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Volvo C70

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Comments

  • QX498QX498 Member Posts: 9
    I just recently bought a C70. I loaded some cd's into the magazine and it wouldn't load all the way .It said error 001, has anyone had this problem. I brought it to the dealership and they said they could only find one of the cd's i had loaded. They said there are gonna have to replace the whole unit. Has anyone had any problems with there radio or does any one know what the errors mean.

    Thank
    R. Geoffroy
  • shamrockshamrock Member Posts: 1
    I thinking about the c-70, would like pro and con from some owners.
  • bjorn_lbjorn_l Member Posts: 16
    I test drove a C70 and bought a different car. The C70 is very comfortable. It looks nice. But it looks a bit faster then it moves. I would suggest you also test drive a few other cars in this same class before you buy. Specifically try and test drive rear wheel drive models. The c70 for all it's beauty and charm is limited by it's front wheel drive (torgue steer is pretty strong).
    If it were available with AWD, it'd be much more interesting. I don't know why they didn't make this an option since they did on the sedan and wagon (s70/v70), but not the coupe.
  • QX498QX498 Member Posts: 9
    To Shamrock

    You think the C70 is a slow car in its class.
    What pray tell do you think is faster for a two door coupe. What car did you buy then if you didn't but the C70. I happen to be a happy owner of a C70 and I go through cars alot.
  • bjorn_lbjorn_l Member Posts: 16
    I believe you meant your question for me not Shamrock.
    I bought a BMW 328. And this fall, my M3 convertable arrives. Both are faster and more capable then the C70. The c70 is somewhat hamstrung by it's fwd. To slice through corners with good control at speed takes rwd or awd.
    If you'll re-read my post, you'll see that I wasn't and am not critical of the c70. I only wish it had awd or rwd, as it is quite nice to look at and those seats are amazing.
  • mcohenmcohen Member Posts: 21
    Who drives these cars like that? Do I take my $40,000 car and test it's cornering ability at 50 mph? Do I race everyone on the road? No. I worked had for the car and don't want it trashed.

    Just because it is FWD doesn't mean it's bad. Would you have bought the car if you didn't know it was FWD? That's like voting for a president based on one issue.

