2012 Volvo C30 Overview, Reviews, Ratings & Specs

Susana Isabel on June 26, 2024

My first car was a Renault Clio Bebop, followed by a Peugeot 106 rally car, then an Alfa 145 and then I met this C30 guy in 2009. I loved it. Then I bought a C30 again in 2012, with a nicer design, the EcoDrive. I still have this and it's been 10 years. It brings together everything I like in a car: safety, stability, resistance and beautiful design. It is a shame that so much damage has been suffered in the workshops that represent Volvo – Santogal in Portugal. There it was damaged in several ways, and in the last inspection, a few days ago, they did several things to it, namely: they filled the coolant tank too much (1 finger over the maximum), they cleaned the air conditioning system and at the time removing the grille. which is near the front glass, they broke a fitting and on the same side they lost a screw, that is, this grille is only fixed on the left side, on the right side it is loose. They discovered that the inner bellows was broken and for this reason they wanted to replace both steering arms. I know that to change this bellows you have to disassemble many things, it is a lot of work, but saying that “there is considerable clearance in the suspension arms” to justify changing the right and left arms seems too much to me, especially when I go for the mandatory inspection to request an evaluation of this clearance and verify that there is no clearance, they confirmed that the internal bellows is broken but found no clearance in the suspension arms. In the past they have damaged the rims mainly because Volvo wheel nuts are really challenging as they are one of the few brands that insist on making a capped nut that is sealed to look better but eventually comes loose. . When they loosen, they cannot be released easily and that is why they do it by hammering. Over time the paint wears off and now I have wheels that are a shame. In addition to all this, the C30 for me is a fantastic car with extraordinary features. On the home/work route it consumes 5.4, which is great, and in the city it consumes more, staying at 7.2. However, in addition to being a pleasure to drive this car, because we feel that we are in a safe car, it drives quite well and responds very well in situations where we need engine and power. The engine is a known and proven engine (Peugeot 307) and as such presents no problems in this regard. The exterior design for me remains one of the most beautiful. When the car is well washed (mine is silver) it looks beautiful and has an aggressive look, naughty I would say! 🙂 It's lovely. It's a shame they ended this model. I won't let go of mine. It will stay with me until it reaches classic status! 🙂

I roll We all roll on May 18, 2021

I bought this car due to its performance potential...It absolutely lived up to its hype and for as much modifying as was done to it, it handled it all very well..I want to raise the reliability score when I read people giving it poor reliability ratings in the review section..Their reasons for the low score were not owning to the car long enough so they gave it a 1, and the other was parts and labor are expensive, but still didnt state if they actually had a reliability issues..Ive owned this car for 6 years, and not one time has it remotely let me down, and I'm in the forums for the following of people with the c30..Rarely have I seen a complaint..

Just Bob on March 31, 2021

I've always liked hatchbacks and the C30 is the best one ever. This is NOT every other SUV or truck. Performance is terrific and if they don't outlaw gasoline I'll be driving this rascal for a long time.

SteveT on April 9, 2018

Perfect for daily driver within City. Ease of controls, parking. Not suitable for family or hauling more than small things and groceries. Volvo's general are good for the long haul.

2cartalkers on April 10, 2014

We travel to Europe frequently and have always lease/purchased Peugeot 208/308's and lamented that we wish we could find a car in the U.S. market that was as well built, had the fuel economy and handled like the Peugeot. The Volvo C30 does all that and goes a wee bit better. Some may not like the exterior styling, but we do. The interior is OK but the seats are moofy while still offering good support. The reliability is OK with parts and labor being too high for what the car is...sorry Volvo. This is an enthusiast's car, so if you are not a run of the mill person, check out the C30, unfortunately this car is no longer manufactured so a used one will have to do.

