Reliable? Yes very. 170k miles, tuned since 120k and I am not super soft on it. ( automatic as well) just change the oil at 5k religiously.

expensive? well that depends on how much you are willing to do yourself. at 70k miles it shouldn't need too much done to it... relatively. at 70k you are approaching the need for a new timing belt and tensioners. The recommended is 80k or so I believe. This can be done on your own relatively easily( easy process, 8/10 frustrating job due to space) if you have the tools and know how. A shop will want 800-900$ but that is for the belts, tensioners and water pump. My water pump finally caught a case of "crunchy bearing" at 160k but I am in the south with low rust/ salt issues. engine mounts, trans mount. will need replacing when they break, average is around 100-120k I think.

around 120-140 you will begin to have to start replacing a good number of things that are simply at the end of their life. examples: radiator hoses, coolant tank, brake lines, TCV, etc. everything can be done at home as there are plenty of guides. the cost for doing it yourself will be substantially less but you may have to purchase tools.

the expensive part of owning a volvo isn't necessarily the parts,( they are more expensive than say honda or toyota but not terrible), it's the shop hourly rate as most places charge "European car" hourly rate.


note: prices below are based on item costs and not including tool, misc or labor costs that a shop would charge.

Items that I had to replace or make changes due to age or issues: headlight lenses, had to remove, clean and put reflective aluminum tape on the reflector as the chrome coating wears away with time. $20~ put HID bulbs and ballast in 100~ rear sway bar mounts $50~ front sway bar rod/mount things 50-100~ rear hatch handle: (snapped off in sub zero temps and hatch froze closed. ) ~60-100 engine and trans mounts: 200-300 for all. TCV/CBV (unsure cost)

around 150k my suspension struts finally died but was safe and drive-able yet bouncy until replacement. (cost varies between aftermarket, performance or Volvo OEM).

there are a number of youtube videos that list "what to look out for when buying a p1 volvo", one from mynameideasweretaken is very well done.

Hope this helps.

 

Reliable? Yes very. 170k miles, tuned since 120k and I am not super soft on it. ( automatic as well) just change the oil at 5k religiously.

expensive? well that depends on how much you are willing to do yourself. at 70k miles it shouldn't need too much done to it... relatively. at 70k you are approaching the need for a new timing belt and tensioners. The recommended is 80k or so I believe. This can be done on your own relatively easily( easy process, 8/10 frustrating job due to space) if you have the tools and know how. A shop will want 800-900$ but that is for the belts, tensioners and water pump. My water pump finally caught a case of "crunchy bearing" at 160k but I am in the south with low rust/ salt issues. engine mounts, trans mount. will need replacing when they break, average is around 100-120k I think.

around 120-140 you will begin to have to start replacing a good number of things that are simply at the end of their life. examples: radiator hoses, coolant tank, brake lines, TCV, etc. everything can be done at home as there are plenty of guides. the cost for doing it yourself will be substantially less but you may have to purchase tools.

the expensive part of owning a volvo isn't necessarily the parts,( they are more expensive than say honda or toyota but not terrible), it's the shop hourly rate as most places charge "European car" hourly rate.

Are Volvo's not "European" cars?
If not, what are they?

 

This thread might help you out.....

Advice please....2012 Volvo C30 T5 2dr Hatchback----Good...

Hey guys, Would you be so kind as to offer up any or all advice on this C30, please? Thank you. EDIT: Car sold one month after I started this thread. https://www.lpauto.ca/2012-volvo-c30-t5-hatchback-used~i1189660-71...

www.swedespeed.com

 

They go for way more than book value. Great little machine and easy enough to work on if you can DIY. Paying to have work done would likely get spendy. You're at the point where even low miles is soon or past due for timing belt, so paying more for one with confirmation that the service was done would be a plus.

 

I had a 2011 R-Design and loved it. I found it to be incredibly reliable. At around 200km, a lot suspension parts began to fail, but I never had any significant failures that didn't allow me to drive the car. In fact, for the first 7 years of ownership, I think the only thing I replaced was a headlight bulb.

 

Thanks for the input guys. From that other thread they suggested to ballpark $1-2k in maintenance added to the used price. And there's a 2011 C30 R-Design near me that's just under $20k with 46k miles. I'm pretty sure that's not a good deal haha.

 

I paid 6k for my 2013 C30 M66 (worked at the dealer at the time, and it came in on trade), it's only appreciated in value. I've owned it for almost two years, and have put around 10k on it. Previous owners kept up on everything, and I've personally only opened the hood twice. Once to put in washer fluid, and once for an oil change. It's been my most reliable Volvo so far. I would highly recommend a manual version, I find the autos a bit on the anemic side from torque limiting... but to each their own. The stock power level combined with the 6 speed is honestly a perfect balance. I have a highly, tastefully modded XC70 when I want to go crazy fast.

 

I love mine- it’s not the fastest, best handling or most practical car in its class but rather a unique, comfortable and enjoyable option to a more mainstream vehicle. Most people have no idea that Volvo made a car like this, and I really enjoy looking at the design each time I take it out. It’s been no more expensive than other European cars and never left us stranded.

