Volvo C70 (2006 – 2010) Review

Volvo C70 (2006 – 2010) At A Glance

3/5

+Genuine four-seat coupe-convertible. Tidy handling and a comfortable long-distance cruiser. Stylish looks, especially roof down.

-Expensive. Complex roof mechanism. Not as accomplished as the folding tin-top 3 Series.

I like the S40 and V40. Nice styling. Decent road manners, as you'd expect from their Focus II floorpan. I even appreciate the clean look and functionality of their ‘floating' central dash panels.

I wasn't a fan of the old C70 convertible though. It shook, shimmied, leaked through the door mirror housings and did not drive anything like as well as its styling promised.

Surprisingly, and this is a very subjective thing, the new C70 doesn't look quite as good from all angles and in all circumstances as preview photos promised. Or maybe it just doesn't suit red as well as silver or pale metallic blue. The stubby front that works brilliantly on the saloon and station wagon can seem slightly at odds with the low curve of the roof. And red appears to emphasise that.

On its 18" Mirzam wheels with 235/40 tyres it's not too happy over speed cushions either. And at first there seemed to a kind of stickiness to the electro hydraulic steering, pulling the car one way or the other, which I never noticed in any of the 5-cylinder saloons or estates, or the Focus ST220 for that matter. And the roof whistled at 70mph from the top of the nearside A pillar.

Volvo C70 2006 Road Test

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Ask Honest John

Should I scrap my Volvo C70 or keep it?

"I took my 2006 Volvo C70 into the main dealer for a check on why there is water in the boot. While there,they did a health check which came up with over £2000 worth of work. Some of this is safety-related. What are my options? The car is probably worth only £1700."
If you want to keep the car, you'll need to prioritise what's important. Obviously, the safety ones are your top priority. But as far as the rest goes, one way to do that is to look objectively at what you use the car for and then tackle those problems first before moving on to some of the longer term issues. If the car does need major work, then you'll need to cost that up and see if it will add any value to the car compared to the price you'll get for selling it as spares or repair. These are at the bottom of their depreciation curve so their value is rock bottom and their need for parts is highest.
Answered by Keith Moody

Why is there condensation in my Volvo C70?

"My 2006 Volvo C70, which is not garaged, regularly has damp and in some cases water on the base of the boot well. In addition, the car's interior gets lots of condensation, sometimes so that the windscreen is running with water and the steering wheel is wet. A Volvo main dealer has looked at it and put pressure hoses over the boot, saying there is no leak, but the problem still remains. What could it be?"
It's highly likely to be coming in via broken cabin vent flaps. These are hidden between the lower load area carpeted sides and the rear bumper valence extensions. Sometimes rodents chew their way through. Rainwater then gets splashed in and that's what leads to the lake in the spare wheel well and the condensation inside the car.
Answered by Honest John

Air con problems with Volvo C70

"Two years ago I bought a 2011 Volvo C70. Since then, it has had a number of electronic problems. The most recent one is with the air con, with heat circulating on the driver's side and cool air on the passenger's side, regardless of whether the heat of a/c is on. I have been quoted £984 for labour alone to remedy this. Is there anyone out there who can fix it without this exorbitant cost, or have I been sold a lemon?"
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/air-conditioning/
Answered by Honest John

Does this part-exchange offer for my Volvo C70 against a Honda Jazz look fair to you?

"I drive a 65,000 mile 2007 Volvo C70 automatic in good condition. I'm thinking of changing it for a more practical car such as a Honda Jazz 1.4ES CVT-7, which is £15,995 on the road. The salesman says he was quoted £6200 to £6750 in the trade for my car but could offer me £7000 in part-exchange, including a £500 contribution from Honda. They are also expecting some ex-rental cars, registered on a '13' plate, top of the range, some autos, low mileage, priced at £12,995. Do you consider this a fair offer, or should I shop around for a better offer?"
A Jazz 1.4iES CVT-7 lists at £15,100 + metallic paint. That's about £1000 more than a year ago. What manufacturers are now doing when a new model is imminent (the new Jazz comes to the UK in 2015) is to raise the list price of the old one so they can claim minimal price rise for the new car. Then they discount the old car back to the sort of price it should have been anyway. I can't price your 2007 C70 without knowing which engine and drivetrain it has. Glass's trade book starts at £5350 for a 2.4SE manual, rising to £6330 for the SE Lux 2.0 diesel manual, all at 63,000 miles, so you may be getting a bit back that way. I think the ex-rentals at £12,995 make more sense than a new Jazz.
Answered by Honest John
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