The Urban Dink: 2008 Volvo C30
Finally! A car in the fleet that fits the theme of this column perfectly. I’ll admit there were others I could’ve squeezed in from this point of view but in the end, I think the wait was well worth it.
You can’t talk about the Volvo C30 without keeping it in the context of its two main competitors: the Volkswagen GTI and the Mini Cooper S. Neither of those cars has won me over completely, even as The Urban Dink, mainly because they both have harsh rides — to help with performance — that are not the most fun to live with from day to day. For me — and just me here — I need some more compromise on that front. That’s where the C30 wins points, big time.
The steering is the most precise I’ve found from Volvo and enthusiasts will have a hard time faulting it or the six-speed manual and quick spooling turbo-charged five-cylinder engine. The fun factor is really high zipping through narrow city streets and the potholes don’t jar you like the GTI and Cooper S. That to me is the perfect tradeoff, even if the gearhead numbers lean towards the other two cars.
One non-gearhead factor that the C30 also wins is the wife’s approval. The Volvo’s trendy looks, comfortable seats and almost-gentle ride really hit a home run with her. Even when she was squeezed into the backseat for an airport run to pick up a visiting family member, she was comfortable. The back seats are really well done. They recline backwards, adding to the headroom, despite the C30’s slanted roofline, although she did say it felt like she was riding in the trunk.
Then there’s that trunk. The glass hatch is the predominant style element and obviously there isn’t a ton of cargo space under it. Folding the rear seats flat will make enough room for most grocery runs, but you’ll never be able to move furniture. We fit some suitcases and three people just fine though without having to put either back seat down.
I drove the C30 1.0 which is the introductory version. It starts at $22,700, almost the same price as a two-door GTI. It comes with everything you’d need besides cruise control. I rarely use cruise control — and obviously not in the city — unless I’m testing a car so I don’t see that as a big loss. You can move up to the 2.0 at $25,700, and that comes with options that include added bodywork, different wheels and, of course, cruise control. Read Mike Hanley’s full review to learn a bit more, and you can watch a video of the C30 there as well. As for The Urban Dink, he’d take a C30 in a second.
Related
2008 Volvo C30 Expert Review (Cars.com)
More C30 News (KickingTires)
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There was 1 parked right beside me y'day...and I agree with DT's comment. It's fun to look at, and not the OLD Volvo style (Yawn!). However, the concerns that I do have are:
(1) I wonder how Volvo will stack up on the safety factor on small vehicles? I mean, on all other Volvos they are build like a tank (so aerodynamics bye-bye; btw, smooth corners don't put Volvos in aerodynamics status).
(2) The glass hatch is super close to rear passengers' heads, and there's essentially NOTHING to absorbs any impact force other than the super-sized-me rear bumper. Although the glass will fly outward (not into passenger compartment theoretically) during an impact, but that doesn't look or feel safe to me.
(3) I know that (not because I owned either one, but my friends/coworkers do) for VW or Mini, you can seat 4 people comfy...even 5 if people @ the back seats aren't big people...but I sincerely doubt that's the case for the Volvo. It looks quite small from what I saw yesterday. But that's not my car and I couldn't get in w/o causing the alarm to sound :)
IT should still have all of volvo's safety as its based on the S40's architecture. The rear glass is sloped away from a rear impact and like you said I would think it would shatter outwards from another directional impact
Rear seats fit two, not three and are more comfortable than a Minis. I don't really recall the GTIs back seats being overly welcoming but not bad either.
Personally, I do not find the GTI's ride to be harsh. Bigger wheels can contribute to this, even a small difference of 1" overall can add stiffness to the ride. On the GTI, the 17" wheels were much more absorbent than the 18" wheels, and the 16" wheels were even more absorbent than the 17" ones.
Also, the FOUR door GTI is closer in starting price; in fact it starts at $22,720. It also have 5 seats and an available six speed "auto", opposed to the C30's 5 speed. That said, the C30 is a pretty nice car for its size and price, very comparable to the GTI.
Amuro, the rear hatch is at LEAST a foot away from the rear head rests. Any I don't think too many people ride around with their heads solidly against a headrest.
Side glass? Maybe. The rear? Not so much.
Infosaur,
I was standing beside one y'day, and what i find is that - if the car is rear-ended by some other vehicles, especially "taller" vehicles, then there's no "metal" to really absorb (or fight against) that force of impact, because the glass would have just shattered, and it may be much easier for objects to just intrigue into the rear passenger seat (head). Then again, let's see how it's collision rating come out later next year (or this year).