 

What about this 2011 R Design? Has around 77.5k miles and is $14k, but 3 owners. Looks in good condition

Used Volvo C30 for Sale in Monroeville, NJ - CarGurus

Shop the best deals on used Volvo C30 in Monroeville, NJ. Search the largest selection of used cars with accurate pricing data to get the best deal in your budget.

www.cargurus.com

 

Looks ok, maintenance records via carfax drops off in 2015, and not sure how it was driven given the mods. Personally, I’d keep looking. You can see the car fax here:

https://www.volkswagenofsalemcounty.com/inventory/used-2011-volvo-c30-r-design-fwd-2dr-car-yv1672mk7b2221321

 

Yeah I noticed the gap, I'm thinking since it's low mileage per year and looks clean (probably how I'd mod it anyways) so I'm thinking the previous owner was into cars and took care of it off the record but how would I know. I'm hesitant but I wanna check it out anyways.

There also this one which is way overpriced but looks good, 1 owner:

2011 Volvo C30 T5 R-Design - $18,991 (OVERPRICED)
Mileage: 43,230 Location: Bridgewater, NJ

CarGurus - 2011 Volvo C30 T5 R-Design - $17,258

Orange Flame Metallic with 43,230 miles. Automatic. Bluetooth. Leather Seats. Alloy Wheels.

www.cargurus.com

 

Same comments as above from my experience with the sedan brother on the same platform (S40). Have had to address some engine mounts, axles, and most notably a leaky sunroof (take a look at the stickies/"I just bought an S40/V50/C30" section. Issues I'd consider reasonable for my car's age, and no "time bomb" problems to sneak up on you - just be mindful of the upper radiator hose.
I'd consider one as it's the same drivetrain as the Euro Ford Focus RS (borrowed from Volvo!), incredibly unique, safe, efficient, and rather rapid. Now whether I'd get one now... I was in the market for one myself and one for my other half in 2017 and the prices for C30s now are higher than they were back then. That said they won't be getting any more common with time

 

Overpriced but everything is negotiable! ;-) It’s a California car with well documented service…the rear seat looks really weird but rest is clean. The orange is a great color! Just my 2 cents.

 

Haha I'm tempted! I'll check that one out too hope they can give me a better deal. I'm not sure if I can find another like that one though.

 

I would go through @MyNameIdeasWereTaken youtube page to further educate yourself on this platform, he highlights many known issues to inquire about during the purchase process. I found a 2011 Automatic R-Design gem from an enthusiast that checked all the boxes for less than $8k. If you have time, be patient and don’t be afraid of high mileage if well maintained.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3iCOpmrSS7b7Qhu0JeLTtg

 

Thanks everyone, I'm gonna see the car saturday. There's a huge gap in the carfax from 41k-65.5k miles so that kinda worries me. I have my notes and if they don't give me a good deal though I won't go with it lol.

 

The gap looks more like 41k to the present. So what does "Vehicle Serviced" with no amplifying remarks mean? It shows up on the report a couple of times.

Now that said, a lot of us work on our cars. The routine services in that gap could have also been done by an independent shop not linking into Carfax.

I am the original owner of a 2010 C30 T5 with a manual transmission, and I do 99% of the maintenance and upgrades to the car. Still enjoy driving the car every time I get in it!

 

I've had a 2009 V50 T5 AWD, as well as a 2011 C70. They are the same platform as the C30. I loved both of them. Never had major issues. If I had to come up with anything negative, it would be that the interior room was a little snug. They were both a pleasure to drive!

 

I am a longtime Volvo fan, since 1983. We live in snow-free Florida.

We bought a CPO lightly used 2013 C30T5R in 2016 for $20,000 from a Volvo dealer. It was turned in early from a lease before it had 14,000 miles on the odometer but the person who bought it signed up for a 7 year extended warranty. Whew! Reliable? Uhh ... we had to replace the a/c compressor TWICE. Luckily the extended warranty covered it. We now have about 30,000 miles on it.

Fun to drive? YES!

A good recommendation: the original Pirelli PZero tires howled at anything above 35 MPH. It was so bad that you could not carry on a normal conversation. (Maybe that's why the previous owner dumped it). We replaced them with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ (now A/S 4). PROBLEM SOLVED!

 

A good recommendation: the original Pirelli PZero tires howled at anything above 35 MPH. It was so bad that you could not carry on a normal conversation. (Maybe that's why the previous owner dumped it). We replaced them with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ (now A/S 4). PROBLEM SOLVED!

I don’t know if the C30s have this issue too, but it C70s are know to have excessive camber which causes the tires to cup. Ours was really loud when we got it, and a switch to fresh Z-Lines helped. We now have adjustable camber arms we plan to install. More frequent tire rotations may also help.

 

Just to add to the conversation here, I too had the loud, inner rear tire cupping issue when I acquired my C30 with 92k on it. Even then, it had Pilot Sport A/S 3+’s, but the camber issue still occurs. I had some adjustable arms, and I need to get them installed at some point in the future.

As for the A/C compressor, I had to replace the clutch / pulley assembly due to the clutch refusing to engage, it’s a common issue and can normally be remedied with a couple washers from the hardware store and two hours time, if you don’t bend the clutch up like me .

A mostly clean, orange, manual C30 will always get a “BUY IT” from me! I know it’s been close to a month since the original post, curious as to whether you ended up with the car?