volvo-c30-2007-

OverviewThe Volvo C30 lacks the practicality of most hatchbacks in this sector: it’s more about image

than utility.

Intended to go up against the BMW 1-Series, Audi A3 and Mercedes C-Class Coupe at the

‘premium’ end of the market, it’s suitably exclusively-priced - especially with the more powerful

engines, which you’ll want if performance is in any way a consideration. A car to suit the

childless, or for empty-nesters, the C30 majors on its style but it does also offer a fine driving

experience.

Choose from 1.6, 2.0 and turbocharged 2.5-litre petrol engines, or the 1.6 and 2.0-litre

diesels; models badged DRIVe are economy-optimised, and come with the option of a start-

stop system to further save fuel, whilst the R-Design models have a high level of equipment

and a full set of sporting trimmings.

Much of the Volvo C30’s mechanicals are borrowed from the tried and trusted Ford Focus,

which is no bad thing – though more humble in its image and pricing, the Focus has class-

leading ride and handling.

It’s no Focus in terms of its practicality, however; the C30 majors on style, but seats only

four, and can’t handle passengers and luggage as well as its more mainstream cousin. Think of

it as a 2+2 coupe with a little more rear headroom, rather than a small family car.

The powerful 180bhp D5 diesel we tested, with six-speed semi-automatic transmission,

returned 42.8mpg (Volvo claims 47.9mpg is possible), but was quite noisy under load.

According to our latest Which? Car survey, the C30 achieves only an average three-star

score for reliability. Its problems are most electrical, but there are also reports from Which?

members of engine and transmission troubles, plus ECU (electronic control unit) and exhaust

faults. Reliability gets significantly worse from four years old, too, when the breakdown rate

rises to 6%.

Recommended models in the range

Which? caR TOp chOice MOdel

-

New price: -

Used price: -

FasTesT MOdel

T5 R desiGN lux 3dr

New price: £24,085

Used price: -

0-62mph: 6.7 secs

MOsT eFFicieNT MOdel

d2 [115] se lux 3dr [start stop]

New price: £22,245

Used price: -

combined fuel economy: 78.5 mpg

cheapesT MOdel TO bUy NeW

2.0 es 3dr

New price: £15,145

cheapesT MOdel TO bUy Used

1.6 s 3dr

Used price: £7,275

cheapesT MOdel TO RUN (NeW)

2.0 es 3dr

New price: £15,145

Running costs: £13,674(3 yeaRs/36,000 Miles)

Looks slick, with good-quality construction.

Drives well, with some powerful engines to choose from.

Well-laid out, stylish cockpit.

Expensive to buy, for a small three-door hatchback, and costly to service.

Little boot space and limited practicality.

The ride is hard and can be unforgiving.

Which? car review

Volvo c30 (2007-)ON sale: Jan 2007 class: Medium cars

NeW pRice: £15,145 - £25,680 Used pRice: From £7,275

67%ToTal score: peRFORMaNce:

bOOT & sTORaGe:

Ride cOMFORT:

★★★★

★★ ★★★★ ★★★

★★★ ★★★★saFeTy:

haNdliNG:

ReliabiliTy:

OWnEr’s ViEWThe Volvo C30 is stylish & very pleasing to look at. The 1.6D is economical, & cheap on car tax. Driving position & handling make this car a pleasure to drive. You have many features as standard on the SE model. Heated seats, cruise control,dual climate control & on my car

Which? works for you

We use the sophisticated electronic timing

equipment to record standing-start and

in-gear acceleration, and repeat each test

several times.

Ride comfort is assessed by our labora-

tory experts who have driven hundreds of

thousands of miles in a myriad of different

models.

On the roadThe C30 drives extremely well, although some drivers might find the ride a bit on the firm side.

This is exacerbated by the sporty alloy wheel options – try a few different combinations to find

a good compromise, if at all possible.

performance ★★★★The D5 we tested is the sporty diesel option, and it certainly didn’t lack pulling power. The zero

to 60mph benchmark sprint is dispatched in just over eight seconds, which isn’t lightning-fast,

but still good.

