To be fair, the Mazda driver wasn't trying too hard to lose me in the little Volvo C30, but that doesn't discount the amount of fun supplied by the little white hatchback. New for 2011, the C30 features an updated visage, but beneath its hood beats the same 227-horsepower turbocharged 5-cylinder engine that's powered the U.S. market C30 since 2007. Volvo's done a good job of tuning out turbo lag, as the T5 engine's 236 pound-feet of torque comes on as early as 1,500rpm. Though the Volvo doesn't blow you away with its power--an enthusiast's car it is not--it does feel confident during freeway passing maneuvers and, as indicated above, back-road blasts.
2011 Volvo C30 a "Top Safety Pick"