Volvo V50 (2004 - 2012) 1.6D DRIVe SE Lux 5d (2009/09) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

That I am family man, but the car is striking so I am proud of it.

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

They are very impressed.

Would you buy this car again and why?

Maybe not. The fuel efficiency is nothing like that claimed when I bought the car - currently we are at 47.3mpg, when the ad said something like 70mpg. Servicing costs are also abominable - clearly Volvo sees servicing as another valuable income stream. Selling expensive cars just isn't enough it seems!

What are you likely to buy next?

All electric saloon.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchised

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£17,300

When did you buy the car?

June 2009

Did you get a good deal and why?

I think I got a good deal because, less than a year old, with 8,000 miles on the clock, it has leather seats, metallic paintwork and alloy wheels. Most importantly the DrivE engine. They tried to cheat me on the finance - luckily I checked on the internet beforehand and found much more competitive deals; forcing them to up their game!

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

DrivE engine because could see that fuel prices were going to rise quickly, and stay high!

What was the dealer like?

The dealer was very helpful and friendly. I enjoyed the experience of buying from them.

What's it like to drive?

The car is good to drive - not much torque, but then it is only a 1.6l diesel, but it is very comfortable (chose volvo because of the very comfy seats) and quite good at keeping noise out.

What's it like to park?

A bit of a pain, probably like most estate cars - would definitely recommend getting park assist on this.

Have you had any problems with the car?

Having not got it serviced at 'Volvo' garages, due to the exhorbitant cost of servicing, the engine developed a real difficulty starting. Not even three years old, the starter motor would have to labour a bit. But I took it to their 'Volvo' garage who did several software upgrades which sorted the problem. The guys there were really friendly and helpful. I can't rate them more.

What's most practical about your car?

I love the fact my seat has memorised both the position that I have chosne, and my wife's. And so it's great when I use my key, when I open the door the seat automatically resets to my position - dead cool.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

I love the bluetooth, but hate the fact you either get that OR the ipod connection. So I tried using an FM transmitter to beam ipod music to the car radio, but the sound quality is awful. Oh if only I could get bluetooth AND ipod connectivity.