However, the turbocharged petrol T5 really impresses in more typical driving situations:

the huge amount of torque on offer means that strong acceleration is always available. We

tested the six-speed automatic (‘geartronic’, to use Volvo-speak) gearbox, which shifted very

quickly and smoothly, and was well in tune with the engine’s characteristics.

Model tested acceleration (37-62mph) Rating

diesel 1.6D (109bhp) manual 3-door (2008) 7.0 secs ★★★★diesel 1.6D DriVe (109bhp) manual 3-door

(2010)

7.1 secs ★★★★

diesel 2.0D (136bhp) automatic 3-door (2010) 5.5 secs ★★★★★diesel 2.4D5 (180bhp) automatic 3-door (2007) 4.7 secs ★★★★★petrol 1.8F FlexiFuel (125bhp) manual 3-door

(2007)

6.1 secs ★★★★

Ride comfort ★★★The sporty suspension of the C30 makes for a hard ride, but provides great road handling.

Over most surfaces this small Volvo will remain composed, only getting uncomfortable over

severe bumps.

Model tested Rating

diesel 1.6D (109bhp) manual 3-door (2008) ★★★★diesel 1.6D DriVe (109bhp) manual 3-door (2010) ★★★diesel 2.0D (136bhp) automatic 3-door (2010) ★★★diesel 2.4D5 (180bhp) automatic 3-door (2007) ★★★★petrol 1.8F FlexiFuel (125bhp) manual 3-door (2007) ★★★★

how we test

performance

Ride comfort

Which? car review

Volvo c30 (2007-)Medium cars

On the road continued...

handling ★★★★Overall, the C30 drives pretty well. The steering is responsive, precise and full of feel, and

if you take too much speed into a corner, the understeer is easy to control. The standard-fit

electronic stability control (ESC) keeps everything in check.

Hard acceleration in the speedy D5 we tried made itself felt through the steering wheel,

which meant a firm grip was required. While this isn’t ideal, this ‘torque-steer’ is likely to happen

in a car which channels a heavyweight 235 lbs/ft of torque (pulling power) through its front

wheels.

Model tested Rating

diesel 1.6D (109bhp) manual 3-door (2008) ★★★★diesel 1.6D DriVe (109bhp) manual 3-door (2010) ★★★★diesel 2.0D (136bhp) automatic 3-door (2010) ★★★★diesel 2.4D5 (180bhp) automatic 3-door (2007) ★★★★★petrol 1.8F FlexiFuel (125bhp) manual 3-door (2007) ★★★★★

brakes ★★★★The C30’s brakes are very effective at bringing it to a rapid halt, but the pedal also has plenty

of feel, allowing the driver to slow down smoothly when required.

Model tested braking distance (62-0mph) Rating

diesel 1.6D (109bhp) manual 3-door (2008) 38.0m ★★★★diesel 1.6D DriVe (109bhp) manual 3-door

(2010)

38.0m ★★★★

diesel 2.0D (136bhp) automatic 3-door (2010) 35.7m ★★★★★diesel 2.4D5 (180bhp) automatic 3-door (2007) 37.5m ★★★★★petrol 1.8F FlexiFuel (125bhp) manual 3-door

(2007)

37.5m ★★★★★

Refinement and noise ★★★When starting from cold, the engine makes a rattling sound, but this soon disappears when

it gets up to temperature. There is also a slight lorry-like noise under hard acceleration, but

otherwise the engine note is subdued. Wind noise is low and the well-constructed interior is

free of any squeaks or vibration.

