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76 messages,  Last post on Apr 18, 2007 at 12:42 PM

You are in the Volvo C70 Forum.

What is this discussion about? Volvo C70, Convertible

Messages Page 8 of 8

#71 of 76 Tires in C70 and BMW by lmargolis

Apr 16, 2007 (9:50 pm)

I'm looking at both - BMW has run flats which are a pain- last about 10,000 miles- ride hard and are very costly to replace. C70 doesn't come with a spare- has that been a problem- I guess you can get a mini spare- does anybody have that - is there room in the trunk for golf clubs with top up
 Both nice cars!

#72 of 76 Re: Tires in C70 and BMW [lmargolis] by empty1

Apr 17, 2007 (5:51 am)

Replying to: lmargolis (Apr 16, 2007 9:50 pm)
I have the spare, takes up some trunk space not much. I have about 4500 miles on my C70. I like it but for its has not been my favorite car. I use to drive a volvo s80 so take my views from that perspective.
 
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.

#73 of 76 Re: Tires in C70 and BMW [empty1] by rschleicher

Apr 17, 2007 (5:17 pm)

Replying to: empty1 (Apr 17, 2007 5:51 am)
I think if you spend some time nosing around the various topic areas of this forum, and also check out the various on-line reviews, you will get a pretty fair assessment of the C70's plusses and minuses. I think that a lot of them need to be placed in the context of other 4-place convertibles in general, and then the sub-class of retractable hard-top convertibles in particular. (All of which suffer to some extent from small trunks that get significantly smaller when the top is down, tight rear seating, extra weight (compared to the non-convertible "equivalent" vehicle), and non-trivial extra cost for the convertible ("when the top goes down, the price goes up").
 
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...

#74 of 76 Re: Tires in C70 and BMW [rschleicher] by johnh7

Apr 18, 2007 (10:16 am)

Replying to: rschleicher (Apr 17, 2007 5:17 pm)
I noticed the C70 was among AOL's list of the 10 cars women love to drive. This doesn't make it a "female" car, but it does reinforce that it's selling points appeal to women: a sophisticated style, a clean,intuitive interior design and Volvo's reputation for safety e.g. safety is a top female priority and 4 Volvos made the top 10.
 
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.

#75 of 76 Re: Tires in C70 and BMW [johnh7] by rschleicher

Apr 18, 2007 (12:35 pm)

Replying to: johnh7 (Apr 18, 2007 10:16 am)
Interesting comment, johnh7, about the appeal of the C70 to both women and emptynesters. Both apply to us. My wife is the primary driver of the C70, although I drive (get to drive?) when we are both in the car. I agree that it definitely appeals to women, in terms of stylishness, but without being a "chick car". (Getting ours in black helped a bit with it's man-appeal.) In the end, I love the car as much as my wife. (What also helps from my perspective is that I've got my own toy - an old solid-axle Vette (1959)that addresses my mid-life crisis needs, with suitably loud exhaust, mechanical simplicity, V-8 rumble, etc.) And yes, we are also empty-nesters, or at least close to it with our youngest being away at college. (I even have a hat that says "Old farts rule".)

#76 of 76 Re: Tires in C70 and BMW [rschleicher] by johnh7

Apr 18, 2007 (12:42 pm)

Replying to: rschleicher (Apr 18, 2007 12:35 pm)
I got the black with off black leather as well. I needed a hint of machismo.

Messages Page 8 of 8

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