Seems like every two years there’s one of these quirky Volvo C30 T5 R-Design unicorns with the somewhat rare (and fun) manual transmission at CarMax, and here’s another one. Wrote about this one in 2019 priced at $13,599 with 88,000 miles, and this one in 2021 with 50,000 miles at $18,998. Hard to tell anymore what’s a fair price for used cars. These little guys were sold in the USA from 2007 to 2013.
The C30 T5 R-Design got uneven reviews when new but over the years gained a loyal following and in 2020 hotcars.com considered it a “hot hatch” with some nostalgia, although the six second 0-60 mph time hardly makes it hot. I asked my colleague and more knowledgeable auto enthusiast Chad Jeepty what was so special about the manual C30 T5 R, and he noted, “The 2012 Volvo C30 T5 R-Design with a manual transmission was a special edition model only available in limited numbers. The R-Design version of the C30 was already a sportier and more performance-oriented variant of the car, but the addition of the manual transmission made it even more appealing to driving enthusiasts.”
The manual transmission version of the C30 T5 R-Design was powered by a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five engine that produced 227 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque. This powertrain was mated to a six-speed manual transmission, which provided a more engaging driving experience compared to the standard automatic transmission. This car has seat heaters, BlueTooth and navigation and gets a “9” (out of 10) rating for features by CarMax, noting it is “loaded” and that baffled me. Dug deeper and CarMax’s definition of loaded is “8-10 Loaded – More premium features than other cars like it.” Pretty scientific if you ask me.
This 2012 Volvo C30 T5R is here in Puyallup, Washington, although I just got an update that it’s out for a test drive. MaxCare is available up to 125,000 miles but only 48 months. Not sure I’d bother – pretty reliable car.
Stock No. 23578885 VIN YV1672MK0C2284519
