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The EPA gas mileage estimates for the 2008 Volvo C30 come in at 19 city / 27 highway, when equipped with the automatic transmission. Over a number of days of driving, we found those estimates to be a tad low, as we achieved 27.5 miles per gallon in combined driving in twenty to thirty degree weather.
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There’s no mistaking the the C30 for anything else on the road, from its distinctive rear hatch and flowing rear quarters — with echos of the early 1970s Volvo P1800 — up to its unmistakably Volvo grille.
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The attention to design detail is superb.
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Under the hood, the 2008 C30 is fitted with a turbocharged 2.5 liter inline five cylinder engine rated at 227 horsepower and 236 foot pounds of torque.ﾠ

All those numbers add up to one thing. When you stomp on the gas pedal, the Volvo C30 gets up and goes.ﾠ

In this little beast, MPH trumps MPG … the C30 is a hot hatch … and isn’t an econobox, by any means.
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Lets take a look inside the cabin …ﾠ

The first time you settle into the C30, you’ll be taken by the unique interior design. It’s a Scandinavian furniture showroom on wheels, intended for those who appreciate clean modern lines.ﾠ

Simplicity is king.ﾠ

The C30’s interior is comfortable, but snug. The wonderfully supportive front bucket seats are highly adjustable — including lumbar — through an array of manually operated levers. While there’s a surprising amount of room in the front seats overall, legroom in the rear bucket seats can be tight for taller folks.ﾠ

Although the hatch storage area might seem a tad small, there’s plenty of room for the groceries and ample visibility out the rear window.ﾠ

The C30’s sound system cranks out the tunes, with an integrated satellite radio, steering wheel controls, and one of our favorite features: a hidden iPod jack in the center console.ﾠ

The heating system features unique controls and remarkably forceful ventilation. Set it on high and it absolutely wails.ﾠ

Driving the C30 is a joy. There’s plenty of power and it holds the road with a more weighty feeling than you might expect from a car this small. Dynamic stability and traction control keeps the car glued.ﾠ

While the C30 comes standard with a six-speed manual, our test unit was outfitted with a Geartronic automatic . If you like to stir the gears without having to worry about a clutch, the slapstick Geartronic fits the bill.ﾠ

But be warned, just three gears and you’ll crest those legal speeds.ﾠ

This isn’t your Aunt Tillie’s Volvo and it isn’t an everyday hot hatch.ﾠ

All-in-all, we found the Volvo C30 to be an intriguing choice for folks in search of a solid sport compact coupe that stands apart from the crowd with distinctive styling cues. We’re hoping that Volvo will bring a fuel-stingy diesel engined equipped C30 to these shores in the near future.

Volvo V50s sold in America are fitted with either naturally-aspirated or turbocharged five cylinder engines. The 2.4i’s engine puts out 168 horsepower (HP) and 170 foot pounds of torque, while the turbo in the T5 and T5 AWD puts out 227 HP and 236 foot pounds of torque. All models are fitted with a five-speed Geartronic transmission.

The V50 is not currently available with a diesel engine in the USA. Abroad, however, the V50 is fitted with a range of highly economical common rail direct injection diesel power plants. As a point of comparison, lets salivate over the specifications and fuel consumption statistics for the manual transmission-equipped diesels currently available in the V50 in the United Kingdom:

• 1.6 liter four cylinder – 109 HP / 240 foot pounds of torque. 44.8 urban / 65.7 extra urban British miles per gallon (approximately 37.3 city / 54.7 highway in US miles per gallon)
• 2.0 liter four cylinder – 136 HP / 320 foot pounds of torque. 37.2 urban / 58.9 extra urban British miles per gallon (approximately 31 city / 49 highway in US miles per gallon)
• 2.4 liter five cylinder – 180 HP / 350 foot pounds of torque. 34 urban / 55.4 extra urban British miles per gallon (approximately 28.3 city / 46.1 highway in US miles per gallon)

Volvo V50 Gas Mileage – 2005-2008

Note: the EPA tweaked their testing procedure, starting with the 2008 model year, with the end result being that the 2008 MPG estimates are now lower than previous years. As always, YMMV.

Simply put, the aerodynamics and vehicle weight of the bulkiest SUVs cause gas mileage to suffer, leading to many a painful transaction at the pump. The trick is to get small(er), lighter, and more slippery. Credit Subaru for getting the ball rolling with popularizing economical 4WD drive passenger cars in the early days. Since 1997, every vehicle Subaru’s offered in America has been all wheel drive.

These days, it’s not just Subaru. There are plenty of four wheel drive choices that are neither truck nor SUV. And forget the notion of pint-sized economy cars. You’ll find a generous helping of 4WD luxury from manufacturers including Audi, Volvo, Cadillac, and Lexus … in fact, you’ll find many of their offerings in the 2008 list of best gas mileage four wheel drives.

Purists will gladly share that there’s a difference between four wheel drive and all wheel drive (AWD). And surely there is … but for a great many folks, it comes down to two simple questions: will it go in the snow and will I go broke feeding it?

At the other end of the spectrum, the little Suzuki SX4 delivers plenty of bang for the buck, by combining the best four wheel drive gas mileage with a low sticker price (for those who don’t just think miles per gallon … but miles per dollar.)

Along with its corporate cousins, the Ford Escape Hybrid proves the exception to the rule as the highest all around mile per gallon (MPG) four wheel drive vehicle. If you can’t get a great deal on an Escape Hybrid at your local Ford dealer, take a look at the Mercury Mariner Hybrid. And if you happen to live in Southern California, the Mazda Tribute Hybrid HEV might be an option … as long as you’re able to snag one of the 350 Tribute HEVs built for this test market.)

2008 Best Gas Mileage Four Wheel Drives

• Audi A4
• Suzuki SX4
• Subaru Legacy
• Subaru Impreza
• Subaru Outback
• Jeep Compass
• Ford Escape Hybrid
• Jeep Patriot
• Subaru Forester
• Mazda Tribute Hybrid
• Mercury Mariner Hybrid
• Honda CR-V
• Volvo S60
• Volvo V50
• Volvo S40
• Toyota RAV4
• Cadillac CTS
• Cadillac STS
• Lexus IS 250
• Nissan Rogue