 with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is the current market standard. Roadside assist is included for the duration. 

Recommended service interval is 12 months/15,000km, and the average annual cost for each workshop visit, for the first seven years, is $438.

An average under $450 is alright, but Toyota’s capped price figure of $195 per workshop visit for the first five years of C-HR ownership puts it in perspective. Mind you, Toyota’s charges step up considerably after that fifth year.

Skoda is ahead of the mainstream pack, offering a seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, which is two years up on the majority of the Karoq's competitors.

Roadside Assist is complimentary for the first year, renewed annually if you have your Karoq serviced at an authorised Skoda dealer.

The main service interval is 12 months/15,000km, which is in line with most of the competition, and Skoda offers a seven-year service pack for $2750, or $393 per workshop visit, which is competitive with much of the segment but some way off the Toyota RAV4 non-hybrid at $215 per service on a capped-price deal.

On top of that, through Skoda Choice you can opt for a Guaranteed Future Value offer ranging up to five years, with variable deposit and finance currently at a 6.99 per cent rate.

At the end of the term you can trade-in for a new Skoda, pay out the balloon amount and keep the car or simply hand it back.