Fifth Gear – Volvo V50 T5 v Subaru Legacy Sports Tourer
Which sporty estate is quickest round our track?
Volvo S60 – Totally New 2011
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New 2011 Volvo S60 Beautiful & Uber Safe
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Volvo C70 T5
By Dan Scanlan
MyCarData
Everything is usually so nice and simple with a Volvo.
The shape is honest, with no dramatic shifts to something some designer in Itscoolvania thinks is spot on. It has a simple interior with just the right dash of Swedish modern, and a simple turbocharged inline engine to pull it along. Call it chic simple.
But is it enough to have simple chic?
*Volvo vision ? The C70 is a hardtop convertible, the best of both worlds for many. You get the sleek shape of a coupe, especially in the roof line, yet the world shines in when you want it. We were glad when the original cloth-topped C gave way to this one in 2007, gaining a more defined round-shouldered look. For 2011, the overall look is the same. But Volvo has sweetened its face with reworked fenders that let the headlights slash up and aft more. The nose is more wedge-shaped, the “V” of the grill complimented by the upward cut of the fog light frames. Volvo claims the lower grill has been spiced up ? maybe. Ours came in a deep Flamenco Red Metallic, the better to let its subtle curves glow in the sun. The front fenders’ shoulder line compliments the side view without distracting, another clean look with just a bit of waist at the door line, the body-color door rub strip an almost straight line. In back, wide LED lights echo the shoulder line, cleanly integrated in. Subtle fender flares frame “Diamond Cut” 5-spoke alloys wearing 18-inch Pirelli rubber. Like I said ? a simple, nice design, a sleek coupe shape when needed, a sleekly simple convertible with no top-down hump when you cruise the beach. The side mirrors even fold when you shut down. It’s definitely a sleek look above other hardtop convertibles, like the VW Eos.
As for fitting in amongst the Bimmers and Benzes at a local beachfront resort area one day, we did, but only a few seemed to note the C70, based on the compact S40′s 103.9-inch wheelbase. Oh well.
*Volvo livability ? Again, a simply clean design that oozes solidity without being stuffy. Black over light tan with alloy accents, a discrete white LED spotlight shining down on the still cool slim-depth center control panel, it is so Danish modern I love it even though every Volvo has it. The fine grain leather finish to the padded vinyl dash top is a clean look, as is the buff silver-ringed 160-mph speedometer with inset gas gauge/8,000-rpm tach with inset temperature gauge, with familiar green displays (one a trip computer controlled off the left stalk’s thumbwheel) and red needles. The thick-rimmed steering wheel has perforated leather were you grip most, manually tilting and telescoping with integrated Bluetooth, stereo and cruise controls. Subtle gauge face changes and a nicer feel to the instruments help for 2011. An LCD screen flips up from the dash top when you turn the high-mounted ignition, slowly coming to life, but offering only street lines ? no names. Its joystick and twin function buttons are behind the steering wheels right spoke. I’d rather have the buttons on the front of the spoke, thank you. And the remote control (honest) is just a gimmick. I like how the sat-nav screen dims at just the right part of dusk when the headlights are on, the same time the dash lights glow on. The headlights can be set to turn when you do. And the blind spot alert flashed a side mirror-area light when something is hidden, then did it when nothing was there but air.
A CD slot tops the slim center stack, over a combination audio/car function menu done in more green that tells you all about the great 14-speaker Dynaudio sound system with 910 watts of power, Dolby Pro Logic II Surround Sound and a standard USB and MP3 audio jack under the small center armrest’s double cargo area. Slide down and there’s a dual-zone climate control system and a five-speed automatic transmission. Again, a clean look. The front bucket seats are firm and comfortable, the driver getting three memory presets and 10-way power adjustments. The glove box is good enough, the twin cup holders shallow, leaving water bottles in the way. Buttons power the front seats forward to access the back seats. If those in front give a little, you can bring two more out to dinner, but their hair will nudge the well-fitted hardtop convertible’s inner liner.
