Volvo C70 - the best car I ever had

Comfort and Amenities:

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This is one of the most comfortable cars I have ever driven - the seats are both comfortable and supportive. The C70 also comes extremely well equipped making it excellent value for money, even at the price. My UK spec 2.4 litre C70 came with luxurious leather, split zone climate control, cruise control and the best factory fitted hi-fi I've ever heard. All round, a superb car and proof of Volvo's desire to compete with the likes of BMW and Mercedes. I've had many BMWs in the past and they simply do not compare to the C70.

Performance and Handling:

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My non-turbo C70 was certainly powerful enough, the engine had more than enough raw power and torque. I test drove the 2.4 turbo and there wasn't much difference, but the 2.4 has been replaced now by a 2.0 turbo, so I'd recommend the 2.4 turbo in its place - much smoother, quieter and easier to live with. Handling was good but it's important to remember that this car is a long distance cruiser, not a lightweight roadster. Throw the C70 too hard into a bend and you soon remember that it's a long, heavy car. That long wheelbase and weight are great for soaking up long journeys, though.

Safety:

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I said my C70 was the best car I ever had. 2 weeks ago, a guy driving a Ford Mondeo (Contour in the US) decided he preferred my side of the road to his. My Volvo is no more, written off because the safety of the car had been compromised by the crash damage. I walked away with only a bruise where the seatbelt tensioner grabbed me - that's it! You may say "I bet you felt aches and pains the next day", well, no - nothing at all. The Mondeo driver walked too, but I guarantee he would have felt a lot worse the day after. I can definitely say that regardless of all the safety features small cars have these days, there is no substitute for a ton of Swedish steel around you! I'm very, very sad to see the Volvo go but I would not have wanted to be in any other car on that day.
On top of that you have to remember that the best way to survive an accident is not to have one! When other drivers see that Volvo grille, they tend to get out of the way!

General Comments:

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Without doubt the best car I have ever driven, and as a company car driver I can tell you that's high praise. I have driven Fords, Vauxhalls (GMs), Saabs, BMWs, Rovers, Nissans, Renaults, Peugeots, VWs, Land Rovers, and the C70 was better than them all. "No way!" you say, but let me tell you why. Whenever I have a car, I always say "nice car, what other cars can I try next time?". The Volvo C70 was the only car I've ever had where I would happily have an identical car as its replacement. I could make a 3 hour journey without stopping and arrive feeling as good as when I left. On top of that, I looked good too!! If you want to use the back seats a lot, the seat lift mechanism isn't great but is adequate. However, the rear seats will accommodate 2 large adults comfortably - just as long as they don't want to get out in a hurry. The boot (trunk) is huge for this type of car - bigger than any other coupe I've seen. It swallowed all our luggage and other junk for a self catering holiday in France, plus all the wine and beer we brought back. On top of that ,I just set the cruise control and the car delivered us safely and serenely to our destination. Since having this car, my wife and I have had a daughter. We put her car seat in the back and it was actually pretty easy and I felt happy that she was safe there. I'll now be getting a 4 door car as a replacement but in the future I would definitely have another C70. Do I sound convinced yet?