    As for AWD, I asked the dealer and he said they didn't because the C70 is a niche car that won't be going into conditions that need AWD (snow, ice).
  • bjorn_lbjorn_l Member Posts: 16
    If you wanted to drive like you have a lexus, you might have been happier if you'd bought one.
    I drive as if I enjoy driving. I maintain my car extremely well as I love it for what it can do. My current car is a BMW 328 convertible (trading it in this fall when my new car arrives from germany). (the same setup but an M3). The point I was making wasn't that your car sucks, because it doesn't. But when pushed hard it isn't as capable as rwd and awd models. I would NOT have bought the car if I had no known it was fwd. One spirited drive would have told me. And I did drive it before I bought my current car. I didn't buy. It was more comfy then the 328 but didn't drive any where near as good.
    For slow crusing, I'm sure the C70 would be a better car since with the optional luxury leather, it has the most comfortable seats I have ever felt.
  • QX498QX498 Member Posts: 9
    I apologize then if I wrote my reply to the wrong person. A 328 faster then a C70. What 328 has what 192 or so horsepower you better have a five speed. A M3 maybe but still less horsepower and it would be close in my opinion. Sorry if i was harsh. But that is the way i feel. In case of a BMW you better have a 540 or a M roadster in my opinion.
  • QX498QX498 Member Posts: 9
    Sorry to post again but i never looked in the window to see who sent it. I will look next time.
  • bjorn_lbjorn_l Member Posts: 16
    Don't worry about the mis-post. I don't think anyone minds.
    The Volvo C70 has two versions, the HT (High-Turbo) (fast) and the LT (Low-Turbo) slower.
    The HT has 236HP the LT has 190. But they are otherwise the same car. Lets only look at the more fun car (the HT).
    The 328 has 193hp. The M3 has 240 (in the USA).
    The 328 has the same 0-60 times as the HT. 0-60 of 6.2. The M3 has a 0-60 time of just below 5.5.
    The C70 and 328 both have great brakes (about the same). The 328 has a much higher skidpad (lateral g before sliding) .91 vs .86. The BMW also is faster through a slalom course and other agility tests. The M3 beats both the 328 and C70-HT in every category.
    The C70 is more comfortable to sit in (it's top of the line "special leather" seats are amazing). Fashion is a matter of taste. I think the C70 looks better. But in the corners the BMW is better. And the harder you drive, the more the difference becomes. The Volvo is a fine car, beautiful and comfortable. But it is FWD, and it has alot of torque steer when pushed through the corners. This is bad. This car would have been amazing if it had been RWD or AWD.
    It's also more expensive then the better performing BMW.
  • QX498QX498 Member Posts: 9
    Ok. I have A C70 HT
    Thank you for explaning everything. I think next time i won't be so harsh. I am still happy with my C70.
  • fastline486fastline486 Member Posts: 20
    Cars are very difficult to design, so no cars are perfect. Just apprieciate what you have now because the world changes.
  • gcamp11gcamp11 Member Posts: 4
    Keep in mind, with a few modifications (which I plan to do), the C70 will perform like a BMW M3. IPD has a chip that will add an additional 50HP, along with suspension upgrades. The BMW M3 is designed specifically for hard driving. The C70 is roomier and more luxurious - and with a few add-ons, will rival the M3's on the road. Cannot wait!!
  • bjorn_lbjorn_l Member Posts: 16
    There are mods for every car :)
    When you mod your c70, remember that as you pointed out the c70 isn't designed for hard driving, but driving in comfort and ease. Pushed hard the fwd will be very twitchy on you in the corners.
    One more knock on the M3 is that if you want a new one, you may have a hard time finding a coupe and may have to buy the more expensive convertible since the Coupe is "officially" out of production since April. They are coming out with a new one in a years time and have to re-tool that line I guess.
    btw: the C70 is softer (seats and shocks) then the M3, but it's not actually roomier. They are the same internally except the c70 has 6.6 inches more rear leg room, but the m3 has a 1.2 cubic foot larger trunk. I'd call that the same size all things considered
  • amehlamehl Member Posts: 1
    I currently own an SVT Contour and I love it. It certainly is not a sports car, but it's high end power is great. I have driven "sports cars" and one has never rode so smoothly at 110+ than my Contour. Is a C70 worth a look if I am looking for another car? I am blue and white to the core, but Ford now offers employee and employee relative incentives on Volvos.
  • bjorn_lbjorn_l Member Posts: 16
    It's a worthy car. Since you enjoy the ride and handling of the FWD contour, you are not likely to have an issue with the frontwheel drive of the Volvo.
    It's fairly quick and agile. But as all FWD cars, if pushed to the edge it's squirelly and hard to control (due to torque steer). From what I've read from other Contour and volvo owners here, I would guess that the C70 has slightly less torque steer then the Contour. I didn't take the C70's I drove on test drives up to anywhere near 110, so I've no idea how they handle there, but typically european cars are better at long high speed runs then American ones since our speed limits are lower and more strictly enforced.
    To compare the C70 to some cars I test drove a bit. It's not as agile and hard charging as the BMW's or MB's (though close to the MB). It's driver feedback is less then BMW and more then MB. It's comfort level (with the optional "deluxe leather" is the best of any car. It's nice and room (about the same total size as a BMW 328). It's a little hard to get in and out of the fairly small back seat. The top of the line stereo is amazingly good. As a cruiser/gt it's hard to beat. And while it isn't as much of a sports coupe as the BMW's, that doesn't mean it's not sport (it's just a matter of degree).
    What you should do is test drive a C70HT and then a 328Ci (e46) both with the sports package, since if you like to go 110, you don't want low rent wheels on your ride.
    Not saying you should get a BMW instead, only to have an idea what the differences are so you can better gauge what you're buying and what it's worth.
  • mcohenmcohen Member Posts: 21
    I've taken my C70 up to 100 and the people in the car had no idea we were going that fast (open road I-5 in CA). It's quiet and smooth at 100, so 110+ would be great.
  • ronlevronlev Member Posts: 3
    Hello. Any late model volvo folks have an A/C blower kit put on by the dealer? This is to reduce the funky smell from the moisture emitted from the compressor? It is a blower set to come on approx. 50 minutes after the car is shut off to dry the compressor. It is supposed to run for approx. 5 minutes and then shut off. Mine may run for hours and still be on in the morning. This obviously does not seem right. The service tech says if the battery is not run down it must be runing allright. Has anyone had this blower kit installed? Does it run as described? Does it have a life of its own? Is it me?!! What's your story or comment? Thanks for your reply.
  • mdbasilemdbasile Member Posts: 7
    To follow up on a couple of posts here. I have '98 C70 manual. I actually picked it up at the factory so I could drive it in Europe for about 3 weeks. Great deal by the way, Volvo takes great care in its overseas delivery. Anyway I have a BMW 540 and had a M3 for some time too. While the BMW's seem to perform well at the limit, the M3 interior seemed small and not as "luxurious" as the C70. Oh and I drove the C70 up to 140 - spent alot of time at the 125 mph range and it was rock solid. Never got that high in the BMW's.
  • bjorn_lbjorn_l Member Posts: 16
    I own a BMW 328 and have a M3 on order. Before I bought the 328, I test drove several C70's. And I would agree with you. No interiors are as comfortable as the deluxe leather in the volvo. But it's not larger then your M3. Almost exactly the same interior space, so don't know why your m3 would seem smaller to you then your c70. In fact the M3 has slightly more head, shoulder and leg room then the C70.
    The M3 is electronically limited to 137mph (this can be removed if you care). I've had BMW's up to this speed (never gone faster then 90 in a volvo). And the BMW is quite stable and controllable at this speed. The BMW is a little more controllable as well as quicker and quite a bit more agile. So for me, I was willing to go to the 2nd or 3rd most comfortable car in exchange for this.
    You've got quite an enviable collection of fine automobiles. Is a Porsche and a AWD of some kind next?
  • bjorn_lbjorn_l Member Posts: 16
    Oh, and european delivery sounds like alot of fun.
    Did you stay there long enough to get past the brake in period?
  • mdbasilemdbasile Member Posts: 7
    I know what you are saying about the numbers - but the c70 just feels larger. Don't have the M3 anymore - replaced it with the C70 - time for a change. The M3 was an awsome fun car - just really liked the C70 - must add that the looks and unique character played a role - also I found the M3 to be sort of "young" and a bit too plastic - hard to explain. For me it was the right blend. Also I have modified it a bit - suspension etc.