Want more headroom? The hardtop’s three sections are smoothly integrated into an arcing pillarless top, meshing nicely with the rear deck. The top takes about 30 seconds to lower, its three sections stacking atop each other and sliding into the trunk under a rear-hinged cover. A white-lit button raises the assembly to access the small trunk space left under a divider. It is usable, and there’s a ski pass-through to slide longer stuff into the cabin. But the long trunk lid is heavy.
*Volvo vivacity – The C70′s turbocharged 2.5-liter in-line five-cylinder engine is all we get stateside, with a light-pressure T5 turbo for 227-(up from 218)hp. Standard with a 5-speed manual gearbox, we had the five-speed “Geartronic” with manual shift capability. Our 3.300-mile-old coupe/convertible was perky off the line, seizing 60 mph in a decent 8 seconds, a half second better than the last version we tested, with smooth shifts. There’s a gentle turbo whistle under acceleration, a nice counter note to the inline five’s gruff snarl. The extra 400 pounds of top and bracing blunts performance a bit, and fuel mileage on premium was about 22-mpg in mixed coastal road driving.
The fully independent suspension gave a comfortable ride, and reinforced side members, doors and sills offer decent torsional rigidity, although we had a slight twinge of chassis flex top down over bad bumps, and a slight creak top up one cooling sunset. Get sporty with it, and we had a bit of body roll thanks to the added weight, with understeer cropping up, some comfortable tire scrub and a touch of Dynamic Stability and Traction Control that you can’t turn off. The car was OK playing sporty, but a bit detached, sharp enough steering with some front-drive feel to it. The all-wheel disc brakes with ABS offered straight, short stops from 60-mph, with some fade after a few hard stops. Wind management was OK top down, aided by the windshield rake, and the heated seats and warm air flow helped on chilly nights. Call it more topless grand tourer than sports car. For safety, front and side impact air bags, plus very obvious door panel-mounted side impact air curtains.
*Volvo bucks ? Base price for the C70 is $39,950, standard with all above except the $2,600 multi-media package with Dynaudio sound system and navigation, $850 metallic paint, $700 blind spot detector, and $1,900 Dynamic Package with 18-inch wheels, xenon active headlights and heated seats ? final price $46,550. That’s up from the $44,075 last version we tested cost in 2007. The new VW Eos hardtop convertible is about $33,000, with less power and rear seat room, similar ride, but a cooler multi-function top. The better sports coupe/convertibles for a bit more are the BMW 3-Series and Infiniti G37 ? ’nuff said.
2011 Volvo C70 T5
Vehicle type 4-passenger hardtop convertible
Base price – $39,950 ($46,550 as tested)
Engine type ? turbocharged in-line five cylinder gas engine
Displacement ? 2.5 liter
Horsepower (net) ? 227 @ 5,000 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) ? 236 @ 1,500 to 5,000 rpm
Transmission ? 5-speed Geartronic
Wheelbase ? 103.9 inches
Overall length ? 180.4 inches
Overall width ? 72.3 inches
Height ? 55.1 inches
Front headroom ? 38.2 inches
Front legroom -42.3 inches
Rear headroom ? 36.4 inches
Rear legroom ? 33.9 inches
Cargo capacity ? 12.8-cu.ft. top up/half that top down
Towing capacity ? up to 2,000 lbs.
Curb weight ? 3,837 lbs.
Fuel capacity ? 15.9 gallons
Mileage rating ? 19-mpg city/28-mpg highway
Last word ? Better looks, nice weekend car that can tackle the week
New Volvo C70 T5 – A Car For All Seasons
By Dan Scanlan
MyCarData
Everything is usually so nice and simple with a Volvo.
The shape is honest, with no dramatic shifts to something some designer in Itscoolvania thinks is spot on.
It has a simple interior with just the right dash of Swedish modern, and a simple turbocharged inline engine to pull it along. Call it chic simple.
But is it enough to have simple chic?
