Where each one leads
Mazda RX-8
- Against cars of the same age, the Mazda RX-8 comes out better at its first MOT test (passes 19% more often than average) than the Volvo C30 (passes 3% less often than average).
- Against cars of the same year, the Mazda RX-8 comes out better in New York safety inspections (fails 36% less often than average) than the Volvo C30 (fails 16% more often than average).
Volvo C30
- Fewer Volvo C30 cars in the Netherlands carry an illogical odometer record (2.8% against 10.0%).
- On Canada's official test the most frugal 2013 Volvo C30 uses 9.9 l/100 km, the 2011 Mazda RX-8 12.8.
Only measures that do not depend on how many cars were sold: pass and failure rates against cars of the same age, ratings, fuel use and CO₂. How we compare
At a glance
| Mazda RX-8 | Volvo C30 | |
|---|---|---|
| Model years in the US safety record | 2004–2017 | 2007–2014 |
| New cars registered in Europe | — | 50,101 (2010–2022) |
| Licensed in the United Kingdom | 1,923 | 19,334 |
| On the road in the Netherlands | 498 | 8,166 |
| In traffic in Finland | — | 1,747 |
EEA new-car registrations (CC BY 4.0) · DVLA licensed vehicles (OGL v3.0) · RDW (CC0) · Traficom (CC BY 4.0) · generations: Wikidata (CC0).
Reliability and problems
| Mazda RX-8 | Volvo C30 | |
|---|---|---|
| UK MOT first-time pass rate | 68% | 59% |
| … against cars of the same age | +19% | −3% |
| New York safety inspections failed | 1.5% | 2.9% |
| … against cars of the same year | −36% | +16% |
| Illogical odometer records (NL) | 10.0% | 2.8% |
| US owner complaints | 784 | 49 |
| Most complaints about | Power train | Visibility/wiper |
| Model year with most complaints | 2004 (490) | 2011 (14) |
| US recall campaigns | 14 | 4 |
| Manufacturer service bulletins | 1,533 | 1,401 |
| NHTSA defect investigations | 21 | — |
Complaint, recall and bulletin counts grow with the number of cars sold and are not adjusted for it. UK MOT: DVSA anonymised MOT results (OGL v3.0); New York: DMV inspections; complaints, recalls, bulletins and investigations: NHTSA (public domain); odometer: RDW (CC0).
Fuel, emissions and price
| Mazda RX-8 | Volvo C30 | |
|---|---|---|
| Official combined fuel use, Canada | 12.8 l/100 km (2011) | 9.9 l/100 km (2013) |
| Official CO₂ of new cars in Europe | — | 156 g/km |
| Average mass in running order | — | 1,437 kg |
| Dutch list price when new (median) | €47,360 | €25,454 |
| Average odometer in Finland | — | 222,000 km |
Canada: NRCan Fuel Consumption Ratings, most frugal version of the latest year (OGL Canada). Europe: EEA monitoring of new-car CO₂ and on-board fuel meters (OBFCM), CC BY 4.0. Price: RDW catalogue price (CC0). Finland: Traficom (CC BY 4.0).