A couple years ago a friend of mine was looking at convertibles. On the way back to his house after driving a BMW, I suggested we stop by a Volvo dealer. I didn't think much of the C70 convertible, but his priorities included comfort and safety. So I figured the Volvo was at least worth a look.
He ended up buying one.
Volvo last sold his car in 2004. Part way through 2006 they introduced a new C70 convertible. While the old C70 was based on Volvo's midsize platform with the S60, V70, S80, and XC90, the new one is based on the same compact car platform as the S40 and V50. Even so, the new C70's exterior dimensions are only a bit more compact, the main change being a five-inch reduction in length, and it actually weighs about 350 pounds more than the old car.
I was out with this friend again recently, so we stopped by the Volvo dealer to see how the new C70 compares to his car. We also drove a Pontiac G6 for the sake of comparison. My impressions follow.
Styling
Note: the above photo is of the old soft-top C70.
I first saw the new C70 at last January's Detroit auto show. I thought it ugly then. Still do. The body is quite chucky (to connote safety?), and the long arch of the roofline is too symmetric to lend the car's appearance any dynamism. The worst detail: way too many cutlines in the visually thick roof panels. Volvo brags that this is the first three-panel hardtop convertible. And the number of sections does permit the top to stow more compactly than the two-section roof in the G6. But all of those cutlines don't look good.
VW took an innovative approach with the new Eos hardtop convertible to avoid a similar visual disaster. The roof of the Eos includes a retractable sunroof. So the forward center panel of the roof slides under the rearward part of the roof, but the siderails remain one piece and thus free of cutlines. The resulting long siderails fit into a U-shaped storage compartment that wraps around the rear seat. Nifty: better-looking and you get a sunroof in the bargain.
My friend didn't mind the looks of the new C70 as much, but he didn't find it beautiful, either. We both find his old C70 as well as the new Pontiac more attractive.
I have no such qualms about the interior. Volvo puts together some fairly stylish interiors in the Scandanavian "sensible luxury" idiom, and this one is no exception. The S40/V50's floating Bang & Olufson-style center stack has been carried over into the C70. The leather upholstery feels sturdy and has a heavy grain, which I personally like. Materials are vastly superior to those used in the Pontiac interior. Overall, the appearance and materials are worthy of the C70's price.
Accommodations
Volvos tend to have large, comfortable yet supportive seats. While I prefer those in the larger Volvos, the seats in the C70, similar to those in the S40, are still quite good. Owing to the high bodysides, you sit moderately deep inside the new C70. Visibility is still good in all directions. The hardtop has a definite advantage over soft tops, with their smaller windows, in this area.
Despite the more compact exterior, the C70's rear seat remains roomier and more comfortable than you'll find in other convertibles. The G6 also has a roomy rear seat, but it isn't nearly as comfortable. For one thing, Volvo provides armrests for the rear passengers. Pontiac only provides a sheer sheet of the cheapest hard plastic available.
Storage compartments abound within the interior. Covered storage is provided in both doors and to each side of the rear seat. My friend remarked that his daughter would snap the covers off. The salesman said the resulting bill would be $700; they'd already had to replace one.
The trunk is spacious--until the top is put down. Then there's just a bit of space beneath the top. When the top is retracted in the Pontiac, it's impossible to get to the minimal amount of storage space beneath it. To avoid this problem, Volvo provides a button in the trunk that raises the top a few inches, making the storage area accessible even with the top down.
On the Road
A choice of five-cylinder turbos was available with the old C70, one good for 197 horsepower, the other for 242. In contrast, only a single 218-horsepower tune is currently available with the new C70. Pair the middling power with a considerably heavier car, and the result is unsurprisingly lackluster acceleration. Not slow, but also not quick. The Pontiac, with its larger, normally aspirated V6, was much more energetic off the line and in normal driving around town.
Handling is a similar story. The compact chassis seems a bit overwhelmed by the C70's nearly two ton mass. While roll is reasonably well controlled, the car feels heavy and unwilling to change directions. Safe understeer arrives early. The Pontiac weighs about the same, even a bit more, but handles with significantly more agility. Though considerably larger based on the tape measure, from behind the wheel the G6 feels smaller than the C70. Neither car offers much in the way of steering feel.
My friend found the C70 thoroughly boring to drive; I must agree. The old C70, though it suffers from a greater amount of torque steer and chassis flex, is considerably more fun even with the 197-horse engine.
Ride quality is decent, but not outstanding. The Pontiac feels smoother and more composed. With the top up either car is about as quiet as the average midsize sedan, maybe even a bit quieter.
Volvo C70 Price Comparisons and Pricing
The new C70 is priced much like the old one, starting just below $40,000. This makes it roughly $10,000 more than the Pontiac or VW. Some more precise numbers, base to base before rebates but after adjusting for feature differences:
Pontiac G6 3.9: $8,100 less at MSRP, $7,700 less at invoice
VW Eos: $9,300 less at MSRP, $9,400 less at invoice
In general, the more heavily you option the cars, the larger these differences become.
Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, www.truedelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)
TrueDelta's page for the C70:
http://www.truedelta.com/models/C70.php
Last Words
The Volvo excels in the areas of interior comfort, quality, and versatility. You won't find a nicer interior suitable for four adults in a hardtop convertible. Safety is also a strength; as far as I know this is the only convertible with side curtain airbags (they explode up from the door rather than down from the roof).
However, the new C70 falls short in exterior styling, performance, and driving enjoyment. This is no sports car. Unlike that of the upcoming Mazda MX-5 retractable hardtop, the Volvo's top extracts a heavy price for the additional insulation and security it provides.
The VW Eos likely performs much the same; I hope to drive one soon to find out. The Pontiac performs better, and is considerably more fun to drive than the Volvo despite still being nothing like a sports car, but unfortunately suffers from a cheap, even shoddily constructed interior. Either car is much less expensive.
Ultimately, the Volvo only makes sense for buyers who place a high priority on interior comfort, luxury, and safety, and a low priority on performance and driving enjoyment. Time will tell how many of these there are.
A Note on Volvo C70 Reliability
I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.
Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a C70 rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Volvo C70 reliability comparisons.
Before I can report results, I need data on all cars--not just the C70--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. For non-participants, this access will cost $24.95.
For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.
A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.
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Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
2004 Volvo C70 revuew (old design)
BMW 330 (sedan, but I've driven the convertible and many of the same points apply)
Recommended:
