Skip advert
Advertisement
Long term tests

Volvo C30 T5

Good and bad experiences this month with our Volvo C30

I’ve had a real love/hate relationship with the Volvo this month. First the love. It’s done the nursery run most mornings recently and my two-year-old son reckons ‘It looks like a sweetie, daddy’. (I think that’s a good thing.) My 60-mile commute each day has been enjoyable too, the odd back-road excursion seeing me arrive at work with a boyish grin on my face.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Now the hate. I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation, but I really can’t figure out why there is a hook at the bottom of each front seat that catches the seat belt, dragging it in the path of anyone trying to get into or out of the back seat. It is so annoying!

Also, I thought Volvos were supposed to be solid, but while cleaning the rear window recently the wiper blade snapped away from its arm, even though I was being very careful with it.

A replacement part (£11.75) soon fixed it, though, and in truth these little niggles have done nothing to stop me enjoying the C30 more and more the longer I live with it.

Running Costs

Date acquiredDecember 2007
Total mileage11,307
Costs this month£11.75 (wiper)
Mileage this month964
MPG this month28.7
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Living with the Toyota GR Yaris, a homologation hot hatch for £20k
evo Fast Fleet Toyota GR Yaris
Long term tests

Living with the Toyota GR Yaris, a homologation hot hatch for £20k

As the mystery of the GR’s true fuel tank capacity is solved, a new enigma emerges
27 Jan 2026
Caterham Project V is delayed, but a running prototype is finally here
Caterham Project V
News

Caterham Project V is delayed, but a running prototype is finally here

Caterham’s new age electric coupe is now officially behind schedule, but the first running prototype has now been unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon
13 Jan 2026
New Toyota GR Yaris Aero Performance review – more aero, still brilliant
Toyota GR Yaris Aero Performance
Reviews

New Toyota GR Yaris Aero Performance review – more aero, still brilliant

A wilder-looking winged variant of the GR Yaris joins Toyota’s GR range – and the best news is it’s coming to the UK
28 Jan 2026