The C70 cabriolet (the coupe version was quietly discontinued late 2002) is conclusive proof that buying a Volvo doesn't necessarily mean opting for a boxy, barge-like estate. However, it is now showing its age - even though it was new on the market in 1999, it is based on the underpinnings of the long-discontinued S70 saloon - and simply doesn't match up to more modern rivals in its class (BMW 3-Series, Merc CLK, Audi A4 and latest Saab 9-3 cabriolets, for a start).
Sadly then, we have to
conclude that despite its solid, safe roots and its part in reinventing Volvo as a dynamic, desirable brand, the C70 has had its day. Its rivals have now more or less eliminated scuttle shake, the curse of the convertible and an annoyance with the C70 in particular, visibility with the hood up is poor and the C70 also still suffers from another problem once very common with turbo-charged Swedish cars - torque steer.
The T5 is especially unruly, the lower-powered 2.4 T and even the 2.0T offering a much more pleasant drive. However, the C70 does ride well at high speeds, is reasonably practical, it's now competitively priced following 'realignment' of the range, and does still look smart, so we wouldn't discount it completely, at the right price.