2007 Volvo C70: My Take
In his recent review, my Cars.com co-worker Joe Wiesenfelder raves about Volvo’s new retractable hardtop convertible, the C70. I had the same silver tester for a week and found myself enjoying it, but not nearly as much as Joe.
It seems the C70 has become Joe’s favorite Volvo. For me, the XC90 SUV is still Volvo’s best product for what it aims to do, but the C70 is a close second. My main gripes with the C70 only had to do with its lackluster driving feel and a bum stereo, not its innovative convertible hardtop.
The steering is not what I’d call responsive. Navigating through twisty roads is about as thrilling as cleaning out your email inbox. Pushing the accelerator isn’t much better. It offers little rush as the foot meets the pedal, and after that initial delay speed comes in a slow, steady climb to acceptable levels. There’s nothing sporty about it, and that bugs me in such a sporty, sexy-looking car. Did I just say that about a Volvo?
Cruising, though — cruising was nice. I took the C70 on a long business trip, and with the roof up felt like I was in any regular hardtop coupe. I often forgot I was driving a convertible at all because the cabin was so quiet. The fun part hit when the top came down. At one point — stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic — I just popped in a favorite CD, hit the button for the roof and enjoyed the pleasant weather. This — this is the good life, and why someone buys a convertible in the first place.
I will say I’m not as high on the $1,550 stereo system as Joe is. It is much too bass-heavy for my taste – mostly obscure indie bands or cliché classic rockers – and I had to adjust it with each new selection. Very annoying. It wasn’t quite as annoying, though, before Joe’s review reminded me of the price. Ouch.
Still, there were plenty of positives. This retractable system is the best I’ve seen and is also the most utilitarian, allowing access to the trunk compartment even when the large roof is stored (shown to the right). With the top up and full trunk space available I even managed a midsize Costco run. Not too shabby.
Now Volvo has two cars in its lineup near the top of their respective segments. In the C70 the company has created a unique offering that buyers won’t feel guilty about buying. It’s a practical convertible. Sounds like Volvo to me.
