Base price: $22,700
As Tested: $23,920
2.5L, 227-horse 5 cylinder
6-speed manual
19 city/28 highway
More info:
www.volvocars.us
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With its flashy, low-riding new C30 hatchback (one of Playboy's 2008 cars of the year), Volvo strays far away from its cardboard refrigerator-box-on-wheels design of old. But even more interesting is a super-retro touch. Fans of the Swedish automaker will definitely notice that the giant rear window is extremely similar to the glass rear end of a 1970s 1800ES. What was cool then is even slicker now, with the addition of massive, football shoulder pad-like rear lights. All in all, it's one of the best, most youthful looking Volvos in a long time.
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Unlike the innovative exterior, the inside of the C30 is decent, but not enough to write home to Stockholm about. It has one of our fave new Volvo tricks -- the cubby hole behind the center console -- however, the displays for the radio, climate control and clock look like they were inspired by an ancient Tron game. Other bitches include no sunroof (which, combined with all that glass on the hatch, would be killer) and no auto controls on the front seats. However, we dig the ingenious lock that keeps up the rear compartment cover, and the easy-to-fold-down rear seats that seem to more than double the cargo space.
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And now comes sticker shock -- in reverse. This is one of the best dollar-for-horsepower rides we've taken out in a while. To get this kind of a mod bod with a 2.5L, 227-horse turbo five-cylinder motor starting at less than $23K is sweet. Even though the C30 is so torquey in first and second that it can get a little squirrelly if you aren't careful, the basically lag-free turbo and smooth six-speed manual keep things pretty much in control. Missteps include brakes that are a bit spongy and a clutch that is a tad long for our liking. But those are pretty minor concerns for a car this good looking and quick, sporting such an impressively low price tag.
-- by John D. Thomas |
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