    And the Euro delivery -- but 4,000 km on it so - yea plenty to brake it in. Drove basically N/S through europe - work and pleasure.
  • mdbasilemdbasile Member Posts: 7
    Oh yea - no porsche though a boxter would be a great fun car. Actually a convertable turbo beatle is what my wife wants soo... we wait. AWD - wife currently has a AWD mini-van - not sure that counts though ;-) -- hey she wanted it.
  • bchbum2001bchbum2001 Member Posts: 1
    I'm in the market for a luxury sports coupe, and the fact that the c70 is not selling well is good because I will be paying invoice or below. With the new style BMW and the CLK, IF you find what you want you will be paying MSRP and above. Not to mention you have to wait til the end of summer. I want a new car now and the value does enter the equation
  • bjorn_lbjorn_l Member Posts: 16
    The C70 does offer extremely good value. It also offers luxury right in there with BMW and Mercedes. And infact with the deluxe leather it's amazingly comfortable, and in my opinion having driven all of the three cars you mentioned, it's clearly the most Comfortable.
    And with the optional top of the line stereo, it's a little better then the Mercedes and about the same as the BMW. I think it's also better looking then the other two. But for my driving fun, I prefer rear wheel drive and so I opted for a BMW. You should evaluate how much you prize sporty handling and things related to that. Since of the three, the C70 is the least capable in this area due largely to it's front wheel drive and fairly pronounced torque steer. If it had been a RWD or a AWD, I would have bought one. It's a wonderful and beautiful car.
  • bchbum2000bchbum2000 Member Posts: 10
    I was looking at the c70 today, and the sales man says they are going for $1000 below invoice. Question, if his quote is $1000 below Edmunds invoice price, should I low ball that, I probably will offer him less, but does anyone know the inside scoop on this kind of offer?
  • mdbasilemdbasile Member Posts: 7
    Has anyone put the lower springs on thier C70?

    How does it drive?

    Mark
  • mcohenmcohen Member Posts: 21
    Is the C-70 selling poorly? I haven't seen any numbers, but they don't produce that many anyway. (3,000 coupes is what I was told). They make more Mercedes and BMW so the C-70 is more rare.
  • jesseliujesseliu Member Posts: 41
    Yup more rare cuz its selling poorly.

