|
From Swedespeed.com Reviews and Road Tests For the first time in about two years now, Swedespeed is without a C30 in the garage. We’ve been lonely, and if it weren’t for the XC60 T6 we just picked up, we’d be working on a Craigslist ad: “Single Swedish website seeking T5 with a good body.” Yes, our time with Volvo’s first two-door hatch since the 1800ES (in the U.S. at least) has been, in one word, wonderful. The fact that we got a flat tire on the day we parted tells us the C30 didn’t want to leave us, either.
Many modern automatic transmissions are getting quite good with quick shifts and even the ability to rev-match on downshifts, and the C30’s optional five-speed Geartronic did treat us quite well. However, spending time with both it and the six-speed manual, we can say that the autobox didn’t win us over. It was sometimes slow to downshift, even in manual mode, and we’d really love it if Volvo added a set of wheel-mounted paddles so that shifts can be made with two hands on the wheel. Since there are rumors that the brand will soon add a new dual-clutch transmission to the options, this point might be moot. But for now, the six-speed really was more enjoyable and allowed us to make better use of all 227 horsepower. That brings us to our next point. Please Volvo, can we have a little more power? Other companies are making more power with fewer cylinders than five, or even without forced induction. We’re not asking for much, just 250 or so—if the 1995 850 T-5R was able to produce 240 hp out of a turbo-five, we just expect a car made fifteen years later to be making more, not less. Of course, we did deal with that ourselves with an IPD-sourced ECU flash. Our second car, the manual-trans model, also benefitted from a Bell intercooler and a K&N intake system. The results were pretty amazing, and the complaints about power from our staff died off. When we ran 0-60 mph numbers last spring, we were able to catch 5.8 seconds. An even lower time is likely possible with the same modifications, but our half-worn tires weren’t getting along with our test road’s slick new blacktop. So yes, you can build a very powerful C30—we’d just prefer it if that power were covered by a full factory warranty.
As a daily commuter, the C30’s stock suspension treated us quite well. It was soft, yes, but body roll wasn’t prevalent as we expected. The car was comfortable but with just enough sportiness to make the little hatch competitive with other cars in the class. It was with mixed emotions that we decided to slam the car down to the pavement with an H&R coilover kit, especially since when we ordered it, a C30-specific kit wasn’t ready. We instead installed an S40 kit, which we suspect delivered a more uncomfortable ride that the proper rear coils would have provided. We lived with it, but our friends, wives, and girlfriends weren’t, shall we say, excited to be passengers. At a few times, potholes were so jarring the windshield wiper switch jumped to the on position. The car did look fantastic lowered, however, especially after we added 19-inch Heico Sportiv Volution V wheels. The lower ride height makes the car look wider and more aggressive, and the eight-inch wide wheels gave it a perfect stance. It garnered compliments everywhere it went, and people especially loved the two-tone cosmic white with the brown body kit. We changed the brown to Titanium Grey for a period, which we thought made the car look sportier and not quite as retro-funky. Carbon fiber mirror caps were added and matched the grey well, a look we really enjoyed. In our final months with the car we made two last modifications: a EuroSport Tuning strut brace and a set of Elevate brake pads, slotted rotors, and braided stainless lines. Both continued our quest of building a more aggressive C30 with just bolt-ons. The strut brace was an easy, affordable way to dial a little more sensitivity into the C30’s steering, while the brakes cured a lukewarm relationship we’d had with the stock parts. Even if a full brake upgrade like ours doesn’t fit your budget we’d highly recommend at least upgrading to stainless lines. We suspect the $100 kit would add more pedal response without the cost of upgrading the rest of the components. Ford’s famous for mushy rubber brake hoses, and we think just getting rid of those made a big difference.
Things we’d do differently next time around? Well for starters, we’d avoid the two-tone T-Tec upholstery with off-white inserts. The center cloth sections were very stain-prone and we ended up shampooing the seats on multiple occasions. Even things as simple as water stains left their mark and worse things like coffee took some work to erase. We’d also go narrower on tires for the 19-inch add-on wheels. Our 235/35R19 Yokohama S.Drive rubber, coupled with the lowered suspension, lead to some minor rubbing issues between the tires and the inner edge of the plastic fender flares. We’d also be sure to order the right suspension for the car, and we’d probably even consider going a simpler route of simple lowering springs and not swapping out the stock struts and shocks. And we should’ve done an exhaust upgrade. Initially we wanted to match the body kit to the Cosmic White paint code on the body panels. Volvo sells these kits pre-painted and Cosmic wasn’t an option so we ditched the trendy brown in favor of the more neutral Titanium Grey and were pleased with the outcome and the car’s two-tone look continued to draw comments from passers by. What about things we’d do the same? Definitely the manual transmission, and definitely all the engine mods. The K&N made great noises, while the ECU and intercooler also helped on the power front. The car surprised some cocky BMW and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution drivers, and there’s nothing like making them think twice about a scrawny Volvo hatchback when their only other experience with it was when their Goth girlfriend dragged them to ‘Twilight’ . If we ordered a new car we’d stick with a small number of options. Since the Version 2.0 has been dropped, we’d go R-design to get the better appearance and bigger wheels, but we’d probably stop there as we did with our project car (we actually added the Dynaudio system, but we pondered whether it was worth its $1000 option price.)
Looking back on the car after a few months of separation, we have to say we do miss the C30 a great deal. Volvo built itself an excellent alternative to Volkwagen’s GTI or Audi’s A3. Nowhere else can you find such an upscale-looking small car for well under $30,000. Sure, it had its issues—not quite enough performance, mostly—but overall it treated us well. The big rear glass provided great visibility and made it perhaps the easiest vehicle for parallel parking we’ve ever driven. It got attention and it swallowed up a good amount of both friends and cargo. There aren’t many cars you can take to a track day with a full set of 19-inch wheels and tires in the rear, then out to a nice dinner where the valet compliments your ride. It’s a very versatile machine. We haven’t just ended our own era with the C30, but Volvo too has ended an era of the current bodystyle. A polarizing revised C30 arrives in a few months and it’ll either make you rush to buy one of the simpler-looking original cars or hold off for the new model with the Big Bold Face, depending on your own preferences. A few interesting new colors are on the way, but we’re more excited to test out the new sport package. It adds stiffer bushings, stiffer springs, and a 10 percent quicker steering ratio. We suspect it might answer some of our complaints about the current car’s low level off responsiveness. It’s just a shame they missed the opportunity to add power. And a limited-slip differential, too, which would make a good option for more sporting buyers. But alas, that leaves the door open for more exciting additions when an all-new C30 debuts in a few years. If our memories of the past two years don’t fade, and if the C30 keeps getting better, we’ll be the first in line next time around, too.
All information Copyright © 1999-2003 Swedespeed. All rights reserved. No photos, news stories, graphics, or Swedespeed logos may be used or reproduced without written permission. Volvo is a registered trademark of Volvo Car Corporation and Ford Motor Company. Swedespeed is an independent media publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Volvo Car Corporation |