*Volvo vision ? The C70 is a hardtop convertible, the best of both worlds for many. You get the sleek shape of a coupe, especially in the roof line, yet the world shines in when you want it. We were glad when the original cloth-topped C gave way to this one in 2007, gaining a more defined round-shouldered look. For 2011, the overall look is the same. But Volvo has sweetened its face with reworked fenders that let the headlights slash up and aft more. The nose is more wedge-shaped, the “V” of the grill complimented by the upward cut of the fog light frames. Volvo claims the lower grill has been spiced up ? maybe. Ours came in a deep Flamenco Red Metallic, the better to let its subtle curves glow in the sun. The front fenders’ shoulder line compliments the side view without distracting, another clean look with just a bit of waist at the door line, the body-color door rub strip an almost straight line. In back, wide LED lights echo the shoulder line, cleanly integrated in. Subtle fender flares frame “Diamond Cut” 5-spoke alloys wearing 18-inch Pirelli rubber. Like I said ? a simple, nice design, a sleek coupe shape when needed, a sleekly simple convertible with no top-down hump when you cruise the beach. The side mirrors even fold when you shut down. It’s definitely a sleek look above other hardtop convertibles, like the VW Eos.
As for fitting in amongst the Bimmers and Benzes at a local beachfront resort area one day, we did, but only a few seemed to note the C70, based on the compact S40′s 103.9-inch wheelbase. Oh well.
*Volvo livability ? Again, a simply clean design that oozes solidity without being stuffy. Black over light tan with alloy accents, a discrete white LED spotlight shining down on the still cool slim-depth center control panel, it is so Danish modern I love it even though every Volvo has it. The fine grain leather finish to the padded vinyl dash top is a clean look, as is the buff silver-ringed 160-mph speedometer with inset gas gauge/8,000-rpm tach with inset temperature gauge, with familiar green displays (one a trip computer controlled off the left stalk’s thumbwheel) and red needles. The thick-rimmed steering wheel has perforated leather were you grip most, manually tilting and telescoping with integrated Bluetooth, stereo and cruise controls. Subtle gauge face changes and a nicer feel to the instruments help for 2011. An LCD screen flips up from the dash top when you turn the high-mounted ignition, slowly coming to life, but offering only street lines ? no names. Its joystick and twin function buttons are behind the steering wheels right spoke. I’d rather have the buttons on the front of the spoke, thank you. And the remote control (honest) is just a gimmick. I like how the sat-nav screen dims at just the right part of dusk when the headlights are on, the same time the dash lights glow on. The headlights can be set to turn when you do. And the blind spot alert flashed a side mirror-area light when something is hidden, then did it when nothing was there but air.
A CD slot tops the slim center stack, over a combination audio/car function menu done in more green that tells you all about the great 14-speaker Dynaudio sound system with 910 watts of power, Dolby Pro Logic II Surround Sound and a standard USB and MP3 audio jack under the small center armrest’s double cargo area. Slide down and there’s a dual-zone climate control system and a five-speed automatic transmission. Again, a clean look. The front bucket seats are firm and comfortable, the driver getting three memory presets and 10-way power adjustments. The glove box is good enough, the twin cup holders shallow, leaving water bottles in the way. Buttons power the front seats forward to access the back seats. If those in front give a little, you can bring two more out to dinner, but their hair will nudge the well-fitted hardtop convertible’s inner liner.
Want more headroom? The hardtop’s three sections are smoothly integrated into an arcing pillarless top, meshing nicely with the rear deck. The top takes about 30 seconds to lower, its three sections stacking atop each other and sliding into the trunk under a rear-hinged cover. A white-lit button raises the assembly to access the small trunk space left under a divider. It is usable, and there’s a ski pass-through to slide longer stuff into the cabin. But the long trunk lid is heavy.
*Volvo vivacity – The C70′s turbocharged 2.5-liter in-line five-cylinder engine is all we get stateside, with a light-pressure T5 turbo for 227-(up from 218)hp. Standard with a 5-speed manual gearbox, we had the five-speed “Geartronic” with manual shift capability. Our 3.300-mile-old coupe/convertible was perky off the line, seizing 60 mph in a decent 8 seconds, a half second better than the last version we tested, with smooth shifts. There’s a gentle turbo whistle under acceleration, a nice counter note to the inline five’s gruff snarl. The extra 400 pounds of top and bracing blunts performance a bit, and fuel mileage on premium was about 22-mpg in mixed coastal road driving.
