• Summary

    3 out of 5 3.0

    What does this car say about you?

    I wouldnt know. All I've been told is that its a nice looking car and very posh.

    What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

    They like it alot, think its very posh and love the paint its finished in 'Orinoco Blue'.

    Would you buy this car again and why?

    No. Well, not this engine. the D3 goes like stink and is worlds apart from the 2.0D I have in mine.

    What are you likely to buy next?

    Havent thought that far ahead.

  • Buying experience

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Type of dealer you bought from?

    Franchised

    Did you buy this car new?

    No

    What price did you pay?

    £7,891

    When did you buy the car?

    July 2014

    Did you get a good deal and why?

    The car came with a fresh 12 month Warrenty, Fresh Service with stamp in book, new tyres, new brakes.

    Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

    Posh little hot hatch.

    What was the dealer like?

    Dealer was great, very accomodating, didnt make me feel rush or obliged to buy the car.

  • Driving it

    3 out of 5 3.0

    What's it like to drive?

    I've driven better. My previous car; a Vauxhall Signum 2006 Design drove better and was easier to move around depsite its larger size. The 2.0D PSA 136bhp in the Volvo is not the best engineered lump I've come across and is not particularly economical. On the motorway at 70 however, it does cruise very nicely, pulls in all gears and will happily carry 4 larger adults without breaking a sweat. Over all its ok, but that's it "ok". At the end of the day, I've bought a Ford/Peugeot with a Premium coat.

    What's it like to park?

    It is very easy to park despite its wide behind and large turning circle. Just make sure you have your wing mirrors correctly set to guide you in!

  • Living with it

    3 out of 5 3.0

    Have you had any problems with the car?

    Yes, the car at purchase had done 32k miles and the starter motor was failing. The company that me sold the car covered the costs including a loan car whilst the car was at Volvo having the part replaced.

    What's most practical about your car?

    Nothing about the car is especially practical. The boot space is small despite official figures and its not that great for lugging around large amount of belonging. However, thats not why you would buy one of these. Be sure to think about what it is you want to move before you consider buying one of these.

    Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

    The 18inch Atreus alloys that came on it from the Factory are extremely nice to look at, however, they make the car heavier to drive and you can feel alot of the road. Not a problem for me but for some passengers it can make it a bit of a problem and cause motion sickness. The radio is highly dissapointing for a 'premium' vehicle. The one that came in mine is the standard 1 CD system which does not have AUX or USB. These items CANNOT be added later and the system cannot be upgraded or changed by Volvo or third party companies. The radio cannot be adapted (which in some cases voids warrenty) without considerable cost, which, even then doesnt produce the results you would expect from a car that cost £20k new. The sound is "OK" and is on par with that of Vauxhall and Ford.