my bro in law bought a C30 when they first came out. He loves it, waaay bettAr than the Passat that went before it. His Volvo now has about 60k on it, all in all a remarkably trouble-free purchase.
tempting but ultimately unfair slam on the C30 to call it a Focus...yeh they share platforms, but no effin usdm focus ever came with a nice gritty 220-hp turbo motor and a six-speed!
C30 interior is really cool, if a bit spare in my bol's base model car. have seen more recent ones with sweet birch-veneer trim, tres sexay Sweedie!
Have driven his car a good bit, it's plenty peppy, shifts well and rides great. A bit wallowy compared to a Rex. The Volvo trac/stability control system is darn good tho, let's you toss car sideways a bit before horning in on would-be Petters. Lots of room for back seat passengers despite the tucked-in rear end styling.
That big glass hatch makes loading most stuff easy, tho bikes are a tight fit (seatpost and front wheel must come off first).
etc etc, I'd give the C30 a Nigel rating of 1.75 thumbs up. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: -.25