The fully independent suspension gave a comfortable ride, and reinforced side members, doors and sills offer decent torsional rigidity, although we had a slight twinge of chassis flex top down over bad bumps, and a slight creak top up one cooling sunset. Get sporty with it, and we had a bit of body roll thanks to the added weight, with understeer cropping up, some comfortable tire scrub and a touch of Dynamic Stability and Traction Control that you can’t turn off. The car was OK playing sporty, but a bit detached, sharp enough steering with some front-drive feel to it. The all-wheel disc brakes with ABS offered straight, short stops from 60-mph, with some fade after a few hard stops. Wind management was OK top down, aided by the windshield rake, and the heated seats and warm air flow helped on chilly nights. Call it more topless grand tourer than sports car. For safety, front and side impact air bags, plus very obvious door panel-mounted side impact air curtains.
*Volvo bucks ? Base price for the C70 is $39,950, standard with all above except the $2,600 multi-media package with Dynaudio sound system and navigation, $850 metallic paint, $700 blind spot detector, and $1,900 Dynamic Package with 18-inch wheels, xenon active headlights and heated seats ? final price $46,550. That’s up from the $44,075 last version we tested cost in 2007. The new VW Eos hardtop convertible is about $33,000, with less power and rear seat room, similar ride, but a cooler multi-function top. The better sports coupe/convertibles for a bit more are the BMW 3-Series and Infiniti G37 ? ’nuff said.
2011 Volvo C70 T5
Vehicle type 4-passenger hardtop convertible
Base price – $39,950 ($46,550 as tested)
Engine type ? turbocharged in-line five cylinder gas engine
Displacement ? 2.5 liter
Horsepower (net) ? 227 @ 5,000 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) ? 236 @ 1,500 to 5,000 rpm
Transmission ? 5-speed Geartronic
Wheelbase ? 103.9 inches
Overall length ? 180.4 inches
Overall width ? 72.3 inches
Height ? 55.1 inches
Front headroom ? 38.2 inches
Front legroom -42.3 inches
Rear headroom ? 36.4 inches
Rear legroom ? 33.9 inches
Cargo capacity ? 12.8-cu.ft. top up/half that top down
Towing capacity ? up to 2,000 lbs.
Curb weight ? 3,837 lbs.
Fuel capacity ? 15.9 gallons
Mileage rating ? 19-mpg city/28-mpg highway
Last word ? Better looks, nice weekend car that can tackle the week
Volvo C70 Convertible, Porsche Trouble, Cadillac …
Volvo unveils the C70 ahead of Frankfurt, Porsche could be in serious trouble, and what does that mean for the Panamera and Cayenne models? Also, Cadillac re-ignites the CTS Coupe rumors with a new ad campaign, plus fldetours with the Maserati granturismo. Hosted by Derek deangelis.
Volvo XC70 – A luxury wagon that looks good in mud
by Jim Meachen www.car-data.com
Don’t call it a premium station wagon even though it has all the ingredients: sleek wagonstyling with rear-tailgate access; compliant car-like ride and handling; excellent storage room andcomfort for four or five people and all their things.
The third generation Volvo XC70 is more than a wagon, but at the same time doesn’t march to thesame beat as the new generation of so-called crossover vehicles. That’s because, well, it’s morelike a wagon sans the tall SUV-like look of most crossovers.
It looks as if it sits lower and it feels like it rides lower than the typical crossover sportutility even though its ground clearance is two inches greater than the Acura RDX and an inch morethan the Lexus RX 350.
Unlike most in the wagon or crossover genres, it can traverse muddy, water-logged back roadswithout fear of bogging down or breaking. Most wagons, or five-door hatches or whatever they’recalled these days, aren’t particularly adept at off road running.
However, the Volvo can handle some serious outback conditions quite well with full-timeall-wheel drive that is normally 95 percent in front-drive mode, but stands ready to shift as muchas 65 percent of the torque rearward if necessary. It can slough through the mud and still looksgood.
The XC70 features an 8.3-inch ground clearance and has serious approach and departure anglesmeasured at 19 and 24 degrees respectively.
Further adding to its off-road pedigree is standard Hill Descent Control.
