Volvo | Car Reviews | Honest John

C30 (2010 - )

Good: Good looking hatchback successfully facelifted. Comfortable for four adults. DRIVe diesel with stop start under 100g/km CO2 from mid 2010.

Bad: Not much luggage space.

C70 (2010 - )

Good: Refined open-top cruiser with a metal folding roof, classy interior design, sharper looks after 2010 facelift, strong diesel engines including D5.

Bad: Steering lacks feel, firm ride, boot space difficult to get to with the roof down.

S40 (2004 - )

Good: Comfortable, safe and enjoyable. Good looks, backed up by a decnt drive.

Bad: Distracting reflections from dashboard and instruments. Floating dash panel doesn't suit everyone. Expensive problems with diesel more than 3 years old.

S60 (2010 - )

Good: Stylish looks, good to drive, packed with safety kit including ‘City Safety’ as standard, Geartronic now has stop/start.

Bad: Decent handling comes at the expense of ride at times, CO2 emissions are only average for this type of car.

S80 (2006 - )

Good: Alternative to Mercedes E-Class for big, prestigious five-seater 'private hire' operators and owners simply wanting a big, safe, solid car. Much improved

Bad: Very close to E Class prices, except for sensible, entry level 2.0 litre models. Few will buy the 4WD I6 and V8.

V50 (2004 - )

Good: Classy-looking compact estate with very good ride comfort and tidy handling. A fine long-distance cruiser. The UK's most popular Volvo.

Bad: Not everyone gets on with the floating dashboard. Boy Racer packages like the expensive R pack not suited to Volvo clientele. Expensive problems with diesels more than 3 years old.

V60 (2010 - )

Good: Much more sleek than previous Volvo estates, clever safety systems, impressive direct injected petrol engines, comfortable seats, nice sound from five-cylinder D3 and D5 diesels.

Bad: Artificial steering feel, ride struggles on rough surfaces, not a load carrier like traditional Volvo estates.

V60 Plug-in hybrid (2012 - )

Good: High performance plug in hybrid station wagon.

Bad: Limited availability until 2014.

V70 (2007 - )

Good: Big, solid, handsome estate car, bigger than previous V70.

Bad: Not as good looking as old V70. Average to drive.

XC60 (2008 - )

Good: Very comfortable and refined, makes for a good long distance car, stylish cabin, R Design models look sporty, low emissions DRIVe versions available, very safe.

Bad: D5 diesel is starting to feel dated, Geartronic automatic can be sluggish too.

XC60 Plug-in (2012 - )