SCOND HAND SENSE: ONE COMPANY that has managed to overcome a general antipathy to estate cars is Volvo. The Swedish manufacturer has been making them for years and has become synonymous with them, writes Donal Byrne.
The Volvo V50 has been around for the past four years and replaced one of my least favourite cars, the V40. Where the V40 had a soft profile, the V50 has a much more modern look to it.
The car comes with a choice of engines, with a line-up comprising 1.6-litre petrol, 1.8-litre petrol and a 2.0-litre diesel. The V50 has a much greater Ford influence and it shows. This time the engines are well proven and reliability is no longer the issue it was. The V50 is a car with modest estate car abilities. It is also a wider car, and that means interior room is much improved. While still not a very big car, it carries four in comfort.
The boot has been expanded, and overall space is quite generous for a car of this size. Inside, the car is well finished and there is a sense of quality you do not get with other medium-sized cars. The person who buys it new does pay a premium for that quality look, however, and this is generally reflected in the second-hand price of the car.
Volvo has long been associated with multiple choices of equipment, so it pays to look around and get the best value you can with the highest level of equipment.
Ride and handling are good, although country roads present a challenge. The 1.6-litre engine struggles at times and, when fully loaded, the 1.8-litre petrol looks a much more attractive option. Diesel is the high-mileage option, but you may find that second-hands have higher mileage than might be desirable.
Only a small number of V50s have been recalled. The car has a five-star (the highest) crash test rating in the EuroNCAP programme.
A 2005 model with the 1.8-litre engine, multiple airbags, traction control, alloys, ABS, side impact protection system and much more, and with mileage of only 53,000km, costs €23,250. A 2005 diesel model, with 54,000km and a full list of extras, is on offer for €26,500.
STAR RATING:8/10