R56 Cooper S vs 2008 Volvo C30

I was weighing these exact two cars before I bought my R56. I come from a long line of Volvo owners and am still excited that they’re releasing the C30 to the public, even though I preferred the MINI in the end.

The key to the C30′s performance really has nothing to do with the S40 sedan. The article fails to mention that the majority of the tech and underpinnings are pulled directly from the European Ford Focus which is, in it’s own right, a seriously hot hatch. Two great reviews that underscore this fact are the WindingRoad.com head-to-head (MINI vs C30 vs GTI) and the absolutely humorous road test by Tom Ford on Fifth Gear (do a YouTube search).

Had this car come out six months sooner, I might have made a different purchase.

Actually I did test drive both a C30 T5 and a R56 MCS; and I have to say I found the C30 very very disappointing.

There was nothing you could really fault on the C30, but there was nothing to really make you fall in love with it either. Its the kind of car I would recommend to my Mum; and that was the real issue. There was nothing very engaging!

I must admit that I do have a R50 MC; and even a standard 2004 MC had much better seats, handling and engagement with the driver.

Road and Track did a similar video review with the new R56 S, C30, and a GTI. Of course, I think they’re a little biased, so they pick the GTI as the clear winner.

The most surprising line in the whole review – which in some ways brings it all into question – is that the sport button didn’t seem to make much difference. That was not at all my experience on the test drive I took and a number of others (like Gabe, for example) have reported dramatic changes when the magic button is pressed. Makes me wonder how discerning the author really is…

Jonathan, couldn’t the same thing be said about the MINI? That they’re overpriced? Once you get an MCS loaded up with all the goodies it can easily come in close to $35k. For some it’s worth the price, but its not for everyone. Like the MINI, the C30 comes in at a very reasonable base price (not much more than a base MCS) and if you keep your cars for a long time Volvos last forever. The MCS and C30 have very different driving dynamics and I agree that the MINI is probably better suited for performance driving. But I too come from a Volvo-owning family so I’d love to get a C30 in addition to my 06 Cooper.

One suggestion though. Perhaps the C30 would be better compared with the Clubman as they would be much closer in size.

Dennis. Just so happens I saw a maxi-donut under the trunk liner.Looks like a full size but slightly smaller and imprinted with “temporano” or some such.

I think the 5 cylinder turbo engine is similiar to the engine that I had in my leased Volvo XC70. I bought my R56 last May when my Volvo lease was up. I didn’t want to wait until 2008 when the C30 would be available. I made the right choice.

If it’s anything like an S40, that Volvo spaceship can’t come anywhere close to a MINI. I’m dumbfounded by the low build quality and cheap materials used in the S40. Just closing the doors make you feel it’s made out of paper.

The “retro styling” of the C30 is in the hatch. It’s reminiscent of the 1973 Volvo 1800ES.

It’s nice to see some cars in the US that are trying to compete with MINI. Nothing wrong with that. Worth a test drive at least

I think you guys are mistaking enthusiasts that hang out on sites like this with the other 90% of MINI buyers that are out there … the same people that wanted a cushier ride on the new gen ;)

The Volvo does a great job emulating the MINI’s customization. If you go build your own on the Volvo web site you will see a huge array of options for exterior colors, wheels, interior colors and a la carte options – just like the MINI. Hopefully this is the beginning of a trend where “you-ification” spreads throughout the industry.

Where small cars really need to go in the US is diesel, though. The BMW 1-Series has a 50 mpg diesel available in the UK that gets the car to 60 in around 7 seconds. That is about the only thing that conceivably could get me out of my MINI.

At least you will be able to pick up the C30 for European Delivery!!! ;-)

Just read the review. I’m wondering if it’s a fair comparison. Other than the fact that they’re both “sporty/retro hot hatches” that hit a price point, are they really comparable?

The C-30 is 20″ longer & 4″ wider than the MINI; 575 lbs heavier; & sports a roughly 50 HP/60 lb-ft torque advantage. I think the size differential puts the C-30 in the NHSTA midsize category–along with the S40. (This info is not on the NHSTA website yet.) The 2007 MINI remains in the compact category. So we’re not looking at a true apples to apples comparison.

On top of it, the MINI was tooling around on $%^#@ runflats, while the C30 gets around on P Zero’s. No wonder the C30 did so well in the handling & braking tests. Real world, the cost of shifting the MCS to a set of decent tires would still have the MCS coming in cheaper than the C30–and would most likely change the results of the test.

Still, I’ve always been a fan of the old 1800. The Volvo’s a damn fine looking car–much like the MINI it evokes the predecessor, while not falling too hard on the cliched. But it’s too damn big for my tastes, even if it is a “small” Volvo.

Not that I’m biased or anything, but I’d still take the MINI.

It’s a looker.

Volvo seems to be trying to tout mini-like customization with the C30, but I just went through their configurator, and It’s no where close to the mini’s level of options.

The Mazda 3 is indeed based on the latest European focus like the C30.

Gabe, none of the C1 cars are “based on” any of the others. They all originated from a common, jointly designed platform.

I’m surprised not many people have mentioned another advantage that MINI has — fuel economy. It’s an factor that seem to have gone unnoticed by most. Just as the bigger dimensions of the Volvo makes it a roomier and more practical car, the smaller dimensions of the MINI makes it more fuel efficient.

To make up for the larger and heavier body, Volvo bolts on a big engine to compensate. The thirstier engine pulling heavier load makes fuel economy go way down.

I have no doubt, on paper and from the numbers, Volvo has done a fine job in creating a car capable of competing against MINI. However, BMW is known for building driver-oriented, high performance cars in the same way that Volvo is known for building safety-conscious, practical cars. These differences shows up both in the design of the cars, as well as during driving — where MINI is IMO by far more enthusiastic and more fun to drive and Volvo calmer and practical.

The Volvo C30 is now on the Dutch market for almost 10 months. But it isn’t a big hit as they hopped for. When you see the commercials… you thing of something new and interesting… but in reallity…. its really ugly. Besides this, there is a Dutch expressing for Volvo drivers: If you can’t drive and want to be safe… drive Volvo.