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

Best German cars – performance greats from BMW M, Porsche, AMG and more
Best German cars
Best cars

Best German cars – performance greats from BMW M, Porsche, AMG and more

From Audi to Volkswagen and all in between, Germany has created some outstanding performance cars over the years, and these are some the best
27 Mar 2026
We need a reset: Dickie Meaden on why the modern supercar has finally gone too far
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance – details
Opinion

We need a reset: Dickie Meaden on why the modern supercar has finally gone too far

Revisiting the ‘80s has Meaden grappling with the mind-boggling evolution of fast cars
27 Mar 2026
Aston Martin Valhalla review – a new era for Aston, and the supercar genre
Aston Martin Valhalla front
In-depth reviews

Aston Martin Valhalla review – a new era for Aston, and the supercar genre

Aston’s mid-engined supercar is finally here. Can it bridge the gap between the lunacy of Valkyrie and usability of Vantage?
29 Mar 2026