Volvo V50 (04 on) - Review

Review by Dan Harrison on
Last Updated: 16 April 2012
Volvo is one of the great estate makers - it's been doing it for decades. Volvos have always been practical, but those launched in more recent years - such as the Volvo V50 - have been increasingly stylish too. The V50 is essentially the estate version of the S40 saloon and is a good value alternative to the likes of the BMW 3 Series Touring with good levels of standard equipment, an elegant interior and strong build quality. There are also low-emissions DRIVe versions available that offer low running costs thanks to cheaper road tax and impressive fuel economy while the R-Design models get a sporty look inside and out. Volvo would like to consider the V50 a premium product and it’s fair to say that the interior is a classy affair with solid, aesthetically pleasing switchgear. Ergonomically, it’s unrivalled: seat comfort is among the best and the controls that sit in the ‘floating’ central console, are easy to understand. One might consider the V50 something of an unnecessary luxury when you consider the premium badge, but entry level models have a surprisingly low list price to go with a generous kit list. The DRIVe models might well be attractive to those looking to cut down their monthly costs but you’ll pay around £500 more on the list price if you go for the base ES model. The engine range isn’t confusingly exhaustive with a 143bhp 2.0-litre petrol, a 113bhp 1.6-litre diesel and a 149bhp 2.0-litre diesel. The 2.0-litre diesel can be specified with a six-speed automatic transmission, while the rest of the engine line-up comes with a six-speed manual. The ES only comes with the 1.6-litre diesel and 2.0-litre petrol however. If practicality is your priority then the Volvo is a strong choice: there’s plenty of leg- and headroom and the sizeable 417-litre boot extends to 1,307 litres with the rear seats down. The trim line-up of ES, SE, SE Lux and R-Design is pretty straightforward as you will see in our equipment section but we would recommend the DRIVe version in the SE Lux trim because it offers a generous level of equipment at a comparatively affordable price. For the full Volvo V50 review read on…
4 out of 5

Other Volvo reviews

4 out of 5

Running costs

Choosing a diesel V50 should offer relatively low-cost motoring despite its relatively high price compared with other compact estate cars. Resale values are strong - expect to sell at 40% of the car's new price at three years old, or higher still if it's an R-Design model. Volvo V50 running costs are pretty impressive if you go for the DRIVe models. These include stop-start technology, which helps to achieve an official average of 74.3mpg - an amazing feat for a car of this size. Volvo servicing isn't particularly cheap, but there are a few independent Volvo specialists around.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,574 - £2,273 *

Diesel

£866 - £1,602 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

12,500 miles.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£0.00 - £460.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

4.5 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
    99
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
    243
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

Volvo V50 emissions levels are fantastic for what is a sizeable estate car. The greenest models in the V50 range use the 109bhp 1.6-litre diesel engine. Before 2009, these had CO2 emissions of 129g/km, but modifications for the low-emission DRIVe range brought them below 120g/km and from summer 2009 with the optional stop-start - which cuts the engine when idling in traffic and restarts when pressing the clutch to engage a gear - reached 104g/km and then 99g/km. Very impressive for a car of this size.

Find the exact engine and CO2