Got passed by one on the highway, looks pretty cool.
200+ hp turbo 5, 6 speed stick. Only rated for like 30mpg highway and 15s 1/4 but the price looks like low 20's.
Guess I'll have to start watching the new car review stuff for these.
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June 27, 2008 9:50 p.m. daytonaer New Reader
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June 27, 2008 10:08 p.m. Luke HalfDork
Are they AWD or FWD?
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June 27, 2008 10:16 p.m. Stuc Reader
FWD. I was all excited about them when I first saw them coming out because thought it would be RWD
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June 27, 2008 10:20 p.m. maroon92 Dork
those are FWD, and they come from Gothenburg Sweden!
I think they are gorgeous, and I quite want one.
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June 30, 2008 9:54 a.m. Jack SuperDork
P1800 styling is timeless.
Jack
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June 30, 2008 10:15 a.m. John Brown SuperDork
Nice Focus.
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June 30, 2008 10:18 a.m. GameboyRMH Dork
Very nice looking, too bad it's not RWD...also too bad they ditched the see-through triangulated A-pillars because they gave the illusion of being unsafe.
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June 30, 2008 10:25 a.m. Tim Baxter Online Editor
I have the S40, and love it. Far as I can tell, the C30 is just a trimmer version, and that's allright by me.
If it's like the S40, it's actually made in Belgium.
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June 30, 2008 12:01 p.m. GlennS HalfDork
my biggest complaint about the c30 is that the rear hatch is tiny compared to most hatchbacks. It looks like the rear end would really hold up though in a rear end collision compared to some other hatches. They also have a funky dash.
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July 1, 2008 4:28 p.m. phillyj New Reader
meh, overpriced mazda 3
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July 1, 2008 5:01 p.m. Tim Baxter Online Editor
Nah, it's got a very different feel. I cross-shopped the 3 when I bought my S40. The 3 is very nice, but I liked the S40 better. Prices aren't that far off, either. At least around me, Volvo dealers don't know what to do with a manual transmission and are willing to make a deal.
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July 1, 2008 8:35 p.m. Ryan9118 HalfDork
I sat in one at the Seattle car show a while ago, but I didn't like it that much. The rear hatch is ridiculously small. You might not be able to tell from the pictures, but you could hardly fit a small suitcase in there. Maybe not even your groceries. Plus the dash was weird looking and really cheep feeling. They do look kinda cool though.
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July 2, 2008 8:34 a.m. integraguy New Reader
I haven't driven a new ANYTHING in years, so I have no direct experience with the C30 or S40. However, most car mags, certainly the European ones, don't give the C30 that great of a review.
From the British mag CAR:
"It's the only car here that you pull up a chair and stare at for a long, long time. Sadly, staring at it is more rewarding than driving it. There's a Focus ST engine and platform underneath the C30 T5, but not the ST we know and love. Tuned for comfort, the Volvo's steering, ride, grip, handling, and performance simply don't entertain. The C30 just performs competently. Proficiently."
Admittedly, this is the TOP of the C30 range tested against several of Europe's "hot hatches". One of the cars it was tested against was a the more expensive R32 Golf...which CAR preferred.
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July 2, 2008 9:52 a.m. confuZion3 HalfDork
One of my favorite cars I've driven in recent years was a 2006 (around there) Volvo S40 T5. Six-speed manual, nice engine, and an interior that makes you happy when you touch stuff, like the dash. It is my cousin's. We used to switch cars for the day or weekend and that's what I got.
Two complaints: 1.) it took me 20 minutes to find the fuel door release; and 2.) the turbo charger seems to be regulated so that, by the time you reach max RPM, you are making no boost -- there is no progressive buildup of hp as you move to the redline.
I want to drive this new little oddity though.
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July 2, 2008 7:32 p.m. mattmacklind SuperDork
This was the car I was waiting for when I leased my Jetta in Dec of 06. I wish I could have waited out the C30's arrival but I couldn't. They have been marketed horribly if at all. I haven't seen a single ad in print or on TV for them, and only one mainstream car mag review that was pretty positive. I've seen two on the road since they came out, and one had dealer plates, so it really doesn't count.
I saw them at the 06 Chicago Auto Show and loved it, although the hatch isn't the only small part about it, the cabin is cozy, too. Nonetheless, I was digging it and I love the lines. We'll see how they fare on the used car scene, my lease is up in April of 2010.
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July 2, 2008 7:47 p.m. Volksroddin New Reader
John Brown wrote: Nice Focus.
hahahaha!!
