Search

2008 VOLVO C30 reviews

VOLVO C30 reviews by year of make:   2007  2008  2009  2010  2011  Read all reviews

Tony Spiess, England

Volvo C30 2.0D LUX 2008

2 star review

 

I loved my C30 from the moment I sat in it. Firm on the road. Clean uncluttered cockpit, with everything to hand and an enthusiastic engine, always there with that extra power when needed. It is the first car where I got out after long journeys and felt good, no aches or pains. A pleasure to drive. There are a few niggles of course: The boot is a pigs ear. When there is a load on the steering and the turbo kicks in then the car veers, a bit unnerving but not driven hard enough to see whether it gets dangerous. Also when your foot is off the accelerator the car can drift on as if in cruise, disturbing when it catches you unaware. I bought Volvo for its reputation and everything seems to support that decision. So much thought in its design, with everything clearly labelled or iconed. Everything seemed solid and well specced. So why only 2 stars? At 37,000 had a dmf (dual mass flywheel) failure. Not a result of my driving. This is a design or manufacturing failure. This is not a maintenance item, this should not happen in such a young car with so little mileage. Suddenly reliability and sound engineering looks very hollow. The garage says it is 1 in a 1000 chance, it is a lottery. Everytime you take to the road your could be about to experience a very expensive repair bill. Wham, £1500 to find. No driver fault just a silver bullet waiting to fire. Look elsewhere if you want reliability, but if you want a fun drive and enjoy Russian roulette then go ahead.

I loved my C30 from the moment I sat in it. Firm on the road. Clean uncluttered cockpit, with everything to hand and an enthusiastic engine, always there with that extra power when needed. It is the first car where I got out after long journeys and felt good, no aches or pains. A pleasure to drive. There are a few niggles of course: The boot is a pigs ear. When there is a load on the steering and the turbo kicks in then the car veers, a bit unnerving but not driven hard enough to see whether it gets dangerous. Also when your foot is off the accelerator the car can drift on as if in cruise, disturbing when it catches you unaware. I bought Volvo for its reputation and everything seems to support that decision. So much thought in its design, with everything clearly labelled or iconed. Everything seemed solid and well specced. So why only 2 stars? At 37,000 had a dmf (dual mass flywheel) failure., which was not a result of my driving. This is a design or manufacturing failure. This is not a maintenance item and should not happen in such a young car with so little mileage. Suddenly reliability and sound engineering looks very hollow. The garage says it is 1 in a 1000 chance, it is a lottery. Everytime you take to the road your could be about to experience a very expensive repair bill. Wham, £1500 to find. No driver fault just a silver bullet waiting to fire. Look elsewhere if you want reliability, but if you want a fun drive and enjoy Russian roulette then go ahead.

 

Submitted: 06/09/2011 10:10:25

Respond to this review | Have your say

David Bradley, Lancashire

Volvo C30 2.4 2008

5 star review

The car feels fantastic and totally solid. No defects so far. Very quiet on the motorway and good suspension. It’s not a bone shaker for people who want "involving" drive and good lap times but more a cruiser. I love the original design of this car. Only downside is that Volvo has ruined this car with a terrible facelift. I would only buy a used one, pre 2010.

Submitted: 31/08/2010 21:11:29

Respond to this review | Have your say

Chris Chitty, Lincolnshire

Volvo C30 2.5 T5 R-Design SE Sport 2008

5 star review

My C30 is a company car, and I do about 2,000 miles a month in it. Plus points: Extremely comfortable. Seats are great, very quiet at motorway speeds. Performance from the 2.5 petrol turbo engine is good, the high torque means that the engine will cope with a range of gears for any speed - it’ll pull in 6th from 35mph (try doing that in a diesel) and it has a lovely off-beat 5 cylinder warble to it when revved. Handling & grip are good without giving a hard ride.The looks are also good, especially with the R-Design kit and 18" wheels. There still aren’t many about so it does attract attention. Sound from the ’High Performance Audio’ option is excellent, and the Premium Dynaudio version is even better still. Overall build quality, inside and out is also good, which makes it a viable and more individual alternative to the default A3 choice in this area. Especially when you can get decent engines/lots of options for a similar price to a poverty spec A3 with a puny engine. Minus Points: Only 4 seats, boot is quite small. Fuel economy for this engine isn’t great - I get a 30mpg average but it will do 45mpg if you don’t mind sitting at 55mph. Dipped headlights aren’t the best, but there is a bi-xenon option. Overall. I’ll give it 5 stars as it fits my needs perfectly. Some people may score it down for practicality, but it’s not being sold on that basis and there are plenty of other cars that fulfil this need. It offers a good blend of performance and comfort - recommended!

Submitted: 19/03/2009 09:59:10

Respond to this review | Have your say

Other people need your help

Your review will help others decide which vehicle to buy. By spending just a little bit of time filling out a review you can share your experiences with other drivers, giving information only owners will talk about, no marketing spiel, just the real thing. We publish all reviews, whether you rate the vehicle high or low. We are impartial. We are independent. We are committed to 100% real reviews. Please give others the benefit of your advice: give them your review.

Your review will be checked for offensive language within the next few days and then put on RoadTestReports.co.uk and all of our partners websites.

Have your say!

  Available on the App Store

Read real opinions: Thousands of consumer reviews on all major car and van models.
Make your voice heard: Submit your own consumer review about the car or van you drive.
Learn more

 Road Test Reports App screenshots

Submit your own review

Lease Buy

* Required

^ Back to Top