This doesn’t mean that mom is going to go rocketing off the steep incline at the nearest statepark ski slope with three kids cheering her on from the back seat. And who is going to take their$40,000 vehicle into the wilderness to encounter scratches and dings. But mom and dad know thereis some decent off-road ability housed in the XC70 if it’s ever needed.
Probably more to the point is the sure-footedness the all-wheel drive system affords a family insnowy, bad-weather road conditions.
In that same vein, there are plenty of safety features designed into the new Volvo, as you mightexpect from one of the world’s automotive safety leaders. Highlights are: front and rearside-curtain airbags; front side-mounted airbags; driver and passenger head restraining whiplashprotection; four-wheel ABS with emergency brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution;stability control; and tire pressure monitoring.
The side curtain airbags now extend 2.4 inches lower to help protect small children. Alsoavailable is a height-adjustable integrated child booster cushion.
Only Volvo would think of these small but useful design changes. The 2008 XC70 is mostly newfrom the ground up, now built on the all-new S80 platform, moving from the old S60 layout. Thistranslates into a vehicle that is four inches longer than its predecessor with a two-inch longerwheelbase.
While interior dimensions have not grown there’s 33 cubic feet of luggage capacity behind therear seats and 71 cubic feet of cargo space with seats folded ‘ we figure the longer wheelbaseyields a more complainant ride despite the XC70′s off-road prowess.
To the point, we thought the vehicle’s on-pavement demeanor very civilized.
The previous XC70′s rather smallish turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine, which made just208 horsepower, has been replaced with the S80′s normally aspirated 3.2-liter inline 6 generating235 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. For 2009a turbo-6 making over 280 horsepower will be available.
With a curb weight of more than two tons, the engine does a good job of keeping the Volvo movingadequately in all varieties of traffic. We didn’t have a major quibble with performance, but itfalls on the leisurely side of the equation. Volvo says the XC70 can move from 0-to-60 in justover 8 seconds.
It’s also a very maneuverable vehicle, handy in parking lot situations, as pointed out by a tidy37.7-foot turning circle.
For those pulling boats and trailers, the towing capacity is a rather modest 3,307 pounds. Gasmileage is also rather modest at 15 mpg city and 22 mpg highway. Mileage is probably the mostconcerning thing about this otherwise desirable vehicle.
We found the interior surroundings very pleasant, the seating position was excellent and we hadno gripes about handling or on-center feel.
The Volvo is pretty much a joy to direct in normal daily driving conditions. In other words,most don’t take their family crossover to the race track on weekends or test the cornering limitson rural winding roads. Slalom tests at a Sports Car Club of America event isn’t what this car isabout.
The dashboard layout is highlighted by Volvo’s slim waterfall-style center stack, which weconsider the top new design element of the decade. It is now featured in many of Volvo’s products.
The optional leather seating and real-wood trim in our test vehicle had a luxury look and feel.One of our favorite options, but not included in our tester, is the DVD-based rear-seatentertainment system with two seven-inch flat-screen monitors mounted in the back of the front-seatheadrests.
We first encountered this unique feature in a high-end S80 several years ago. A terrific optionif you’re schlepping kids or grandkids on long journeys.
For a base price of $37,520 including destination charge you should expect a wide range ofstandard equipment. And Volvo doesn’t disappoint. In addition to the myriad of safety paraphernaliaincluding all-wheel drive, comes such standards as full power controls, dual-zone climate control,a 160-watt sound system with CD and MP3 player, eight-way power driver’s seat, memory settings forthree drivers and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
There are tempting options. Our test vehicle came outfitted with a Dynaudio package thatincluded an upgraded 650-watt surround sound system and Sirius satellite radio for $1,650; aconvenience package that included leather seating and moonroof for $2,995; and a package thatincluded front and rear parking assist and power tailgate for $1,195. That brought the bottom lineto $43,360.
The rear entertainment system runs $1,800 and a navigation option will add $2,120.
We like the styling, the interior comfort, the safety equipment and the overall feel of the newXC70. It’s even a vehicle our beloved spouse has given high accolades.
We do wish the gas mileage was better, however.
