HOW TO GET ONE IN YOUR GARAGE

An owner’s view JOE HOBBS

“The Volvo engines are really reliable, but the earlier 1.6-litre diesel was a mistake. I’ve had two, and although some people say they’ve never had an issue, I didn’t catch a break, even with regular servicing and constant long journeys. The R-design package is a must as it makes the car look 100 times better, and go for a five-pot Volvo engine. It’s a good-looking, reliable car with a brilliant community behind it.”

Buyer beware… ENGINE

Most of the options are hardy, but the 16-valve 1.6-litre diesel is notorious for DPF failures, so make sure the ‘reduced engine performance error’ message isn’t showing and that it was replaced or serviced at 100,000 miles. Problems here can cause a pressure backlog in the system and ruin the turbo. If a 10mile stint at more than 2500rpm does not burn off any blockages, the unit will need to come out for a manual clean.

GEARBOX

Driveshafts are a weak point, prompting Volvo to recall some cars in 2013 for their replacement. Look for clicking and vibration under load. The D5 and T5 could be specified with a Geartronic five-speed automatic gearbox, which fares better with fresh oil every 50,000 miles, and 2.0-litre automatic cars used Ford’s dual-clutch Powershift unit, which is resilient but complicated to fix if it does go wrong.

SUSPENSION

Wandering, vague steering is usually caused by worn front dampers, which can also lead to dangerously irregular tyre wear. Top mount bearings, lower arms, drop links and tie bars are prone to wear, so budget for replacement and a full alignment if the car hasn’t had recent suspension work.

INTERIOR

The air-con system is fragile, with the condenser and compressor prone to failure, so crank it up on the test drive. The mechanism that lifts the screen out of the dash can cause problems. Check for signs of water ingress along the top of the windscreen, as vibration breaks down the seal over time.

ELECTRICS

The ABS pump module is a weak spot and is likely to need replacement if the warning light is illuminated. The central electronic module is located beneath the glovebox, where it’s vulnerable to passengers’ feet and can throw up various faults. Some owners complain of poor headlight performance, too.

Also worth knowing

The rear wiper is prone to ‘drooping’ over time and spoiling the look of the C30’s bluff rear end. Later cars featured a lighter wiper arm that put less strain on the mounting. Swapping them over is easily done, but complete removal is also an option, with blanking plates supplied by killallwipers.com.

How much to spend £1000-£1999

Early 2007-08 manual cars with the 1.6-litre diesel engine.

£2000-£2999

A mix of pre-facelift C30s, mostly in automatic, R-design guise.

£3000-£3999

Well-equipped, post-2010 facelifted cars with tweaked styling and some options added.

£4000-£5000

Desirable high-spec models, including T5s, with low mileages and long MOTS.

One we found VOLVO C30 1.6D DRIVE, 2010/10-REG, 91K MILES, £3945

Tempting though it is to plump for the titillating T5, this more reserved diesel variant offers greater efficiency. It’s packed with kit and has the six-speed manual ’box, so you needn’t completely sacrifice driver engagement.