Model tested cruising noise Rating

diesel 1.6D (109bhp) manual 3-door (2008) 70dB ★★★diesel 1.6D DriVe (109bhp) manual 3-door (2010) 70dB ★★★diesel 2.0D (136bhp) automatic 3-door (2010) 68dB ★★★★diesel 2.4D5 (180bhp) automatic 3-door (2007) 67dB ★★★petrol 1.8F FlexiFuel (125bhp) manual 3-door (2007) 69dB ★★★★

Which? car review


On-the-limit handling is explored well

away from public roads to ensure a fair

test. Our obstacle avoidance test is one of

the harshest tests in the industry..

The Which? Car braking test measures

stopping distance from 62-0mph and is

repeated ten times in quick succession to

highlight any brake fade issues.

The Which? Car experts use a decibel

meter to record interior sound levels

at common UK motorway speeds, and

combine this with subjective assessments

to arrive at an overall score.

how we test

handling

brakes

Refinement and noise

On the road continued...

cabin and controls ★★★★The Swedes have a reputation for clean, user-friendly design, and the Volvo C30’s cabin lives

up to this expectation. All of the main controls fall easily to hand and are logical to use, while

the instrumentation is clear to read. A trip computer is standard.

It’s not quite an ergonomic masterpiece, though. Some of the buttons for the climate

controls on the centre console are a bit small, and there isn’t a great deal of storage space for

small objects.

Model tested Rating

diesel 1.6D (109bhp) manual 3-door (2008) ★★★★★diesel 1.6D DriVe (109bhp) manual 3-door (2010) ★★★★diesel 2.0D (136bhp) automatic 3-door (2010) ★★★★diesel 2.4D5 (180bhp) automatic 3-door (2007) ★★★★petrol 1.8F FlexiFuel (125bhp) manual 3-door (2007) ★★★★

Visibility and parking ★★★★All-round visibility is good in the C30. There’s no problem seeing out of the front, and the

view rearwards to either side is clear. The low edge of the back windscreen aids parking

considerably, while the sharply cut-off tail means the driver can judge distances easily. Rear

parking sensors are optional, and you can also specify Volvo’s blind spot information system

(BLIS), which uses sensors to warn you of cars approaching from beyond your rearward field of

vision. Rain-sensing wipers are fitted to upper-end versions.

Model tested Turning circle Rating

diesel 1.6D (109bhp) manual 3-door (2008) 11.0m ★★★★diesel 1.6D DriVe (109bhp) manual 3-door (2010) 11.5m ★★★★diesel 2.0D (136bhp) automatic 3-door (2010) 11.1m ★★★★diesel 2.4D5 (180bhp) automatic 3-door (2007) 11.0m ★★★★petrol 1.8F FlexiFuel (125bhp) manual 3-door (2007) 11.0m ★★★★

Which? car review


We penalise cars with difficult controls,

and we look for things like backlit light

switches and easy-to-use heating and

ventilation adjustments.

Visibility is a major issue for motorists

today, so each car gets a 360-degree

swivel view test to reproduce the driver’s

eye view and any obscured areas.

how we test

cabin and controls

Visibility and parking

We take measurements all around the

driver and passenger’s door apertures

and note the height of the seat, door sills

and step down onto the car floor. The

best cars don’t require too much bending

or stretching to get in and out.

We assess seat comfort subjectively,

using our road testers’ expert knowledge

and experience from thousands of differ-

ent cars. And we measure the head-, leg-

and elbowroom on offer in every seat, to

see how well the car caters for people of

all shapes and sizes.

how we test

Getting in and out

seat space and comfort

comfort and practicalityVolvo refers to the C30 as a ‘sport-coupé’, not a hatchback, and there’s a reason for this - it’s

less than accommodating in the rear, with just two seats, and a fairly small boot. The pay-off is

in its sleek exterior looks.

Getting in and out ★★★★The C30 is only available as a three-door coupe, so you might have expected that getting into

the back would be difficult. In fact, it’s actually not that hard, thanks to the combination of very

wide doors and sliding seats. Getting in the front is easy, although the wide sills mean you

might pick up dirt on your clothes when getting in and out.

