For The V50 is a fine drive, with punchy diesel engines, sharp handling and lots of grip. The cabin is solid, stylish, and well equipped.
Against The V50 isn't as spacious as many cheaper estate rivals and can't match some prestige-badged competitors for class, refinement or residuals.
Stylish and good to drive, if not supremely practical. The Volvo T5 doesn't convince as a sporting estate.
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.
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