Day-by-Day Review: 2007 Volvo C30 T5

Volvo Dealer
Picture Gallery: 2007 Volvo C30 T5 Day 1:

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Today was one the most hectic days I have had in a while. I was a little distracted when I picked up this week’s car — the Volvo C30; I got in and headed straight to my regular day job without even really taking a close look at the car. I had a few errands to run after work which kept me distracted as well. When I finally took a breath after washing the C30 and headed out to take some pictures before sundown, I sat back and admired. The further away you get from the C30 the more fluid the lines appear and the more distinctive and more stunning this car looks. I have provided a few pictures in the gallery, taken from afar, for your viewing.

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My test C30 is a T5 model, which starts at $31,995; as such, it’s a competitor to vehicles such as the Golf GTi, Audi A3 or perhaps the Mazdaspeed 3 but with more of a luxurious touch. My tester is fitted with a few extras, which push the price over $40,000. The Sport Package, a $3,400 option group, adds 17″ wheels; bi-xenon headlights; heated seats; sport chassis; power and memory for driver’s seat; headlamp washers; homelink and auto dimming rearview mirror with compass. Also included on my tester is the DynAudio package, a $1,000 option, which adds a spectacular-sounding 10-speaker system with six-disc changer and includes Dolby ProLogic Surround sound. Metallic Passion Red paint and a Sunroof round out the options. A note about my tester: the wheels on it are actually 18-inch Volvo accessory wheels — a dealer-installed option — and not the 17-inch wheels which come as part of the Sport Package. I have been itching to test drive the C30 since crawling around it at the Toronto Auto Show back in February, and am looking forward to a week where I can tear up some tarmac. 2007 Volvo C30 T5 MSRP as tested: $46,060 For more information on Volvo and the C30 visit Volvo Canada Day 2:

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I debated with myself as to whether I should reveal this information, but I like to be as brutally honest as I can in my car reviews. My faithful readers will probably give Volvo a few more kicks because of this, but let’s be honest — if Volvo provides us with the car the readers should understand how it really is optioned out in order to get a realistic idea of what is available at what price. I inquired today about the price of the sporty body kit and Volvo accessory wheels on my test vehicle and was personally a little shocked at the answer. The body kit and wheels add $6,000 to the price of my test vehicle, bringing the grand total to $46,060: shocking to say the least… but it does look spectacular!

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Enough of that; let’s get to the meat of this car. The trunk space, at first, looks rather generous, but when compared to the Mazda3 in my driveway, it is a lot smaller. The opening is smaller, which is rather obvious, but the depth and width of the trunk is lacking as well. My curling broom did not fit in the trunk, while it does so easily in the Mazda3. Actually this is the first vehicle I have ever tested that it did not fit into. So it is a little smaller than the Mazda3, but being built on the same platform, you certainly can see and feel where the C30 is very similar. The Volvo’s handling characteristics are very similar to the Mazda3’s, although the steering wheel feels larger and there seems to be less connection to the road through both the gas pedal and steering wheel. The clutch as well feels a little disconnected from the mechanics of the vehicle. To me, this is a bad thing in a sporty vehicle, but in a luxury-type automobile, this would be perfect. The C30 actually serves up a great mix of luxury and performance: when pushed, it behaves wonderfully, with a very balanced driving feel, and while cruising in the city or on the highway, it is quiet and smooth. The C30 is a Jekyll-and-Hyde type vehicle: on the outside (especially spec’d like my tester), the vehicle is very boy racer, but on the inside, it’s refined, smooth and clean. Day 3:

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Due to the 10 centimeters of snow that fell this morning and the summer tires wrapped around the C30’s 18-inch wheels, I decided not to drive it to work today but to drive the Mazda3 instead. This actually turned out to be a good idea, as it gave me a better sense of how the C30 drives in comparison. One thing that was obvious was that the 218hp and 238lb-ft of torque output by the C30 T5’s turbocharged in-line five cylinder engine puts out a good deal more power than the 2.3L four in the Mazda3 GT. The Mazda really felt lacking, while the C30 feels like it has ample power in all gears and anywhere in the powerband.

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On the highway cruising, at 120km/h, the C30 turns a relaxed 2,500 rpm in sixth gear and still has enough get up and go to move you along with ease, while road noise is fairly minimal with very little to no wind noise. Over rough terrain such as Ottawa’s city streets, though, the suspension clunks over bumps. At first I was under the impression it was only coming from the front of the vehicle, but the rear does it too. Perhaps the non-sport suspension version soaks up bumps a little better, resulting in less suspension slap. On the inside, I really enjoy the design element of the dash controls. In particular, I like the centre stack that juts out from the dash, leaving a storage bin behind it. The number of buttons on the dash at first is a little overwhelming, but everything is easy to reach and fairly intuitive. I was proficient with the controls almost immediately. I did notice a few oddities of the C30’s design that give the vehicle some “character,” as they say. The first is the placement of the passenger side mirror; it seems it is lower than the window, resulting in the bottom part being cut off slightly from the view of the driver. The other is the brake pedal: it is quite small, making it difficult to heel and toe downshift — at least for me. Day 4:

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Well, despite my tester’s high price tag, I think the standard T5 C30 would be a great purchase. And if I was in the market for a vehicle of this type, I would be test driving the VW GTi, Mazdaspeed3, Audi A3 and perhaps a few other small hatches in order to make my decision. The low-pressure turbo on the C30 means turbo lag is very minimal and power delivery is seamless everywhere. I actually found myself constantly questioning myself on gear selection, as it seemed like I could cruise in sixth gear almost anytime. Gas mileage over the week was very good, especially considering I was driving the vehicle with a heavy foot. I averaged 11L/100km, which is very good for my usual driving pattern which includes about 80 percent city travels. For some, the unique look and feel of the C30 might be enough to persuade them to buy. The rear aspect in daylight might be a little odd, but at night the tail lights are very cool-looking as the brake lights are on the pillars while the tail lights are the rounded lights at the bottom. So I enjoyed my week in the C30. My only complaint, really, is the extra large doors, which make small parking lots a challenge, but this is typical of most coupes. At least this one has some flair. *Rating out of 5:

2007 Volvo C30 T5
Acceleration
Handling
Comfort
Interior
Audio System
Gas Mileage

*Rating based on vehicle’s classification 2007 Volvo C30 T5 MSRP as tested: $46,060 For more information on Volvo and the C30 visit Volvo Canada

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