2009 Volvo C30 User Reviews

Pros

Handling, ride, and comfort. Base sound system rocks.

Cons

Bluetooth and cruise control should be standard.

Purchased As New

I got my C30 on Easter weekend in 2009. To this day, I still walk into the parking garage at work and my heart skips a beat at how beautiful the car is when I see it. My personal bias is that my choice of titanium grey metallic is a superior finish and shade for accentuating the smooth lines and contours vs., say, white or black. I've tested this car from a dead stop, and even with the automatic tranny, the 0-60 in 6.2 seconds holds true. Freeway acceleration is spectacular. Just a tiny tap of the the throttle and I pass slower moving traffic like it's standing still. The car is wonderfully quiet and the this thing absolutely glides at freeway speeds! I don't understand how other reviews take a point or two off for handling, because I've been able to dart in and out of rush hour traffic at both highway and city speeds without any issues of sluggisness or understeer. I think this vehicle is very responsive. The braking is quick and solid, there's almost no perception of the auto tranny shifting its gears, and I've been averaging 26 mpg combined. My C30 has the base 160 watt, eight speaker stereo system and I've been blown away by the sound quality. I've punched that volume up and up to the point of that the bass rattles the body plating, windows, and other cars surrounding me at a traffic light, and there's virtually zero detectable sound distortion. Mine came equipped with the iPod interface and HD radio standard. The iPod system works perfectly and the menu interface on the center stack is a breeze to use. The seats, are, well, like butta. My C30 came with the quartz leather. Although the seats are manual, the car came with the optional climate package with the seat heaters. The lumbar and butt support defy description. I have my seat configured as if I'm being cradled while I drive and it's soooo comfortable. I'm also 6' 2" and I have no headroom issues even with the sunroof. I've also driven a few times with rear seat passengers and everyone was accommodated comfortably. A couple of weeks ago, I read that the IIHS Crash tests scored the C30 as excellent in the small car category on side and front impacts. The minute safety details are also very interesting. For a brief time, I thought the rear window wiper was malfunctioning as it would come on when I was only flipping the windshield wipers on. I came to find out that the rear wiper will automatically function while the car is in reverse so rear view is unobstructed. The automatic rain sensor for the front wipers that came with the climate package is also pretty cool! The one peculiar personality trait is that one has to let the engine rev for about a minute after a cold start before driving. I think it has something to do with the turbo needing to spin and lubricate. If you try and drive off immediately, the engine is almost non-responsive (like trying to drive in 15 degree weather). One thing I am ticked off about is the better warranty and care package Volvo gave to purchasers of 2009 models starting in June 2009. They get longer and more comprehensive coverage than I do because I bought my car a month and half earlier. Grrrr.