    Personally I think the reason is because the niche market that Volvo addresses with the C70 wants something more sporty. Unfortunately the C70 is FWD which is the ban of most sports enthusiasts.
  • 97grandamgt97grandamgt Member Posts: 11
    I've been reading these posts, and I think maybe Volvo should consider an AWD coupe. Hmmm.... maybe we should all send Emails.
  • mcohenmcohen Member Posts: 21
    Does anyone have the numbers of volvo's sold? All I read here is people saying it doesn't sell. Is there any place on the web that has sales numbers?

    Thanks.
  • bjorn_lbjorn_l Member Posts: 16
    I think this would be a hot ticket.
    It would resolve much of the handling complaints.
    It would play into the current hot trend.
    Costs would be low since Volvo already has an AWD unit in this platform (the S70 and V70 are both available with AWD).
  • jesseliujesseliu Member Posts: 41
    An AWD C70 most definitely would attract more buyers. Something their marketing department needs to look into.
  • bchbum2000bchbum2000 Member Posts: 10
    here it is $39500 out the door, C70 HT fully loaded. FWD does suck but the price is right. If it is because they are slow selling that is fine with me, 'cause I drive em till they drop. Compare this price to Car & Driver saying the new 328ic will be 34,550 + options, tax ect. and only 193 hourses, I'll tell you, sitting at a light I WILL BLOW THE DOORS OFF of that beamer...So if you don't get the C70, you get the M3 43+, CLK 45+, SC300 45+, or go to the Chrysler, the C70 is the low cost luxury sports coupe. NOTE: They are putting the 16" tires on, it should be standard 17" for the HT, my saleman said they are giving you the surround sound instead, make sure you do not get charged...
  • bchbum2000bchbum2000 Member Posts: 10
    Yea, you have me on the performance numbers, but the price was from Car & Driver, the new models will be more expensive, plus short supply. I couldn't get a BMW if I wanted to, they don't have any...why on earth BMW did a change over in mid summer is beyond me. I needed a car, BMW didn't have any to sell, nothing to test driver, I walked out with no reason to go back. I saw a 3000 GT on the road, went to the dealer, guess what, nothing to sell, stopped production, went to mercedes drove a clk320, guess what, nothing to sell, waiting list. I don't know how these guys stay in business, but I found it frustrating, went to volvo, they had a car I wanted, the price was right, what more can I say, after two days, I am still happy with the C70.
  • charlesbcharlesb Member Posts: 43
    Fwd conversions to AWD remain nose heavy. Moreover, the weight increase blunts performance. (Most Quattro Audi's are pretty sluggish.) I think Volvo did about as much as they could, performance wise, with the aging S70 platform. The press hammered Volvo for the C70's "rough ride" and this year the 18" wheels are history.
  • djodjo Member Posts: 1
    Hey guys, any news on the 2000 model for the C70?
  • 97grandamgt97grandamgt Member Posts: 11
    Bjorn 1:

    Actually, wouldn't the ultra top of the line sound system in the Volvo convertible blow away the one on the BMW convertible?
  • bjorn_lbjorn_l Member Posts: 16
    Not to my ears. They're both nice.
    The Harmon Kardon had better tonal quality, and a slightly better sound. And the volvo had slightly more bass when played very loud. Neither was lacking.
    If you were comparing the base stereo in the BMW vs the super-fancy-ultra-top-of-the-line one in the Volvo, sure the Volvo is then better.
    If it's best vs best, I'd call these two the best I can recall being stock in any car. But, no, I wouldn't say the Volvo was better in this area.
  • charlesbcharlesb Member Posts: 43
    The Volvo is an Alpine unit. It doesn't have Dolby C on the tape. The bass in Pro Logic mode is a bit much. Too boomy. My guess is the Dynaudio speakers are better than the Beemers. I think the top system for the convertible has even bigger subwoofers. Even more bass is not necessary. The soft top would hurt the sound too. I think the system sounds better in normal mode anyway. The middle speaker isn't very pretty either.
  • pyeskepyeske Member Posts: 2
    First-time poster here. Anyhow, I am an american living and woking in Germany as an expat and expect to spend another 1-2 years here before returning to the States. I am considering bringing a "toy" back with me int he form of a sports coupe. I started checking into BMW's when a friend told me about this program that Volvo has called "Tourist & Diplomat Sales" (TDS). This is an unbelievably good marketing idea. In essence, you buy a US-spec'd car direct from Sweden which has been re-equipped to european standards, you pick it up there(or have it delivered in Europe) and then within a 3 year period Volvo will re-spec the car to US standards and ship it anywhere in NA for no charge! Better yet, as best as I can tell the fixed prices are less than a grand over invoice. The C70 HT has caught my attention and I am ready to pounce. Has anyone ever used this program and are there any troublespots to the C70 I should pay attention to before I order? Thoughts on this subject would be appreciated.

