Volvo C30 reviews

I bought my C30 1.6S as a stop gap when I returned to the UK from living expat and was looking for a cheapish runabout; I'd always liked the look of the C30 and thought it would be a good for a year. Five years later (with the car approaching 13 years old) I have no intention of letting it go - it is too good a car and offers me what I need, very comfortable cruising on A roads and motorways, with a big car feel in a Focus sized package. As it is a Focus platform vehicle, maintenance/repair costs are reasonable. it doesn't like steep hills and a 1.6 engine isn't going to give lightning fast acceleration, but it will easily cruise at the national speed limit all day and return 36mpg. It isn't a family car, but it's great for what I need.

Plus: Fantastic car, sporty performance, comfortable with a reasonable carrying capacity. We average 40mpg. Minus: Engine somewhat noisy compared to other diesels (but it pulls like a train). 2006 design is a little outdated now.

My Volvo C30 is reliable, easy to drive and has the power to overtake fast when needed.

Sort of a reverse TARDIS, no cubby holes to speak of. Quite comfortable though and quite responsive for a 1.6. Fuel tank is miniscule although the mpg is not bad so it evens out. Does for us at the moment, and might well get another Volvo, but bigger next time

Had this car 2 months, 1 previous owner, really fun to drive, performance is smashing, handles great and runs solid on motorways at high speed. Only downside is the space in the boot, I quite like the bucket seats in the back but someone with a family might struggle.

I drove Volvos from 1963-1994. Great to be back in one again! Quality and performance as good as ever. Full marks to the dealership for a good value used car.

Beautiful car. Very comfortable to drive. Good MPG. Good road holding. Easy to manoevere.

The C30 is a good car though let down by a couple of little things. Having moved from a mid range Ford Fiesta to A high range Volvo I expected the difference to be more dramatic. In actual fact the Volvo is more expensive to run, slightly slower with poor acceleration and less interior and boot space. The positives are the seats are comfortable and though a small car it feels larger than it actually is, it has a smooth ride and is a good looking car. On the whole I am pleased with it. Oh and watch out for the very slippery steering wheel you need to keep a good grip on it.

Love the C30 because it is a reliable, comfortable and fairly rare car on the roads so I feel that I am a little unique :-) The stop/start system is very good and fuel efficiency is excellent of driven properly.

Good points: comfortable, economic, safe, good acceleration & brakes, reasonably reliable (some minor electronic problems). Irritations: Floating console looks good but not wholly practical, it's too low down and one has to take eyes off the road too much to use buttons etc. All instruments/knobs should be high up on the dash so eyes can quickly revert to driving visuals. Fog light buttons are hidden low R behind the steering wheel (for me), cannot find them on dark/foggy night - so dangerous, they need moving to high up on dash for easy visual/quick operation. Although all instruments and floating console look good, practically, I don't think they work - sorry! Air con/heating controls are too complicated, I wish they were simpler to adjust. Road holding in snow/ice was vastly improved by the change to appropriate winter tyres for last winter - a huge success, I recommend these to anyone who has to drive in these conditions. Hopelessly small boot..., it's okay for a couple as a rear seat can be dropped for large luggage space, but definitely not for family with pushchair, infant clobber, etc., due to the odd boot shape. Very nice car otherwise, I've had mine from new for 5 years.

The only downside is running costs and space & practicality.

Returned to owning a Volvo after a very negative experience with a German double-barrelled brand and thrilled I did so. The car has been reliable, and running costs are low. I have the 18" wheels and this does result in having more expensive tyres. My only issue with the design is the tricky hatch shape, so it makes loading and carrying larger items problematic, sometimes impossible. Otherwise I love the car and am disappointed that Volvo have stopped making the C30 as I would happily have bought another one.

Excellent car for what I require. Quite sporty, good load carrying capacity.

good car

Not worth the money.

Had this car for nearly 2 months and loving it. Bought to be comfortable & practical but it's actually fun !

Doesn't achieve anything like the claimed MPG. Had some problems with quality of paint on wheels, had to stripped and powder coated under warranty. Also had early problems with minor water leaks round doors and wind noise. Water leaks have slowly improved as car has aged. Wind noise still much the same. Was the first new car I've ever had, wouldn't buy another and would be reluctant to buy Volvo. Is great to drive, has been reliable and the retro styling looks great, £30 per annum road tax is a big plus.

Beautiful car. Comfortable, reliable, practical & economical.

Have owned this car for just over a year; bought second-hand, with just 33,000 miles on the clock and one previous owner. Overall I'm really very pleased with it. Performance is adequate for my needs but fuel economy could be a little better. As you would expect build quality is excellent, being a Volvo. In terms of space, again it is adequate for my needs but I suspect for a family with children it would be rather impractical, being a two door and having little in the way of boot space. Finally, for me, being a pensioner, I need something which is reliable and will give me many miles of service. The Volvo fits the bill and the good performance is a bonus!