Model tested Rating

diesel 1.6D (109bhp) manual 3-door (2008) ★★★★diesel 1.6D DriVe (109bhp) manual 3-door (2010) ★★★★diesel 2.0D (136bhp) automatic 3-door (2010) ★★★★diesel 2.4D5 (180bhp) automatic 3-door (2007) ★★★★petrol 1.8F FlexiFuel (125bhp) manual 3-door (2007) ★★★★

seat space and comfort ★★★The relaxed driving position and large, comfortable front seats (the driver’s is fully adjustable)

mean the spacious fore-cabin of the C30 is a nice place to be. The back is rather cramped,

though: most adults will find their knees up against the seat-backs, and the two individually-

shaped rear seats mean that the C30 will carry four people and no more.

Model tested Rating

diesel 1.6D (109bhp) manual 3-door (2008) ★★★diesel 1.6D DriVe (109bhp) manual 3-door (2010) ★★★diesel 2.0D (136bhp) automatic 3-door (2010) ★★★diesel 2.4D5 (180bhp) automatic 3-door (2007) ★★★petrol 1.8F FlexiFuel (125bhp) manual 3-door (2007) ★★★

Which? car review


Carmakers give official stats for boot

space, but our tests are more realistic. We

load the boot up with measuring blocks

only as far as the rear window line, so

that luggage is well secured and won’t

obscure rear visibility. We repeat the test

with the rear seats up, and folded down

(where possible).

Feel sorry for the tester who has to warm

each car up from a frosty -10 degrees in

our climate chamber. Starting with a cold

engine, we measure how long it takes to

warm up the front and rear of the cabin.

Diesel cars usually take longer. We also

check the effectiveness of air condition-

ing, where fitted.

how we test

boot and storage

heating and ventilation

boot and storage ★★With just 200 litres of storage on offer, boot space is not the C30’s greatest strength, although

an extra 310 litres is released by folding down the rear seats. The space is easy to access

thanks to the large tailgate opening, though the load lip is rather high. The boot is a practical

shape, free from annoying protrusions.

Model tested boot space (seats up/down) Rating

diesel 1.6D (109bhp) manual 3-door (2008) 200 litres / 510 litres ★★★diesel 1.6D DriVe (109bhp) manual 3-door

(2010)

200 litres / 510 litres ★★

diesel 2.0D (136bhp) automatic 3-door (2010) 200 litres / 510 litres ★★diesel 2.4D5 (180bhp) automatic 3-door (2007) 200 litres / 510 litres ★★★petrol 1.8F FlexiFuel (125bhp) manual 3-door

(2007)

200 litres / 510 litres ★★

heating and ventilation ★★★★The C30’s powerful heating system has no problem warming the cabin on cold days. The air

conditioning system is good, too. The rear passenger windows don’t open fully, though, which

restricts access to fresh air.

Model tested Rating

diesel 1.6D (109bhp) manual 3-door (2008) ★★★★diesel 1.6D DriVe (109bhp) manual 3-door (2010) ★★★★diesel 2.0D (136bhp) automatic 3-door (2010) ★★★★★diesel 2.4D5 (180bhp) automatic 3-door (2007) ★★★★★petrol 1.8F FlexiFuel (125bhp) manual 3-door (2007) ★★★★

Which? car review


comfort and practicality continued...

We test fuel economy under strict lab

conditions – using realistic test cycles – to

reveal the facts behind the figures. Our

figures rarely match manufacturer claims

as, unlike the official mpg test, we mea-

sure economy with both a hot and cold

engine, and on the motorway.

how we test

Fuel consumption

Running costs and depreciationAs a ‘premium’ product aimed against Audis and BMWs, the C30 is no bargain: if value for

money’s your priority, best check out the related Ford Focus or other mainstream small family

hatches. The C30’s basic equipment is sparse, and Volvo hopes to do well from the myriad of

option packs on offer. However, it does hold its value well.

Servicing isn’t cheap, and though insurance starts from group 7, the T5’s in group 16 and

the more powerful models are in rather high tax bands.

