Volvo C70

Somebody seems to be feeding me Volvos to drive. Last month it was the S80 1.6 DrivE, a big car with a tiny diesel engine, and now I'm in the saddle of the recently facelifted C70 convertible. Neither is horrid, neither is great, neither is better than the best in class, neither will fail because some people will like them. Modern Volvos are absolutely not bad.

Please excuse the overbearing enthusiasm! Somebody hold me down! The C70 is a good-looking, perfectly adequate four-seater metal-roof cabriolet. It was the first car in the world to be a four-seater metal-roof cabriolet and it's still one of very few. But while the Ford Focus CC it shares its chassis with looks like a Focus Coupe that through a freak of nature has a pregnant back - it's so big in the behind to accommodate its roof, it looks like it has a boot the size of a Maybach's grafted onto it -  the C70 is smooth and handsome and well-proportioned. For many, that will be enough.

It drives, too. That's all I'll say about the dynamics. You can steer it, and when you turn the wheel it does what you think. But it's set up to ride softly and not really engage its driver. Again, the type of people who buy this car won't want to emulate Jackie Ickx at Spa in a Porsche 962, so the ride quality matters most. The D5 diesel version on test is torquey, fairly quiet and smooth and gets 42.8mpg on the combined cycle. Not exciting. Not bad.

Bill Thomas

On your drive for: £769pcm

Performance: 0-62mph in 8.6secs, max speed 140mph, 42.8mpg

Tech: 2400cc, 5cyl, FWD, 178bhp, 400lb ft, 1777kg, 175g/km CO2