In this video we evaluate the Volvo C30 R-Design (1.6L petrol) as a potential First Car, against ‘the Driving Instructor’s first car criteria’ we outlined in this video: • Choosing your First Ca...
By virtue of having a Driving Instructor dad, my son was probably exposed to more driver training than many young drivers, and his L-Test pass and Examiner’s feedback reflected this. By virtue of being human he as susceptible to making rookie errors of judgement as any novice driver. SAFETY is therefore our key criteria, ahead of fuel economy, road tax, etc.
For those looking for something slightly different to the usual suspects in the 10+ year old First Car consideration set, the Volvo C30 R-Design makes a strong candidate. Based on the Ford Focus platform, the sleek P1800 inspired 2+2 coupe styling is conceptually reminiscent of my 1995 Volkswagen VR 6 Corrado Storm. Derived from Volvo’s Safety Concept car, the R-Design variant adds ‘wings & war paint’ to appeal to a younger audience, while the 100bhp & 150Nm output from the 1.6L “Ford” engine coupled with an array of class leading safety features gain the approval of parents & insurance companies alike:
Insurance group 16.
Annual Road Tax currently £290.
Fuel Economy 40 mpg Combined.
CO2, 167 gm/km EURO 4.
Full model specification detail: www.ultimatesp...
B416S3 Engine: mymotorlist.co...
Volvo Safety Concept Car: • Volvo Safety Concept Car
Euro N-Cap: euroncap.newsm...
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C30 Whiplash seats: • Volvo Whiplash protect...
Crash Test 2 door cars: • Crash tests of 2-door ...
Latest crash testing: • Why New Cars Keep FAIL...
Understanding Tyres: • Tyres - Tyre Safety Ch...
Brembo Extra Brakes Discs & Pads: • Brembo X Range: the be...
Car & Driving’s Review: • Volvo C30 2006-2009 | ...
MoT History Checker; enter the registration number of any car: www.gov.uk/che...
Common C30 faults / MoT failure points:
1. Windscreens can come loose due to an adhesive bonding issue at the Volvo factory. Costs circa £100 to have the screen carefully removed and rebounded.
2. Front Lower Suspension Control Arm bushes wear out, circa £100 + fitting each side.
3. Handbrake ‘no reserve travel’, requires rear brake discs and pads; rear callipers auto adjust the handbrake.
4. Orange indicator bulb decolorisation circa £15 each.
5. Blown front & rear bulbs due to constant day-time running.
6. Cambelt replacement is due every 8 years/ 72k miles; circa £650.
7. ‘anti skid service required’ ABS pump / system related problems can be very expensive.
* Reverse gear can be tricky to select on the 5-speed manual gearbox (Ford IB5) due to a lack of synchromesh on reverse - an ‘idiosyncrasy’ rather than fault.
* * The decorative metal over-caps on the wheel nuts can expand with moisture ingress, making it almost impossible to remove the nuts without an oversized socket. Circa £44 for a complete set of nuts. Well worth replacing before getting stuck with a road side puncture!
Main Dealer Servicing:
£199 inc, oil & filter change Service - 12,000 miles
£ 79 inc, brake fluid change - 24,000 miles
C30s with their 1.6L Ford engines can achieve reasonably high milage (200k) if regularly serviced.
Important to replace Cambelt at the specified time/mileage interval (8 years/72k), along with the 2 aux belts. Spark Plugs have to come out during the Cambelt change, so replacing them at the same time (labour cost) with NGK Iridium Spark plugs (NGK LTR51X-11 4344) is worth doing; iridium plugs have a 50k mile service interval. Similarly, coolant can be refreshed during this belt service.
K&N Air Filter (E-2993) also has a 50k mile service (re-oil) interval.
Power Steering fluid also benefits from being refreshed.
This major ‘belt service’ would then leave just annual / 12,000 mile Oil & Filter Changes and 2 yearly / 24,000 mile brake fluid changes for the next 5 years / 50k of ownership.
Brembo Xtra front discs: 09.9464.1X
Brembo Xtra front pads: P 24 061X
Volvo rear brake pads: 31341331
LED DRL’s were fitted to C30’s, instead of Halogen Front Fog Lamps from chassis no 235668 onwards, 2012 - 2013. We retrofitted these light units to our 2010 car: Genuine Volvo LED DRL (3138206 n/s & 3138207 o/s) 4.8w each; Auto-Style DRL controller. Piggy back fused to Fuse 29 ‘Fog Lights’ in engine bay. OFF trigger feed to sidelight live wire - pin 7 Orange/green orange/blue)
The vast majority of other mechanical parts are interchangeable with Ford/MotorCraft items. Obsolete genuine Volvo parts sold off by Main Dealers are now available from specialists.
Technical Spec by model:
www.media.volv...
P1800 derived styling, 100bhp, an MG B GT for 2023!
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