.

Fuel consumption The C30 is pretty economical overall. The sporty D5 delivered 42.8mpg in our test, which was

up on Volvo’s claimed 40.9mpg, and impressive for a car capable of travelling at nearly twice

the speed limit.

If such pace doesn’t interest you, then the most fuel-efficient model is the 1.6-litre diesel,

which gave us 54.3mpg (Volvo reckons 57.6mpg); in DRIVe form (now the standard-issue 1.6D

version) it’s said to return 62.8mpg, and with the start-stop system, which automatically cuts

the engine when idling and then restarts, 74.3mpg.

At the other end of the scale, the high-performance 220bhp 2.5-litre T5 only manages

31.0mpg (the official figure is 32.5mpg) with a manual gearbox.

petrol (combined mpg, claimed) 30.1 mpg - 40.4 mpg

diesel (combined mpg, claimed) 40.9 mpg - 78.5 mpg

Model tested Urban (claimed/tested)

diesel 1.6D (109bhp) manual 3-door (2008) 45.6 mpg/47.1 mpg

diesel 1.6D DriVe (109bhp) manual 3-door (2010) 61.4 mpg/57.6 mpg

diesel 2.0D (136bhp) automatic 3-door (2010) 37.2 mpg/37.7 mpg

diesel 2.4D5 (180bhp) automatic 3-door (2007) 29.7 mpg/32.1 mpg

petrol 1.8F FlexiFuel (125bhp) manual 3-door (2007) 28.0 mpg/19.5 mpg

Model tested extra urban (claimed/tested)






Model tested Motorway (measured)

diesel 1.6D (109bhp) manual 3-door (2008) 47.1 mpg

diesel 1.6D DriVe (109bhp) manual 3-door (2010) 56.5 mpg

diesel 2.0D (136bhp) automatic 3-door (2010) 46.3 mpg

diesel 2.4D5 (180bhp) automatic 3-door (2007) 42.2 mpg

petrol 1.8F FlexiFuel (125bhp) manual 3-door (2007) 26.4 mpg

Model tested combined (claimed/tested)






Which? car review


While testing fuel economy, we also

collect exhaust gases to enable us to

measure the amount of carbon dioxide

(CO2) emitted. We also check whether

particulate filters are effective at removing

sooty emissions from diesel engines.

We rate cars for safety using Euro NCAP

crash test scores (where available),

alongside our own comprehensive safety

checklist. Uniquely, we also feed in results

from our accident avoidance test – after

all, it’s far better to steer around a crash

than rely on the airbags...

Security scores come from the security

experts at Thatcham, who break into

hundreds of cars each year. Most modern

cars are very difficult to drive away, but

are still too easy to steal from.

how we test

emissions

safety

security

emissions

A humble 1.6-litre petrol C30 emits 167 g/km of carbon dioxide; the 1.6 DRIVe diesel, on the

other hand, emits a much more environment- and tax-friendly 119g/km, and with the start-stop

system, 99g/km, which qualifies it for Band A and free annual VED. However, at the other end

of the line-up, the T5 emits 203g/km with the manual gearbox and 211g/km with the Geartronic

‘box (earlier examples were even higher-CO2).

petrol (CO2, claimed) 167g per km - 224g per km

diesel (CO2, claimed) 94g per km - 182g per km

Model tested emissions (claimed/tested)

diesel 1.6D (109bhp) manual 3-door (2008) 129g per km/134g per km

diesel 1.6D DriVe (109bhp) manual 3-door (2010) 99g per km/113g per km

diesel 2.0D (136bhp) automatic 3-door (2010) 156g per km/151g per km

diesel 2.4D5 (180bhp) automatic 3-door (2007) 182g per km/175g per km

petrol 1.8F FlexiFuel (125bhp) manual 3-door (2007) 99g per km/181g per km

safety and securityHere are the videos of the 2007 Volvo C30 hatchback Euro NCAP frontal, side and pole crash

tests.

euro Ncap score ★★★★★

Adult occupant ★★★★★Child protection ★★★★Pedestrian protection ★

Which? safety rating ★★★★

Active (crash avoidance) 58%

Passive (crash safety) 77%

Child 70%

Pedestrian 24%

security

Theft of car: Theft from car:

★★★★★ ★★★★

Which? car review


Running costs and depreciation continued...

