2013 Volvo C70 vs. Its Competition

Bengt Halvorson Senior Editor

There's nothing else on the market quite like the 2013 Volvo C70; it stands on its own as a somewhat unusual combination of elements: front-wheel drive, a turbocharged five-cylinder engine, and luxury folding hardtop packaging.

And the competition goes in several different directions, depending if you want more emphasis on comfort, performance, or value.

The Lexus IS 250C sports a naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter V-6 that's a little less powerful but just as fuel efficient as the C70's turbocharged engine.

The Lexus is also priced just below the C70, making it a potential value buy--yet still fully within the luxury convertible realm.

The Infiniti G37 Convertible, on the other hand, packs much more punch with its 325-horsepower 3.7-liter V-6 engine, yet still secures similar fuel economy at 17/25 mpg.

The Infiniti is also available with a six-speed manual transmission, an arguably more attractive exterior, and an equally refined interior.

It does cost about 15 percent more, however.

The BMW 3-Series convertibles are another option; they're due for an all-new design that follows the redesign of the 3-Series sedans by a year; but we expect that their reputation for superb handling will remain, with an interior that's better than ever.

At the value end of the spectrum is the Volkswagen Eos, which is a rather staid but perfectly competent model that drives better than it looks.

And the Ford Mustang turns heads but lacks the sort of comfort and finesse of any of these other models.