Volvo C30 (2007 - 2012) 2.0 D3 (150bhp) R DESIGN 3d (2012/12) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

It shows that you can be sensible and fun without being "one of the herd". The usual crop of German cars makes you look like a sales rep. This does not.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

They love it! It's lovely to drive, looks fab and is never dull - four of my friends want one, now that they have seen it!

Would you buy this car again and why?

No question. I wanted something different with reasonable performance, reasonable economy, high reliability and comfort for two people, all for under £16k. This is a great choice.

What are you likely to buy next?

The new Volvo V40 has boot space and more doors. With a baby on the way, this could be a good choice for the future. My wife is after a Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo for similar reasons - good looking, decent performance, practical and cheap but not a boring choice!

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchised

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£14,600

When did you buy the car?

May 2013

Did you get a good deal and why?

I got a reasonable deal, tarnished slightly by poor financing and additional costs applied by the dealership. Always better if you can pay cash!

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Build quality, efficiency, performance and comfort all at a sensible price.

What was the dealer like?

The dealership was excellent with friendly and helpful staff who took the time to explain the features of the vehicle and check that I was satisfied with the car. The sales manager was less so, seemingly only interested in slipping extra costs into the deal - placing my tax on the finance bill without warning me was not well received!

What's it like to drive?

Wonderful! It's quiet, quick, reasonably efficient and gets lots of looks. The sporty handling is very stable without being too harsh around town. It's no sports car, but manages to be extremely pleasant and fun. Sporty cars tend to be too harsh and stiff around town, crashing over bumps and pot holes. Not so here. A good compromise that I'm quite prepared to make. Overall, I love it to bits, and would recommend a test drive to anybody.

What's it like to park?

Watch those alloys! Kerbs are a constant source of worry, but can be managed with a little care and judgement. The view out of the back is very good for a coupe. The front can be tricky to judge, protruding further than you think, but you will get used to it.

Have you had any problems with the car?

So far so good - everything works beautifully and feels solid and of a reasurringly high quality. Make sure you get a load cover for the boot area - they often go missing. A soft cover is standard, if a bit rubbish. The hard cover is much better but can be very awkward to use, so play around with it before spending the £250 extra.

What's most practical about your car?

If you don't plan to carry four people with luggage, the car is very well designed and practical. The split rear seats fold down to offer good load space, but forget carrying people with suitcases! Go for one of the bigger cars if this is a key requirement. The rear seats are very comfortable, but only seat 2 people, not three as seen in most cars. Fuel economy is around 47 mpg on the motorway, which isn't bad for a 2.0-litre car, but not great for a diesel. I expect it to improve as the very low mileage increases. Performance is strong, but not silly. I really like it.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

The R Design comes with a beautiful and modestly specified interior. Cruise control is an excellent addition and the high performance CD/Radio is very good. The part-leather seats are very comfortable and everything you touch feels really nice and solid. Wished it had a sat-nav and parking sensors though - the R Design Lux variation would have resolved this. The R Design spec gives you a lot of lovely styling extras and modest but well designed equipment levels - I wouldn't consider a lower spec though.