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Review of the 2008 Volvo C30

2008 Volvo C30

Price Range $22,950 to $25,700

suitable for: Diapers
School
Teens

19
City MPG

27 to 28
Hwy MPG

4 Seats
2 Rows
2 Latch Connectors
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Interior

The driver’s seat of the C30 was highly adjustable, and once I moved it and the steering wheel around a bit I was able to find a comfortable position. The design of the control panel was simple and cool-looking. For the A/C and heat controls, Volvo gives you a simplistic-looking image of a seated person (reminded me of the stick figures that I draw, so I got a kick out of it). If you want some heat on your feet, you push the figure’s feet button and so on.

The interior in my test car was two-toned, which added flair without being obnoxious (some two-toned interiors are). For those who tend to be two-tone phobic, the standard seats in the base model are a solid color. The seat upholstery had an interesting texture but it was neither cloth nor leather; it was Kalix T-Tech, a wet-suit-like material. The idea behind this textile is to increase comfort via temperature resistance. What does this mean to you? It means no more burnt bums in the summer or frozen ones in the winter! The fabric is supposed to be easy to clean, but I didn’t get to test it because my kids didn’t make a single mess in the C30.

My mysteriously non-messy kids enjoyed the two-seater backseat as well as the pass-thru to the rear cargo area. They spent several minutes each day climbing between the backseat and the cargo area before they buckled into their booster seats and gave me permission to start the car.

As we made our first voyage in the Volvo, the kids started complaining because there weren’t any cupholders in this back row (they can be added as a $25 a la carte option). My lil’ darlings also had difficulty maneuvering the front seats so they could get into the backseat; even I struggled with this one. Instead of levers, the C30 has handles that you pull straight up to move the front seats forward. It was hard to pull, and it moved the entire seat back and forth, which meant that I had to readjust my seating position after each entry or exit.

shopping around: At cars.com

key interior: Features

    ● Aluminum instrument panel insert
    ● 10 Dynaudio speakers
    ● Leather-wrapped shift knob and steering wheel
    ● 227 horsepower

available interior: Colors

  • Off-Black
  • Quartz
  • Umbra

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