CTC Review: 2007 Volvo C30 T5

[Mitlov]

Ok, you guys must enlighten me. Besides the engine and general exterior looks of the GTI, what makes VW so attractive to people? I mean, it's always ranked near the bottom of reliability surveys, they are extremely costly to maintain, and that interior of theirs (which so many auto journalists love and call top notch) looks and feels like it was from the mid to late 90s. In fact, the current GTI/Rabbit/Jetta interior looks like my aunt's old '87 Jetta (except for the tach display lights and colour).

Fantastic handling according to every review I've read.  Fantastic drivetrain.  Fantastic-quality interior materials (even if you personally don't like the look of the layout).  Fantastic safety.  Fantastic fuel economy for the performance.  Affordable price.

There's more to cars than reliability, and not everybody places reliability high on their list of priorities.

[mmret]

I think the VW reliability thing is amplified a lot by reputation / perception, a sort of antiplacebo. Kind of like how everyone knocks the domestics. Its true to an extent, of course, but it can be taken too far.

A friend's Jetta 1.8T has been perfectly fine in the years he's had it. No silly noises, everything is tight, everything works.

My TSX (read: Honda Accord European Type-S) had a faulty power window switch within a week of ownership, and has more than its fair share of squeaks and rattles that I've had to fix. Hardly "legendary".

I would think that the reliability gap between VW and Toyota is, in the mean, a lot smaller than many would have you believe. On the other hand, the driving dynamics gap between the Camry / Jetta, or Corolla / Rabbit, is certainly not small.

I'm drawn to VWs for the same reasons Mitlov stated. Plus the Yuppie-Factor of the Jetta is actually a draw for me

[G0dspd]

I think the VW reliability thing is amplified a lot by reputation / perception, a sort of antiplacebo. Kind of like how everyone knocks the domestics. Its true to an extent, of course, but it can be taken too far.

A friend's Jetta 1.8T has been perfectly fine in the years he's had it. No silly noises, everything is tight, everything works.
...
I would think that the reliability gap between VW and Toyota is, in the mean, a lot smaller than many would have you believe. ...

VW reputation on the reliability thing is well earned.  They won't explode or disintegrate but it's the little things.  Like a reviewer once said: "The engine and the tranny won't give you too much trouble but the problem is everything around it".   I know a few VW owners and they love their car but they pretty much all had problems ... from weird squeaks to the paint peeling off the car.  Nobody makes the perfect car but VW seems to have a run of bad luck even if their PR will say it's over ... time will tell.

I wouldn't mind buying a 4-door GTI ... they seem relatively problem free (except the paddles that I don't care for).

[banfield]

The C30 was designed to have some of the styling flavour of the late and long lamented P1800 and indeed it does.  I began to fantasize about owning one until:
. I read another review that gave it a thumbs down
. I remembered the unreliability of a basic Volvo sedan I bought new in 1970, and the unreliability of a friend's high-performance Volvo he bought new in the 90s.

It's one thing to think "Oh, maybe reliability isn't all that important" and another thing to experience it.

I am getting long in the tooth but my memory is not faulty.

[jitsu303]

For that kinda of money, I'd get an Audi A3...looks very similar and you can have quattro!!!

The A3 w/quattro starts at $45,690

If you compare equivalent features, what's standard on the A3 and what you would have to pay to get the same on the C30 (excluding the ridiculous $6k for plastic and wheels)...there would not be a huge difference.  If I was able to shell out $42k for a Volvo...another $4k for an Audi with quattro would seem like a bargain.

[evil_twin]

I really like the C30, but agree with most that it is overpriced.  You could probably price out a more "stripped" version of the car (still T5) and undercut the price listed here quite a bit.  But if you're actually looking for a fully-optioned car, go for the A3 3.2.   

[carcrazed]

It seems like the general consensus is that we'd buy something else for the price.  $46K + taxes... even the '08 C Class Sport looks more attractive to me.

[jww]

Well - my Volvo bubble is starting to burst on this one 

[wing]

Yes let's not forget it starts at $32k and does come with a good number of options at that price.

[MKII]

Yes let's not forget it starts at $32k and does come with a good number of options at that price.

I suppose this is the problem with most vehicles manufacturers hand out to the journalists for test drives, being fully spec'd, the readers perception then is of a very high priced vehicle.

For me the base 2.4i variant starting at $28,000, has all the equipment I would need, just add the heated seats ($500.00) and as far as the T5, starting at $32,000, I would again add the $500 heated seats, and choose different wheels, as I do not like the style of the  "CELEUS" wheels, which would add approximately $1,000.00. Spec'd the way I prefer, the pricing is quite reasonable.

That said stats show North American consumers want fully spec'd vehicles, which is were Volvo has as one poster here wrote "shot themselves in the foot" for the Canadian market.

[quadzilla]

I'm wondering if this car was RWD would anybody complain about the price?

I agree once you tick the option boxes it does ride quickly but for 32K it does come well equipped.

[Snowman]

I'm wondering if this car was RWD would anybody complain about the price?

I agree once you tick the option boxes it does ride quickly but for 32K it does come well equipped.

Yes! RWD absolves all sins!

[JSCC]

I'm wondering if this car was RWD would anybody complain about the price?

I agree once you tick the option boxes it does ride quickly but for 32K it does come well equipped.

BMW 128i on the way?

The GTI 2 door comes more equipped (heated seats standard) for below $30,000!
The C30 2.4i will still be more expensive compared to a fully loaded Rabbit.

[Mitlov]

BMW 128i on the way?

Still holding my breath for that baby.  The last spy photos were gorgeous.

[Mitlov]

I'm wondering if this car was RWD would anybody complain about the price?

One of the designers of the Magnum/300 wrote that switching from FWD to RWD added about $1000 of manufacturing costs and about $6000 of perceived value.  He's got a point.

[forgot my pw]

This car looks great, but like many have said, it's overpriced, and it doesn't hold its value nearly as well as an Acura or Mini.

Ppl will get excited by this car, but when they're actually ready to buy, they will end up buying something else as common sense kicks in.

[davidm]

I think this review (previously linked to in GTI threads) really captures the essence of the C30 and is a great comparo against the GTI and Cooper S.

http://www.windingroad.com/features-page/volvo-c30-mini-cooper-s-volkswagen-gti/

When I was thinking GTI I looked at the C30 (lots of time killed in a Volvo showroom with the recent XC70 purchase).  C30 is much smaller inside, much more expensive for equivalent features/performance, and, by all accounts, not as sporty (something I personally want, and something I believe anyone shopping for a small 2+2 is looking for).  Without having driven the C30, but sitting in it and having driven the GTI and Cooper S, I would take both of them before the C30.  Space, handling, and price is all better than the others (and they are all in the same reliability category - "below average")

[Scaerio]

This isn't the only Volvo out of line in pricing.  Frankly the whole line-up is out to lunch in pricing.  Recently I purchased a Passat 2.0T over the V70 because it was $12,000 less, with better interior and better engine.

How can Volvo consider themselves luxury when they just came out with their first V8?

Acura thinks they are a luxury brand and have no V8...

[Mitlov]

A V8 has nothing to do with whether or not a brand is a luxury brand.  As just one example, the most well-known BMWs are inline-sixes, not V8s.  Does this mean that a 330i or 530i are not "luxury cars"?  If BMW only built these cars, would they cease to be a luxury brand?

[AVToller]

What, in the name of all that's holy, does the presence or absence of a V8 have to do with being a "luxury brand". Chevys have had V8 forever, and I've never heard it be referred to as a luxury brand - even by Barrie.