Auto review: Mazda MX-30 EV is long on style and handling, short on range

The Mazda MX-30 is the ZOOM! ZOOM! brand's first electric vehicle and it brings Mazda mojo. It's stylish, feature-rich and fun to drive.

It's also a poster child for why EVs are niche vehicles.

On a recent test drive, I rotated heads with the MX-30's nice looks. "Ooooh, I really like the design," said my friend Laurie, lingering on the sculpted rear taillamps after I rolled into her driveway. But Laurie won't be giving up her gas-powered Mazda CX-30 anytime soon.

That's because the MX-30 and the CX-30 share the same platform and — thanks to its gas powertrain — the CX-30 is the better all-around car.

Laurie's gas-powered, $29,875 CX-30 Premium is one of the best values in the subcompact SUV class. Leather seats, head-up display, adaptive cruise control, auto headlights, blind-spot assist, sunroof, 186-horsepower, 392-mile range. It's a premium car in a mainstream badge.

My MX-30 tester Premium Plus matched it stride-for-feature, except ... it had 143 horsepower, 100 miles of range, and costs $38,550. Oh.

Along with the BMW X1 (heady company), the CX-30 is already the best handling small ute I've driven. The MX-30 magnifies its inherent balance with its battery strapped low between the wheels in the vehicle's belly — eliminating the nose-heavy gas engine. The 35.5 kWh extra battery weight is obvious — the MX-30 weighs 420 pounds more than its gas counterpart — but its placement lowers the center of gravity a whopping 2.1 inches.

With no six-speed transmission to interrupt it, the electric motor felt terrific around town. All torque, all the time.

My $38,550 tester is $2,400 under a comparable Bolt EUV, and a whopping $8,225 less than the Kona EV. And that's before you spend about two grand on each vehicle to outfit your garage with a 240-volt charger so you can charge overnight (Mazda helpfully kicks in $500 to help buy a charger).

That relative bargain, however, could be erased by Washington's punishment of foreign automakers. Only American-made, UAW-assembled EVs are currently favored with a $12,500 tax credit in the massive climate legislation, while the small-battery Mazda gets thrown a smaller $7,500 bone. Ouch. Small consolation: the subsidy at least makes MX-30 price more competitive with the gas-powered CX-30.

The interior raises the bar over the CX-30's already handsome office space. The console has lots of basement storage for m'lady's purse — or to charge a phone. A second, 7.5-inch touch screen complements the high-dash remote screen with climate controls. The whole console is trimmed with cork (Mazda started as a cork maker, don't ya know) — aimed at the green crowd.

But as with its battery size, the interior space lags competitors. Rear legroom — 30.1 inches compared to the Bolt's 36.5 — is cramped for six-footers like me.

Mazda recognizes the MX-30's niche status and only offers it for sale in California (so eager Michiganians have a long drive back from the dealer), which currently makes up about half of EV sales. There, green is religion and the MX-30 should find an audience of upscale urban buyers whose lifestyle is a perfect fit.