Category: Small Family 
Price Range: £16,250 to £23,495
Clever mix of Volvo design and three-door hatchback compactness, airy cabin, quick but quiet, strong grip, confident handling and disciplined ride, well finished and well-equipped, five-star NCAP crash test score.
Jerky manual downshifts in auto versions, no paddle-shifts, tiny glovebox, sliding electric front seats for rear access are slow and have no memory.
Volvo virtues in a sporty hatchback make an alluring combination. It's the first 'affordable' Volvo in years to appeal to the heart.
Residual values will depend on how the market takes to the new C30, which is entering uncharted territory for Volvo. Our guess is that it might depreciate a little more quickly than an A3 or a 1-Series, but if buyers latch on to the C30's appealing image then that could change.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Volvo C30
wrote on 23 07 2007