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V50 Estate

Volvo V50 Estate 2.0 D3 R-Design 5dr Review

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Against tbc

What Car? says

3 out of 5 stars

We're yet to drive this engine in the V50, but as soon as we do, our verdict will appear here online.

What Car? readers say

3.641975

Key facts

0–60mph: 9 secs
Top speed: 130 mph
Average mpg: 55.4
Tank range: 731 miles

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Features

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Size

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View the whole Volvo V50 Estate range

The full Volvo V50 review

Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Base cars sluggish, but most are brisk
Ride & Handling
4 out of 5 stars
Taut handling, lots of grip, but firm ride
Refinement
3 out of 5 stars
Diesels and wind noise can intrude
Buying & Owning
3 out of 5 stars
Most models are affordable to run
Quality & Reliability
4 out of 5 stars
Fine quality and likely to be hardy
Safety & Security
4 out of 5 stars
Engineered with safety in mind
Behind The Wheel
3 out of 5 stars
Great environment, but fiddly controls
Space & Practicality
3 out of 5 stars
Limited rear space and boot capacity
Equipment
4 out of 5 stars
Even cheapest models have lots of kit

Buyer's notes

Target Price team says:

The V50 is the estate version of the S40, which is based on the same platform as the Ford Focus.

On the plus side, that means you’ll have plenty of fun driving a V50, but at the same time, it can look an expensive buy – especially when it’s not as spacious or practical as you might expect.

Because resale values aren’t great, the best way to avoid losing big bucks is to pay as little as you can when buying. That means going for an entry-level trim and one of the smaller engines, but also getting as big a discount as you can.

Our favourite is the 1.6D DRIVe model, with stop/start and its engine tuned for economy, giving sub-100g/km emissions. The basic 1.6 petrol engine needs working hard, but the larger petrol engines or the diesels are much better – albeit much more expensive as well.

Before you buy, make sure you check out the current promotions at volvocars.co.uk. You may find things such as free servicing or competitive finance offers.

Reader test team says:

Volvo V50 Estate 2.4 D5 SE 5dr

Bought this car second hand back in July and have covered 10k miles since. I am very impressed with the car - it looks smart, goes like stink and does…

Ken Whitmore

5 out of 5 stars