2009 Volvo C30 User Reviews

Pros

Upscale but affordable hatchback that isn't marketed to the "Racer Boy" crowd.

Cons

Would have liked some of the T5 interior choices. Custom Build charge is bogus.

Purchased As New

I wanted a small luxury car. I saw plenty in Europe, but the US market seems to think that luxury means big with large engines. Well, this Volvo is a small luxury car. The hatch allows me to take our dog. No idea why hatchbacks are so reviled in the US as they make a lot of sense to me. Most hatchbacks are sold as "Racer Boy" cars with more emphasis on violating speed laws than being comfortable.

I wanted comfort, economy in operation, some power, and the ability to take the whole family. This meant a hatchback or small wagon. Looked at them all from the Honda Fit to the Mercedes C-Class. Kept coming back to the Volvo.

The car looks great. Not at all the boxy Volvos of the past. The interior is well laid out with a highly integrated control set that works as well as it looks. If you like to upgrade stereos, this isn't your car, but if you like something that looks like it was carefully integrated, the Volvo design works great.

Little touches make this car great. Fuel door unlock is on the dash, not hidden away in a hard to reach location. Cupholders pull out to give a large storage area with a sliding cover. Manual seats are almost as adjustable as high end power seats. The USB connector in the center console allows easy integration of your MP3 files. Heck, just use a USB memory stick. Keyless drive works just as you would want it to. The few options are easily adjusted in the menu system. Integrated Bluetooth is like having a built-in phone as it reads your phone's contacts and more. Climate control can alter the heat and cooling based on which side of the car the sun is shining. Sounds like a little thing, but the result is a comfortable temperature for anyone.

The engine is well done. Unlike the 'twitchy' nature of some small turbo cars, the power comes on quick and remains predictable. 'Normal' driving is comfortable, quiet, and efficient. If you want to play, just rev it up and go. Not as precise as a MINI, but not bad at all. Plenty of fun factor. If you need more, this same motor came from the factory in over 300hp in larger vehicles and there are plenty of sources for go-fast parts. Heck, you can easily get more than 260hp with just a retune of the factory parts.

Ride is good. Comfortable as a long distance or even daily commuter car. Just enough stiffness to keep the run factor.

The Custom Build is a one time charge of $300 to open up a bunch of options. If you want a bunch of stuff, it's no big deal, but if all you want is one item, it can add a lot of $$ to the cost of the option. I'd have rather seen slightly higher option prices than doing it this way. I did end up building a few more options than I might have because of the charge. Even so, I felt the car was worth the money. But given that charge required me to ding the value a bit.

My only real complaint is that when you opt for the higher priced R-Design, you lose a ton of interior options. Your only options are a black and white or all black interior. Don't get me wrong, the two-tone is sharp and VERY comfortable. But I might have opted for a lighter single color. I worry how the creme colored leather will hold up over the years. I also wonder how the creme trim on the floor mats will be to clean after a winter of slushy shoes.

A fun car. 65mph comes in second gear almost as fast as you can get the pedal to the floor. As a European design, it is perfectly happy to go fast and feel as solid as it does sitting still. The performance tires grip well, but cry for a true snow tire when things get cold and wet. I'll be buying a set for next season. I just hope we don't get too many more storms.

Unlike a lot of cars I've looked at in this size, this car is nice and quiet. I can't emphasize how much that makes for a comfortable trip. You can find other cars that feel good sitting in them, but have annoying road or engine noise on the highway.

Can't speak for reliability. See a lot of older Volvos out there.