Where each one leads
Mercedes-Benz SLK
- Against cars of the same age, the Mercedes-Benz SLK comes out better at its first MOT test (passes 16% more often than average) than the Volvo C30 (passes 3% less often than average).
- On Canada's official test the most frugal 2016 Mercedes-Benz SLK uses 8.5 l/100 km, the 2013 Volvo C30 9.9.
Volvo C30
- Fewer Volvo C30 cars in the Netherlands carry an illogical odometer record (2.8% against 9.5%).
Too close to call: official CO₂ of new cars in Europe (g/km).
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
| Mercedes-Benz SLK | Volvo C30 | |
|---|---|---|
| Model years in the US safety record | 1998–2012 | 2007–2014 |
| New cars registered in Europe | 75,551 (2010–2020) | 50,101 (2010–2022) |
| Licensed in the United Kingdom | 47,128 | 19,334 |
| On the road in the Netherlands | 9,739 | 8,166 |
| In traffic in Finland | 2,181 | 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
| Mercedes-Benz SLK | Volvo C30 | |
|---|---|---|
| UK MOT first-time pass rate | 73% | 59% |
| … against cars of the same age | +16% | −3% |
| New York safety inspections failed | — | 2.9% |
| … against cars of the same year | — | +16% |
| Illogical odometer records (NL) | 9.5% | 2.8% |
| US owner complaints | 74 | 49 |
| Most complaints about | Visibility | Visibility/wiper |
| Model year with most complaints | 2002 (25) | 2011 (14) |
| US recall campaigns | 3 | 4 |
| Manufacturer service bulletins | 79 | 1,401 |
| NHTSA defect investigations | 9 | — |
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
| Mercedes-Benz SLK | Volvo C30 | |
|---|---|---|
| Official combined fuel use, Canada | 8.5 l/100 km (2016) | 9.9 l/100 km (2013) |
| Official CO₂ of new cars in Europe | 153 g/km | 156 g/km |
| Average power of new cars in Europe | 120 kW (161 hp) | — |
| Average mass in running order | 1,578 kg | 1,437 kg |
| Dutch list price when new (median) | €61,479 | €25,454 |
| Average odometer in Finland | 175,000 km | 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).