Everyone who takes part in the Which?

Car survey tells us about their car and

the dealers who sell and service it. We

analyse this feedback across all cars to

give top-level satisfaction ratings for each

brand, including the brand’s reliability

record over the last eight years. All star

ratings are out of five.

These show how owners score this car

in 12 different areas, from performance to

heating. Owners’ ratings are subjective –

so may differ from Which? Car test scores

– but they give a good idea of what the

car is like to live with. Where relevant, cars

are scored against other cars in the same

class (e.g. for space).

about our survey

brand ratings

Model ownership ratings

OWnEr’s ViEWA very good car to drive - good for long-distance driving, strong performance, good handling. Feels very solid and secure, but still feels lively in driving.

OWnEr’s ViEWBadly designed instrumentation, especially heating/ventilation controls which are really fiddly to find on the move. Terrible built-in sat nav - cannot see it, awkward controls - a real waste of money. Enormous running costs (fuel,

Which? car survey resultsThe Which? Car Survey is the UK’s biggest and best reliability and owner satisfaction survey.

In 2013, drivers told us about 57,182 cars, covering more than 450 million miles in the previous

12 months (that’s equivalent to driving 18,398 times around the world). This unique feedback

allows us to rate satisfaction and reliability for hundreds of new and used cars.

Note Star ratings below are from 1-5 (1 is very poor and 5 is very good). Percentages shown

under ‘Most common faults’ indicate the proportion of owners reporting each problem in the

past 12 months.

brand sample size: 1,691 people

Volvo ratings

Overall owner satisfaction for this brand 79%

Brand reliability -

Dealer sales service ★★★

Dealer servicing & repair ★★★

Which? car review


Model: Volvo C30 (2007-) sample size: 134 people

Ownership ratingsOverall owner satisfaction for this range 75%

Driving enjoyment ★★★★

Ease of driving ★★★

Comfort ★★★★★

Dash layout and controls ★★★

in-car technology ★★★

styling ★★★★★

Build quality ★★★★

Practicality ★

Value for money ★★★

We split reliability into breakdowns (in-

cluding failure to start), faults (where parts

need replacing) and problems (minor is-

sues e.g. squeaks and loose trim). Where

the car has been on sale for some time,

and we have numerous survey responses

from owners, we also split scores by the

age of car and fuel type. Star ratings are

out of five – the more stars, the more reli-

able the car.

Want to know what’s most likely to go

wrong as the car gets older? These are

the five most common faults reported by

owners, grouped by age into new, recent

and older cars. A score of 40% means

four out of 10 owners reported problems

with that part of the car over the previous

12 months. Engine electrics and non-en-

gine electrics (e.g. windows, stereo) cause

more headaches than mechanical parts in

most modern cars.

about our survey

Reliability ratings

Most common faults

Which? car survey results continued...

Reliability ratingsOverall Reliability ★★★

Up to 3 years old 3-8 years old

petrol cars Reliability - -

breakdowns - -

average annual repair cost - -

diesel cars Reliability - -

breakdowns - -

average annual repair cost - -

all cars Reliability ★★★ -

breakdowns 1% -

average annual repair cost £18 -

breakdowns: Percentage of cars suffering a breakdown in last 12 months

average annual repair cost: Average annual cost of repairs (not servicing), in past 12

months

Most common faults

Up to 3 years old

Engine electrics - Other 6%non-Engine electrics - Other 4%Transmission - Other 4%Engine - Other 4%ECU 3%

3-8 years old

- -- -- -- -- -

Failure rate: The proportion of owners reporting this problem in the last year

Which? car review


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