2001 Volvo C70 Convertible review from North America

- Front shocks

- Front shock mount

- Radiator

- Front leather seats cracked and teared

- Small leak in the convertible hydraulics

- Engine torque mount

- Code 1711 - lean fuel mixture - cause yet to be determined

This car is a large convertible with 4 comfortable seats. The legroom in the back is large for convertibles and can seat a tall passenger without discomfort. Front power seats are very comfortable and have the heated option.

The interior is of high quality material, however the central console is not wooden, only a simulating plastic which I did not expect to see in a car of this price tag. The plastics used at the controls are all gray, which is rather unpleasant with beige interior, and I would prefer to see it in another color (even black).

The controls are logically laid out, most system buttons are traditionally located below the dash (much better than the newer series). The climate control is rather odd, buttons and knobs are small and are analog, I wish they were digital with LCD display like in other higher class cars. By the way, most of the illumination bulbs in my car were burnt out, original parts cost 10$/bulb, I went with Radioshack and cost 50c each.

The suspension is hard (or maybe it's my Bilstein shocks) and together with a non-rigid body gives a not too firm feel when going over bumps. The handling is OK, the car is understeered and makes sharp turning quite difficult, and given the large turning radius it's hard to maneuver in the city. Despite McPhersons in the front and semi-independent suspension, the car has a very good grip to the road.

The T-5 engine is a very capable machine that have a lot of torque from 2500rpm and very elastic. It's not fuel efficient as expected, but very fun. The engine torque mounts are weak and often require replacement. Do not replace the timing belt according to the scheduled 105k miles (160k km), change them much early, mine got cracked at 105 and could have broken at anytime.

I'm not a fan of the automatic transmission, but it does the work fine. The is a bit of hesitation when the pedal is pressed hard.

The engine compartment is cramped and the computers are located in the front, therefore I think it might be exposed to the high heat (in german cars, the computers are behind the firewall). The hoses from the turbo are blocking the way to the transmission dipstick, and it's impossible to check it without removing the hoses.

As expected the trunk is small, just enough for groceries. The rear view is really bad and the mirrors in US are not the curved ones that you see in EU and I really wonder why. The sound proofing is very good, and the noise level is comparable to a sedan on the highway.

The audio system is very good. Great sound and quite natural. The radio is rather crappy, has a 3CD changer and many buttons. In my case, one day it just died and I had to remove it and leave it for sometime before it resurrected. I'm thinking about changing it to a DVD-Nav combo.

All in all, it's a very nice cruiser for the sunny days.

I don't really like the interior due to the color and cheap wood-like decoration. The engine delivers good power and the handling is OK. I would recommend this car for a person who can fix things or at least have enough knowledge not to put it into dealers hands.