MotorMouths

The 2012 Volvo C30 R-Design embodies hot hatchback performance with retro style. Its six-speed manual shifts with European precision and the car flies through the corners. Solid cabin electronics are marred by a confused interface.

The C30 with R-Design refinements is well worth the entry fee. It will really transport 4 adults if needed, but serves primarily as a 2 seat sports sedan featuring high performance limits plus enough storage space to pass itself off as your family sedan.

The C30 R-Design is no paper tiger; it’s a blast to drive. And when you’re not homing in on that next apex, you can enjoy the uncluttered, sensible elegance that characterizes all Volvo interiors.

The Volvo C30 is practical, easy to maneuver, fun to drive and is loaded with safety engineering. The engine is powerful, handling is responsive, and ride is reasonably comfortable.

As the last Swede standing, Volvo seems honor-bound to carry on the tradition of Scandinavian weirdness once upheld by Saab. The C30 Polestar—kooky, hectic, twitchy, eccentric—certainly delivers.

If you can live with the sporty three-door body of the C30, the car has a lot to offer, especially in terms of style, performance, and Swedish charm.

The 2012 Volvo C30 dishes out a full plate of style and comfort but doesn’t match some of the performance thrills that competitive models offer.

The C30 is a lovely car. It’s attractively styled, good fun to drive, and refreshingly unique. But all of its best rivals can be had for less money.

The Volvo C30 is small and agile. Large tires and a sports suspension give it nice moves in urban traffic or on country roads.

The C30 isn’t as sporty as the hot hatches it’s frequently shopped against, but it compensates by offering impeccable refinement. More “premium hatch” than “hot hatch,” this upscale, well-mannered Volvo will never make you regret choosing it as a daily driver.

I really enjoyed the 2011 Volvo C30. It’s fun to drive, has an excellent interior and it looks great after its recent redesign. It’s not utilitarian, it’s not super-fast and it sure isn’t cheap, yet I’m glad to see cars like the C30 being built.

If you’re sold on the Volvo C30 and want the added looks of the R-Design, you might be able to justify the extra cost from a Scandinavian-design point of view—it’ll nicely complement your IKEA-filled apartment. But we’ll take the less expensive and more satisfying GTI.