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I cannot rationalize the cost of a C70 that looks like a 10 year old Buick and is not able to compete in drivability to the 3 Series. Even with the higher price of the BMW it is a bargin compared to the C70; those looking for a better bargin will chose a VW Eos at almost 10 grand less than the C70 and better overall performance.
But what do they know? :confuse:
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
I can see the TV news anchor, reporting live from the scene of a crime:
"The suspect drove off in a silver two-door coupe, which might have been either a new Volvo C70 or a 10 year-old Buick. Police expect to narrow it down further if the suspect is able to put the top down."
It reminds me of when I was checking out a Mustang forum, becasue I was interested in the new 2005 Mustang. Half of the posts in the forum that was dedicated to the new model were from owners of the old model, who were bashing the "newbie" owners of the new model for being "not real Mustang enthusiasts".
However, this is technically a comparison board. So I expect some BMW fans will bash the volvo and vice versa.
Of course, that still doesn't excuse the buick post. ;b
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Compared a loaded Volvo to a similarly equipped bimmer.
In addition to the style differences (which comes down to personal taste) we just love how practical a car this C70 really is. My wife takes it to work every day, to the store (with top up the car hold a lot of stuff) It performs and rides like a rock with top up or down, and in bad weather, a huge issue for many of us this car is easier to drive than my 4 wheel drive truck, so the FWD becomes a big deciding factor here.
As to the hp issue, I just don't understand why folks get so hung up on this. Under most driving conditions 0-60 is less important than 20 to 70. I have had no problems in any driving circumstance getting around or ahead of what I wanted to pass, including BMW or Mercedes. And ... I have been passed by hungry drivers in big diesal trucks. If someone wants by you they are going to get by you. So, unless you are doing side by side racing, this really is a moot point in my opinion.
Because it is fun.
Not once in my life did I ever stomp the gas in a fast car and say, "WOOHOO!!! that's adequate for passing!!"
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Yes, it is fun to accelerate fast, granted, but when there are so many other drivers out there on the roads, how often do you just get to start from a dead stop and have tons of space around you, unpatrolled by cops, to just stomp the pedal as hard as you can, watch the gravel spin and hear the wheels squeel?
But, it is very satisfying, under normal driving conditions, which our practical C70 was clearly built for, to just move stealthly around and past just about everything else out there and then quickly settle back into a nice driving pattern that doesn't attract the local revenue hungrey cops attention.
So, yeah, I like upshifting to third to take off like a rocket to pass, or just downshifting to 5th from 6th to blow by the local traffic. Fun, yes.
Now, if the point is, "why compromise in several other areas just to get something a couple tenths quicker?" Well, I agree with you.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Is this a Corvette, no way, but this car is stealthy, fast, nimble, elegant, speedy and stylish .... a big way yes!
Both nice cars!
1. The interior is tight
2. I have yet to find a comfortable position for the seat
3. I have had to fix rattles in the driver side windows twice.
4. Car is heavy and not that peppy.
5. Storage is basically useless. Hard to get at.
Compared to other 4-person convertibles, esp. those with retractable hard-tops, the C70 has more rear seat room than most, and as as good as any (with the exception of a couple of completely non-comparable cars, like the big Bentley convertible!). It also has as good trunk space as any of the convertibles with the top up, and is comparable to the other hard-top ones with the top down. That said, if you want better trunk capacity with the top down, you are better off getting a soft top that will stow/fold better.
As someone who is 6'4" and 240 lbs, I was surprised by the comment above about not being able to find a comfortable seat position. I have plenty of room, and don't even need the seat as far back as it goes. That said, if anyone is going to sit behind me, then I need to move the seat wll forward from my preferred position. I find the center arm rest and door arm rest to be in a comfortable position, but one problem area may be that less tall drivers may find the arm rests to be in uncomfortable positions. The other thing you may notice is that Volvo head-rests are mounted more forward than on most other cars, which is part of what makes them more effective. But some people find this position to be non-ideal.
I have had no rattle issues in the windows, or with the top, but I know that these seem to be not uncommon issues. I THINK that they are something that can be adjusted out.
Most of the reviews have wished for more power from the engine, but I think it is at least adequate. Certainly there are other models that provide better acceleration, depending on your priorities (3.2 VW Eos, the BMW 335i, etc.). For that matter, the Mustang GT convertible will out-drag all of the above, for less than or equal dollars, and if you want the ultimate in acceleration for a 4-seat convertible, get the new Shelby version of the Mustang, with roughly 500 hp (or put your name in the queue for one).
Different people are going to weigh the pros and cons differently. In the case of my wife and me, the C70's blend of attributes beat out the Eos and the Audi A4 Cab. as the main competitors, and we have no regrets at not waiting for the new BMW (it wouldn't have changed our decision). Earlier on in our decision process we also test drove Mustangs, the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, the Pontiac G6, and the Toyota Solara, all of which got eliminated for various reasons. The Mercedes CLK convertible was a little too high-priced for us (not to mention the BMW 6-series convertible and the afore-mentioned Bentley). BTW - if someone wanted to give us a car, the Bentley would be very nice, thank you very much. Even if it still has an old-fashioned cloth top...
It's also the emptynesters Car of the Year. So - if someone wants a macho muscle car, this isn't it. If you want a family car, this isn't it. Even if you are concerned about lots of storage this isn't it.
Having said that, I'm 59, our kids are out of the house, my wife has a Subaru Forester, but we are both loving the C70. Can't wait for it to warm up this weekend.