I have yet to actually see anyone drive these around the city. I think it's priced a little too high...you can get a Mini One for thousands less. Also, where is the advertising for this thing? Trying to convince people that a Volvo = sporty is quite the task

It beats the whole Saab = jets/fighter planes schtick. I just couldn't resist that one, that ad campaign's just so out there...

I don't understand why Ford would need to charge too much for the Euro Ford Focus. If it is built here and equipped as expected, I don't see why it should cost more than a Mazda 3!
 
I don't consider Volvo a luxury car. A premium car, yes. A luxury car, no.

blackadder - Mazda 3 is produced in Japan with lower costs. To build a Focus in the US would add $2000 to the price. I was pricing out a Mazda 3 earlier and it ran about $18K for an S Sport (including TTL without S-Plan). I got my Focus for 14K out the door. To convince a person like me who bought at $14K car to spend $20K on a Focus (albeit much better) is not going to happen.
 
Oh and Ford isn't not bringing the Focus because it's too expensive. That's just an excuse. It was because Ford couldn't figure out how to bring it over. The gen 1 Focus was a disaster in terms of quality. It hurt the Ford brand more than it helped. Much of that was attributed to a lack of communication between Ford of Europe and Ford NA. Ford didn't want to risk it a 2nd time with the gen 2 Focus. It was really big mistake in my opinion. I hope gen 3 comes here without a hitch.

comp386, I don't get it. Then how is Ford able to make cost effective platform sharing for Escape/Tribute and Fusion/Mazda6?

Karl, how's the shifting? I "play-shifted" several C30s at various car shows and found the shifter overshooting the gate when going from 4th to 5th. Hopefully that's not the case in actual driving.

Well I kind of contratidcted myself a little bit. Really the reason was never cost. It was because of disorganization. If you bring the car directly over, then it will be too expensive. What you have to do is colaborate throughout the entire program. From what I understood (a lot of hearsay) Ford was going to bring the MKII Focus platform to the US back in 2005. The issue was that the entire supplier process got too complicated. Most of the parts would have been sourced from Europe and importing those parts in this environment would be expensive. Remember that platform sharing is not expensive, it's smart. But building a whole vehicle, the same vehicle in 2 locations can be difficult. Remember that Toyota and Honda don't offer the same vehicles in Europe and Japan as they do here. VW has their vehicles in the US but they don't sell well because they're too expensive (and they break). The Mazda 6/Fusion colaboration shows that the process can work, but it needs to work better. Mazda 6 came out in 2003 I believe, Fusion in 2005 for the 06MY. That time gap is too large for efficient manufacturing processes. The Mazda 2 is already launched in Japan, but no new B-Car in the US. Once Mulally sets up a real plan and path, this process will all work better. I just hope Ford can survive that long.

The C30's shifter was "fine" -- meaning not as clunky or vague as a Viper, but not as precise or rewarding as an S2000/Civic. I would actually put it about dead center in the spectrum -- a little worse than BMW but maybe right about where a manual VW Golf is. Basically, as Scott Oldham said in the road test, if you're driving it around the city to have fun it works well. If you go to a track, or even a really twisty road, and try to go fast it will be a little too vague with slightly long throws -- but still get the job done overall.

Lame enough that you were longing for an automatic???

Rick, you beat me to it. I choked in the clutch.

:-)

Those who think the Mini is driven in the USA primarily by young enthusiasts should think again. The age profile of Mini buyers according to JD Power is:
  
16-35 -- 26%
36-55 -- 53%
56+ ---- 21%
  
Even the mainstream family car Honda Accord has more buyers under 36 years old: 30%/37%/33%. In constrast, the VW GTI has a very young profile: 48%/41%/11%.
  
The C30 is basically the hatchback version of the S40, which has young demographics: 40%/44%/16%. Volvo anticipates selling only about 10,000 C30s in the USA annually; while the MIni should exceed 40,000 units this year. If only 5% of potential Mini buyers choose the C30 instead, that would amount to 20% of Volvo's sales target.
  
It seems to me that Volvo's expectations for the C30 are pretty reasonable.

I saw one of these in a parking lot last Friday, it was in silver I think. Very cool looking, I must say, better than a Cooper S. Although I still feel this market segment is ridiculous, the idea of having a $30K small car with little space doesnt sit well with me.

I like the styling, but otherwise this car just doesn't do it for me.
 
I'm not crazy about the S40, and the only thing is this would be a bit lighter. That's not enough, though.

I think this car is really nice, but in the Canadian market (at least), it is overpriced. I like fully loaded cars with performance, and this one extends beyond the supposed target demographic's income. When it reaches near the S40 here, I give up even trying to find a good lease deal on it. It's just overpriced, period. I remember the "What do YOU think?" ad campaign they had, and went on their site and saw the user comment page where people basically post uncensored opinions on the C30, and I could see tons of "WAY TOO HIGH PRICED!@!!!" posts.
Reminds me of how the A3, when priced with all features, touches the A4. Why buy a fully loaded lower model when you get onto the higher one's territory? That's the question anyone usually will ask, or at least it's the frame of mind a shopper typically has when pricing models out.

The S40, C30 and V50 are essentially different body styles of the same car. They could just as easily be named the 40 Series sedan, hatchback and wagon. I don't think it's reasonable to expect huge price differences between them.
  
It is typically the case, regardless of manufacturer, that a fully loaded model overlaps the price range of the next model up. So, "Why buy a fully loaded lower model when you get onto the higher one's territory?"
  
How about because the higher model of equal price doesn't have most of the options you presumably want? You should compare models equipped with the features you desire.
  
In the end, it's a personal judgment whether something is overpriced or not; i.e., whether the value to the individual is less than versus equal to or greater than the price.

What I meant by that statement is that it's mostly a question of status symbol. Why would an individual want a very expensive 3 series when it touches on 5 serie territory? It plays in your mind when you consider the luxury aspect and level of cachet. Of course most of us here don't have that mindset, but you just need to ask around and see what regular shoppers will question.
 
I am well aware the equipment levels are not the same when two models overlap in pricing. However, consider this: Would you prefer a loaded Hyundai Accent that costs like a midrange Hyundai Elantra?
Not always an obvious answer IMO.
 
I do think that the reason why I am so critical of the C30's price is because it has been frequently claimed to be aimed at affordability and young shoppers. That becomes BS once you price it.

I agree with you that most people do not buy the fully loaded lower model , but some do for a variety of reasons. They may want the extra features that would make the next model too expensive; they may prefer the size, handling, style, etc., of the lower model.
  
Regardless, overlapping price ranges are perfectly normal. A fully loaded 3 Series is in the price range of the 5 series, but BMW still sells loads of 3 Series. People have different needs and desires, and they make individual choices. What works for you or me doesn't necessarily work for the next person.
  
"I do think that the reason why I am so critical of the C30's price is because it has been frequently claimed to be aimed at affordability and young shoppers. That becomes BS once you price it."
  
Perhaps you have the wrong expectation that the C30 is aimed at the general population of young car buyers. It's a low-volume, entry-level premium car, the hatchback version of the S40/V50, and priced accordingly. If that's not your cup of tea, fine.