Sparkles the Vampire on March 15, 2013

I've spent siginificant amounts of my life in a 1991 Explorer, 1996 Dodge Neon (death trap) 2007 Fusion and a 2006 XC-70. The C30 I purchased in Feb of 2013, is the best ride and performance I've had. It handles well enough and is nimble enough for just that little push over the edge in traffic, it goes to 11. The low end torque is amazing and peaks from 1500-5000 rpm, that 's an incredible range of top-end torque and makes the C30 quick. I pushed it to 120mph on a long straight and had no issues with stability on the front end. Performance and handling are very well balanced. The interior is minimalist, but clean and well organized, very intuitive. There is plenty of room in the cargo area for everyday use and short to medium trips, not sure what every one knocks it for in that regard. If you're hauling a horse trailer or boat, chances are you aren't in the same catgeory as the C30, so why is it blasted for not having enough space? The seats fold down and our 9 month old 84lb. puppy is happy in the back. My only complaint is the OEM tires. They are pretty much worthless on the ice and snow. If you can get a 2012 used with Volvo "piece of mind" maint. package, it's a steal. Great car Volvo, sad to see it go but glad mine is only one of 2700+ in the U.S. I will keep this car as long as I can, hope to it pass the 1mil mark someday. Couldn't be happier with the purchase. I gave reliability only one star as I haven't enough time to find out if any issues.

C30 Fan on March 5, 2012

This is a great car. Have the C-30 R Design. Kids 9 and 8 alove the back bucket seats. The design is such that they can turn and look out the back window. 65lb Lab fit easily in the hatch area and likes it more than the X-5. I added the polestar and the car is so much fun to drive. BNicer than others I tested all which were more expensive, BMW 128, 135, Mini, Infiniti G35 and Audi A-3.

Susana Isabel on June 26, 2024

My first car was a Renault Clio Bebop, followed by a Peugeot 106 rally car, then an Alfa 145 and then I met this C30 guy in 2009. I loved it. Then I bought a C30 again in 2012, with a nicer design, the EcoDrive. I still have this and it's been 10 years. It brings together everything I like in a car: safety, stability, resistance and beautiful design. It is a shame that so much damage has been suffered in the workshops that represent Volvo – Santogal in Portugal. There it was damaged in several ways, and in the last inspection, a few days ago, they did several things to it, namely: they filled the coolant tank too much (1 finger over the maximum), they cleaned the air conditioning system and at the time removing the grille. which is near the front glass, they broke a fitting and on the same side they lost a screw, that is, this grille is only fixed on the left side, on the right side it is loose. They discovered that the inner bellows was broken and for this reason they wanted to replace both steering arms. I know that to change this bellows you have to disassemble many things, it is a lot of work, but saying that “there is considerable clearance in the suspension arms” to justify changing the right and left arms seems too much to me, especially when I go for the mandatory inspection to request an evaluation of this clearance and verify that there is no clearance, they confirmed that the internal bellows is broken but found no clearance in the suspension arms. In the past they have damaged the rims mainly because Volvo wheel nuts are really challenging as they are one of the few brands that insist on making a capped nut that is sealed to look better but eventually comes loose. . When they loosen, they cannot be released easily and that is why they do it by hammering. Over time the paint wears off and now I have wheels that are a shame. In addition to all this, the C30 for me is a fantastic car with extraordinary features. On the home/work route it consumes 5.4, which is great, and in the city it consumes more, staying at 7.2. However, in addition to being a pleasure to drive this car, because we feel that we are in a safe car, it drives quite well and responds very well in situations where we need engine and power. The engine is a known and proven engine (Peugeot 307) and as such presents no problems in this regard. The exterior design for me remains one of the most beautiful. When the car is well washed (mine is silver) it looks beautiful and has an aggressive look, naughty I would say! 🙂 It's lovely. It's a shame they ended this model. I won't let go of mine. It will stay with me until it reaches classic status! 🙂

I roll We all roll on May 18, 2021

I bought this car due to its performance potential...It absolutely lived up to its hype and for as much modifying as was done to it, it handled it all very well..I want to raise the reliability score when I read people giving it poor reliability ratings in the review section..Their reasons for the low score were not owning to the car long enough so they gave it a 1, and the other was parts and labor are expensive, but still didnt state if they actually had a reliability issues..Ive owned this car for 6 years, and not one time has it remotely let me down, and I'm in the forums for the following of people with the c30..Rarely have I seen a complaint..

Just Bob on March 31, 2021

I've always liked hatchbacks and the C30 is the best one ever. This is NOT every other SUV or truck. Performance is terrific and if they don't outlaw gasoline I'll be driving this rascal for a long time.