5 Fall Drives Near Burnaby Built for the CX-30 and CX-70

Fall in the Lower Mainland has a short window. The maples turn, the passes stay clear a little longer, and then the rain settles in for the season. Getting out for a drive while the colour holds is worth planning for, and where you're headed can help decide which Mazda in the driveway makes more sense for the trip.

Burnaby sits close to a good mix of terrain: tight mountain switchbacks to the north, wide valley highway to the east, and quiet regional parks in between. The compact CX-30 and the larger CX-70 handle these differently, and matching the drive to the vehicle makes the outing a little easier.

Cypress Provincial Park Road

The climb up to Cypress Provincial Park is short but technical, with tight switchbacks and limited pull-outs near the top. This is where the CX-30's smaller footprint and 10.6-metre turning circle work in its favour, making three-point turns and narrow passing sections less of a production.

• Compact 4,395 mm overall length for easier manoeuvring on switchbacks
• Standard i-Activ AWD for traction on shaded, often-damp pavement
• 572 L of cargo space, enough for a couple of jackets and a thermos without folding seats

Sea-to-Sky Highway Toward Squamish

Highway 99 opens up once you're past the North Shore, with long sightlines toward Howe Sound and the mountains beyond Squamish. This is CX-70 territory. Its 3.3 L turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine, available in 280 hp/332 lb-ft or 340 hp/369 lb-ft outputs, has the highway passing power for the grades along this stretch, and its 5,000-lb towing capacity means a small trailer with bikes or kayaks doesn't change the plan.

Golden Ears Way to Golden Ears Provincial Park

Heading out to Golden Ears means a mix of suburban arterial roads and a final stretch through forest before reaching the park. The draw here is cargo space more than cornering. The CX-70 offers up to 1,131 litres behind the second row, along with a dedicated sub-trunk for stowing valuables, which covers a day pack, folding chairs, and a cooler without anything riding loose in the back seat.

Barnet Highway and Belcarra Regional Park

For a shorter outing that doesn't eat up a whole afternoon, the Barnet Highway along Burrard Inlet toward Belcarra Regional Park is close enough to fit into a weekend morning. Parking at Belcarra can be tight in peak fall weekends, which again favours the CX-30's smaller dimensions when it comes time to find a spot.

• Easier fit in compact regional park parking areas
• Standard heated front seats for cooler fall mornings
• 8.2 L/100 km combined fuel economy on the standard Skyactiv-G 2.5 engine, keeping short trips efficient

Fraser Valley Highway 7 Toward Harrison Hot Springs

The longer run out Highway 7 toward Harrison Hot Springs is mostly steady-speed highway driving, with farmland and mountain views along the way. Fuel economy matters more here than manoeuvrability. The CX-70's 3.3 L engine returns a combined rating of 9.3 to 9.5 L/100 km depending on output, while the CX-30 with the standard Skyactiv-G 2.5 engine comes in at 8.2 L/100 km combined, worth factoring in if the trip is mostly highway kilometres rather than mountain roads.

Key Takeaways

Plan Your Next Drive with Metrotown Mazda

Whichever route is on your list this fall, it helps to get behind the wheel of both before deciding which one fits your typical drive. Visit our team right here in Burnaby to learn more about the CX-30 and CX-70, and to see which one matches the roads you actually plan to drive this season.