My 2011 C30 Review

[Volvo4251]

Hi all,


Usually I'm always posting about my 850 as it's an older car and always has little issue I need the forum for. I think that is the beauty of MVS, once your older Volvo is out of warranty you literally can have any question answered within a few days on here. But that's not what I'm here to talk about. I'm here to give my impressions of the 2011 C30.

I relocated to Chicago from Kentucky during the summer of 2011. At the time I had an '07 XC90 3.2 AWD (what a fantastic car it was), but after a few trips up to Chicago before the move, found it difficult to maneuver around downtown. So I decided to trade it in and go for something small and stylish. What better of a car than the C30? The 2011 year had the better warranty (5 years, 50 K miles) than the 2012. I ordered the car with the following specs: Black, Black T-Tec surfaces, Premium package, Climate Package, Auto-transmission, and the dealership installed Garmin system. All in all, the car was around $31,000 USD.

Driving Impressions: Driving the car is very fun. It has essentially the same motor my 850 Turbo has, just with more modern software and a lot less weight to lug around. Pick up is very good in the car. The turbo lag isn't that bad either! It has plenty of power to merge/pass on the freeway and really is a blast to drive. My only criticism would be the transmission is a tad slow to react sometimes. You'll desperately be wanting it to downshift, as if the car is asking "are you sure you want to do this?" IT can be a bit frustrating in spirited driving situations, but for most everyday driving, it really isn't a problem at all. MPG is not very good for a car of its size, at least in the city- 17 MPG at best (according to the trip computer). But on the highway expect nearly 30 MPG. Definitely go for the manual to save some gas!

Handling and Ride The handling in the C30 is pretty crisp for a Volvo. You really do feel like you're weaving in and out of traffic, almost like threading a needle. It's really not bad! I have similar praise for the ride of the car. For such a low riding and sporty car you would think the ride would be much stiffer than it actually is, but it's honestly a very pleasant ride. Chicago has plenty of potholes that would make the older Volvo's cringe, but the C30 handles them very well.

Interior The interior of the C30 is very cool and modern. The floating center console always catches people's eye. It's very ergonomically thought out as well. The 4 main buttons (power, tuning, temp, and fan speed) are just where you expect them to be. The car has plenty of convenience features, all which work very well. I do have a few complaints however. The aluminum trim that comes with the premium package scratches and dents very easily. Watch out! A simple mistake such as dropping your keys is the equivalent of dropping a bowling ball. But the worst problem by a mile is the backseat. What's the problem you may ask? It is utterly useless. You either have to be a small child or an incredibly small adult (5'4 or less) to actually fit back there. The entrance and exit from the rear seat is awkward and complicated. Volvo would have saved a lot of weight and money just getting rid of the back seat entirely. Aside from that, the interior is a well finished product. Typically Volvo. Very well built and thoughtfully laid out.

Verdict The C30 is a fantastic car to drive and really is rather well equipped too. It's a great car for one or two people, but throw 3-4 in there and I wouldn't really recommend it at all. It's a very stylish car, sporty too, but falls short where it matters most- practicality. Honestly I like the car, but might be getting an XC70 instead. Volvo isn't synonymous with sporty. The brand is known for practical station wagons, and for just a few thousand more than the C30, you get 2 more doors, a backseat that can be used, AWD, and cargo space. Sounds like a deal to me.

[SilverVolvo]

Thanks for the review. It pretty much mirrors my experience with the C30. I bought mine in Oct 2011, love it! I won't be getting rid of it anytime soon. Definitely a beast with a remap, like icing on a cake.

[His400]

I like that it will run happily on any grade of oil or gas.
I'm fairly sure that the shift points can change based in a pseudo-fuzzy logic scheme. It always seems to be much more "alert" just after I get done smooshing it to the floor...

[His400]

Oh yeah, and I once drove from VA to CT with 4 guys, all greater than 200 lbs. wasn't painful at all, but we are submariners...

[MadeInJapan]

Very nice review!! Glad you posted! Btw, this part of the forum is about to explode. Enjoy the ride- I'm modding an AWD T5 with Manual transmission pretty heavily! Our cars share many of the same parts!

[mydamnvolvo]

My son wants one. He has my 01 V70 XC, my first volvo that I don't want to part with, but I am making him get a volvo. What year would you recommend?

[MadeInJapan]

For '07 and newer up to 2012 the cars are good and you can get them fairly reasonably. Just look around. I would avoid the first run of any of these starting in mid-year 2004...maybe even the next year ('05).

[Tsquared]

Also be aware the 2011 model was a mild redesign. The production of the 2011 model spanned almost 19 months starting in March of 2010.

[shiloh51933]

Hi all,


Usually I'm always posting about my 850 as it's an older car and always has little issue I need the forum for. I think that is the beauty of MVS, once your older Volvo is out of warranty you literally can have any question answered within a few days on here. But that's not what I'm here to talk about. I'm here to give my impressions of the 2011 C30.