    P.S. BMW will only sell to diplomats bearing official papers- typical arrogance from Munich.
  • tom123tom123 Member Posts: 15
    Hi. The Volvo TDS program is indeed great. I live in Seattle and next month am going to Gothenburg to pick up my new V70AWD and drive it around Europe on a family vacation.

    You can just take delivery of the car in its US-spec mode and not bother to do the unequip/reequip thing if you want.

    Main advantages to the TDS program:

    Prices are fixed around or below factory invoice. They are all published on www.volvocars.com. And some accessories (wood, leather, etc.) cost less than buying them in the States.

    You can get exactly the car you want built just for you... no picking over incoming shipments, looking for 80% of what you want.

    For US tourists Volvo throws in a RT plane ticket to Europe and one nights' hotel.

    Volvo will ship the car home free anytime within three years after delivery. If you drop it off anywhere except Gothenburg or a port city there is an extra shipping fee to pay, but it's pretty reasonable.

    I can't address trouble spots on the C70 but overall I am very positive about the TDS progam... see also the Edmund's thread called "European Delivery" under "Smart Shopper." Or feel free to e-mail me with any questions you may have.

    Tom
  • mdbasilemdbasile Member Posts: 7
    Dear Pyeske,

    Last May I bought my C70 via the TDS program and it was great! Got what I wanted - basically when I wanted it. I live in the states and used it on a 3 week vacation. Volvo took care of everything - including preping the car and shipping. Be aware that you need like 400.00 cash at the "drop-off" - this caught me by surprise so do be aware. I picked mine up in Goteborg and dropped it off in Nice - it arrived in the states about a month later.
  • steepssteeps Member Posts: 1
    I recently read on a website titled The Car Place that the C70 is a great car but When driven in the rain, a strange plunking sound is heard coming from the sunroof. Since my wife is very interested in buying one, I decided to test drive one on a rainy day. Well I'll be darned. It did make that dunk, dunk, dunk sound. It sounded like I was sitting inside a drum. Has anyone else experienced this?
  • mcohenmcohen Member Posts: 21
    turn the radio up.... :)

    No sound like that come from my sunroof.
  • jcarpijcarpi Member Posts: 17
    Just signed the contract for the 2000 C70 HT, will pick it up in Gothenburg. Drove the automatic, but ordered the manual transmission. Anyone else ever drive the manual? Any problems I should know about? BTW, got a great deal.
  • bchbum2000bchbum2000 Member Posts: 10
    no sounds when it rains. The day I bought it was raining. Got the C70 HT, black, and love it. It's awesome. I look at the CLK's on the road and the C70 blows them away in styling, and price for that matter.
  • mlewismlewis Member Posts: 9
    I too own a 1998 c70 coupe and have never heard the sunroof drumming in the rain...Mine is a five-speen and I love it! Real happy I didn't get an auto. I'll save that for the S80 down the road. It is nice owning a car that you don't see all over the place. Happy Driving.
  • charlesbcharlesb Member Posts: 43
    The sunroof of my sister's C70 was replaced during her first service stop last year under warranty. We had never heard any noise from it. It was only the very early production that ever had this problem. That review from the Car Place is ancient history. The early '98 cars had other problems, too. Wind noise around the doors, rear window sealing problems et. al. Bottom line is none of them are major problems and all have been fixed during normal servicing. She has had this Cassis (dark purple) C70 five-speed with all options for 15 months and loves it. It's a pretty car.
  • ish1ish1 Member Posts: 3
    I own a '98 with a manual and it is the easiest performance transmission I have ever driven. From a performance standpoint, it is a short throw with a crisp delivery - very satisfying. What's more is that I taught my girlfriend to drive a manual on it - I had tried to teach her on my Honda CRXsi, no dice. When she tried the volvo, she didn't stall it once. This car should only come equipped with the 5 speed (unless they come out with a 6 speed :-) )
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