Compare the2024 Volvo XC40VS 2023 Mazda CX-30

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The XC40’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The CX-30 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the XC40 and CX-30 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The XC40 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The CX-30’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the XC40 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The CX-30 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The XC40 has standard Post-impact braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The CX-30 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the XC40’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The CX-30 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The XC40 has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the CX-30 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Premium offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the XC40 has standard Cross Traffic Alert and Braking Intervention automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Only the CX-30 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Premium offers Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

Both the XC40 and the CX-30 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Volvo XC40 is safer than the Mazda CX-30:

	XC40	CX-30
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Stress	209 lbs.	216 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.5 inches
Neck Injury Risk	31%	33.5%
Neck Stress	156 lbs.	172 lbs.
Neck Compression	66 lbs.	85 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Volvo XC40 is safer than the Mazda CX-30:

	XC40	CX-30
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1 inches
Abdominal Force	156 lbs.	209 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	119	197
Spine Acceleration	48 G’s	60 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	411 lbs.	583 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The XC40 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The CX-30’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The XC40’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the CX-30’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC40 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Volvo will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Mazda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the CX-30.

Engine

The XC40’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 56 more horsepower (247 vs. 191) and 72 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 186) than the CX-30’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Volvo XC40 is faster than the Mazda CX-30 4 cyl.:

	XC40	CX-30
Zero to 60 MPH	6.1 sec	7.5 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	16.7 sec	20.7 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7.3 sec	7.9 sec
Quarter Mile	14.7 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94 MPH	89 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the XC40 T5 gets better fuel mileage than the CX-30 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder (24 city/30 hwy vs. 22 city/30 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the XC40’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The CX-30 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the XC40’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The CX-30 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The XC40 has 1.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the CX-30 (14.2 vs. 12.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The XC40 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The CX-30 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Volvo XC40, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the CX-30.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the XC40’s brake rotors are larger than those on the CX-30:

	XC40	CX-30
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	11.6 inches
Rear Rotors	11.9 inches	10.4 inches
Opt Rear Rotors		11.9 inches

The XC40 stops much shorter than the CX-30:

	XC40	CX-30
60 to 0 MPH	111 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	135 feet	147 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the XC40 has larger standard tires than the CX-30 (235/55R18 vs. 215/65R16). The XC40’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the CX-30 (245/45R20 vs. 215/65R16).

The XC40’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CX-30 2.5 S’ standard 65 series tires. The XC40’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the CX-30 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Turbo/Premium’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the XC40 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the CX-30 2.5 S. The XC40’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the CX-30 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Turbo/Premium.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Volvo XC40 has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Mazda CX-30 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The XC40 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the XC40 flat and controlled during cornering. The CX-30’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the XC40’s wheelbase is 2 inches longer than on the CX-30 (106.4 inches vs. 104.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the XC40 is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 2.5 inches wider in the rear than on the CX-30.

The XC40 B5 Ultimate handles at .85 G’s, while the CX-30 Premium pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The XC40 B5 Plus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the CX-30 Premium (27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 27.9 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the XC40 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the CX-30 (8.1 vs. 8 inches), allowing the XC40 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The XC40 has 3.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CX-30 (98 vs. 94.1).

The XC40 has .9 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear headroom, 1.4 inches more rear hip room and 2.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the CX-30.

Cargo Capacity

The XC40 has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the CX-30 with its rear seat folded (57.5 vs. 45.2 cubic feet).

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the XC40’s optional rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The CX-30 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the XC40. The CX-30 doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the XC40’s available liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The CX-30 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

The XC40 has a 3500 lbs. towing capacity. The CX-30 has no towing capacity.

Optional Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the XC40 uses the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The CX-30 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The XC40 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The CX-30 uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the XC40 and the CX-30 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the XC40 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The CX-30 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

If the windows are left open on the XC40 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the CX-30 can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the XC40 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the CX-30 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the XC40’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the CX-30’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The XC40’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Mazda only offers heated mirrors on the CX-30 Carbon/Turbo.

The XC40 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats are only available on the CX-30 Preferred/Carbon/Premium. The XC40 also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the CX-30.

The XC40 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the CX-30 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Turbo/Premium.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volvo XC40 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the CX-30.

The XC40’s optional Park Assist Pilot can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The CX-30 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Volvo XC40, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Mazda CX-30 isn't recommended.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the XC40 second among small premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The CX-30 isn’t in the top three.

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