I relocated to Chicago from Kentucky during the summer of 2011. At the time I had an '07 XC90 3.2 AWD (what a fantastic car it was), but after a few trips up to Chicago before the move, found it difficult to maneuver around downtown. So I decided to trade it in and go for something small and stylish. What better of a car than the C30? The 2011 year had the better warranty (5 years, 50 K miles) than the 2012. I ordered the car with the following specs: Black, Black T-Tec surfaces, Premium package, Climate Package, Auto-transmission, and the dealership installed Garmin system. All in all, the car was around $31,000 USD.

Driving Impressions: Driving the car is very fun. It has essentially the same motor my 850 Turbo has, just with more modern software and a lot less weight to lug around. Pick up is very good in the car. The turbo lag isn't that bad either! It has plenty of power to merge/pass on the freeway and really is a blast to drive. My only criticism would be the transmission is a tad slow to react sometimes. You'll desperately be wanting it to downshift, as if the car is asking "are you sure you want to do this?" IT can be a bit frustrating in spirited driving situations, but for most everyday driving, it really isn't a problem at all. MPG is not very good for a car of its size, at least in the city- 17 MPG at best (according to the trip computer). But on the highway expect nearly 30 MPG. Definitely go for the manual to save some gas!

Handling and Ride The handling in the C30 is pretty crisp for a Volvo. You really do feel like you're weaving in and out of traffic, almost like threading a needle. It's really not bad! I have similar praise for the ride of the car. For such a low riding and sporty car you would think the ride would be much stiffer than it actually is, but it's honestly a very pleasant ride. Chicago has plenty of potholes that would make the older Volvo's cringe, but the C30 handles them very well.

Interior The interior of the C30 is very cool and modern. The floating center console always catches people's eye. It's very ergonomically thought out as well. The 4 main buttons (power, tuning, temp, and fan speed) are just where you expect them to be. The car has plenty of convenience features, all which work very well. I do have a few complaints however. The aluminum trim that comes with the premium package scratches and dents very easily. Watch out! A simple mistake such as dropping your keys is the equivalent of dropping a bowling ball. But the worst problem by a mile is the backseat. What's the problem you may ask? It is utterly useless. You either have to be a small child or an incredibly small adult (5'4 or less) to actually fit back there. The entrance and exit from the rear seat is awkward and complicated. Volvo would have saved a lot of weight and money just getting rid of the back seat entirely. Aside from that, the interior is a well finished product. Typically Volvo. Very well built and thoughtfully laid out.

Verdict The C30 is a fantastic car to drive and really is rather well equipped too. It's a great car for one or two people, but throw 3-4 in there and I wouldn't really recommend it at all. It's a very stylish car, sporty too, but falls short where it matters most- practicality. Honestly I like the car, but might be getting an XC70 instead. Volvo isn't synonymous with sporty. The brand is known for practical station wagons, and for just a few thousand more than the C30, you get 2 more doors, a backseat that can be used, AWD, and cargo space. Sounds like a deal to me.

I really appreciate the review as I am in the market for a 2010 or newer C30 T5 or C30 R. Presently we own 3 Volvo vehicle's('o4 XC70/'98V70XC/'00V70XC) but the '00 V70XC's front exterior is crushed from deer on the hwy. Anyway, I'm contemplating the sale of my 1999 Honda Prelude 5speed manual shift w/factory black leather interior, Nordic Mist exterior and everything basically left factory except upgraded catback exhaust(not a fart can), CAI(I still have factory air box), front/rear strut tower braces. I've had quite a few offers for the Prelude over the last 2 years but Ive always replied with it's not for sale but now I'm thinking about selling it and use that money to buy a 2010 or newer Volvo C30. I've read that the 2010 and newer C30's are a little bit better under the hood. I would be looking to get a manual shift and I've read that the R model came with a 6 speed. Anyway, thank you for your review...I really think I'm putting my Prelude on the market.

[mrbrian200]

I have a friend in South Bend (IN) who decided he wanted one of these. He wanted one pretty fully loaded + leather so that he wouldn't be giving up anything compared to other 2-4 year newer vehicles he would otherwise be looking at. It seems owners of the nicer C30s tend to love them like darlings and hold onto them. After several months of looking which included online regional search/ willing to go 300 miles or so, he gave up. Most of the ones going up for sale around here were more stripped down/basic. He gave up on the C30 and ended up with a 2014 Kia Sportage/EX premium, which is loaded up/non-turbo. It's quite nice. Kia has come a long way. He still seems to fancy my P2 S60. But would want something newer. He doesn't like the P3 mid size sedans, I don't either. Knowing what he likes style wise I'm not sure the SPA/CMA interior styling (sorta fine china like touches for 'old people') will appeal to him, as also the tall somewhat boxy/blunt front ends on the new ones that's more reminiscent of classic American muscle cars, which again, isn't his thing. I don't mind that.