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Volvo S40

1743 messages,  Last post on Oct 08, 2009 at 7:09 AM

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#1735 of 1743 Absolutely by sandman_6472 Jul 04, 2009 (11:30 am)
5'7" and 155 here so we are almost the same in size. The Civic seats have become more & more uncomfortable over this past year. Have the seat ratcheted all the way up plus sit on a pillow but egress & ingress are getting more difficult...have to swing the legs out 1st to exit and back in and then pull the legs around to sit down. Have heard marvelous things about the seats though. Wifey is very adamant that "I'm stupid" to even consider such a move, but only I know the pain I live with just to drive my car...luckily I only drive about 7200 miles per year. Was supposed to test drive today but my spine has kept me in bed all day so far. Tomorrow will hopefully be better to test drive. Both cars are similar in size...wife drives a Mazda 3s, so no problem there. I'll know once I test drive the car. Going to Orlando this weekend and maybe I'll see if i can rent a Volvo for that trip just to see how it works long term. Dealer has an '06 & 2 '08's that look promising. Time will tell.   The Sandman
#1736 of 1743 Test Drives by sandman_6472 Jul 05, 2009 (2:29 pm)
Drove an '06, 2 '08's and an '09 S49 2.4i and was not impressed with the power seats nor the leather. Did like the neoprene fabric though. Went to try out an '09 Sonata GLS with the power seat and it was way more comfortable for my spinal condition than the S40. Could manipulate the seat better in the Sonata so at this point the S40 is out of the running. Shame as I love the size and the '09 drove seemlessly with smooth shifts and ample power. Looks like my pristine '06 Civic LX will have to do for awhile which makes wifey verrrryyy happy. She thought I was nuts to trade such a nice car with such low mileage...21.8k. Will give the Volvo another look see when the 2010 models come out. Shame as I really did want the S40 but the amount of $ plus the just o k seats kept me from pulling the trigger. At least the wife is happy...and like they say, "happy wife, happy life"!   The Sandman Replies to this message: snead_c (Jul 05, 2009 4:59 pm) qbrozen (Jul 06, 2009 9:58 am)
#1737 of 1743 Re: Test Drives [sandman_6472] by snead_c Jul 05, 2009 (4:59 pm)
Replying to: sandman_6472 (Jul 05, 2009 2:29 pm) Hey, Sonata is a very good car and with a better waranty than the S40. Good luck and enjoy !
#1738 of 1743 Re: Test Drives [sandman_6472] by qbrozen Jul 06, 2009 (9:58 am)
Replying to: sandman_6472 (Jul 05, 2009 2:29 pm) In my experiences, I haven't found the S40 seats to be anywhere near the quality/comfort of the S60. So you may want to try out its slightly bigger brother before giving up on a used volvo.
#1739 of 1743 Volvo S40/V40 pros and cons by vwdawg Oct 06, 2009 (1:49 pm)
Hey Volvophiles: I've never owned a Volvo, but am looking at buying a 2001 or 2002 S40 or V40 with <100k miles for my youngest daughter. What specific issues should I be aware of with such a vehicle? Suspension, timing belts, trannies, brakes, electronics? I do a lot of my own maintenance/repair work, so little things don't bother me too much, but what about more serious or expensive stuff? Comments/recommendations would be much appreciated. Thanks, DP Replies to this message: snead_c (Oct 06, 2009 2:20 pm) vwdawg (Oct 07, 2009 7:15 am) snead_c (Oct 07, 2009 12:24 pm) and 1 more...
#1740 of 1743 Re: Volvo S40/V40 pros and cons [vwdawg] by snead_c Oct 06, 2009 (2:20 pm)
Replying to: vwdawg (Oct 06, 2009 1:49 pm) So much depends on how well a car was cared for during the previous 8 years ownership. Most new car dealers don't handle these on their used lots thus no waranty. Consumer Reports does not have enough data on 2000-2001 to give a rating. Later models have done OK...mine's a 2006 and no real problems..But parts and major service for Volvos are high and can be more complicated than Japanese. A well cared for, mechanic inspected, and thoroughly evaluated..maybe. I'd look into a Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Mazda Protege, or Toyota Prius for my daughter (I did) and do the same evaluations. Continue to do your homework and good luck. Replies to this message: vwdawg (Oct 07, 2009 7:15 am) snead_c (Oct 07, 2009 12:24 pm) vwdawg (Oct 08, 2009 7:09 am)
#1741 of 1743 Re: Volvo S40/V40 pros and cons [snead_c] by vwdawg Oct 07, 2009 (7:15 am)
Replying to: snead_c (Oct 06, 2009 2:20 pm) Hi snead_c: Thanks for your feedback...much appreciated. I certainly agree that the Hondas, Toyotas and Mazdas have a dependability factor that can't be ignored. They generally run like Swiss watches, but other than the higher-end vehicles (Acura, Infinity and Lexus), I find them to be pretty boring, not much more exciting than a Taurus. I own or have owned three Jettas, a Passat and an Audi A4 which have been generally good vehicles, but many annoying smaller problems (ridiculously bad window mechanisms, front suspension issues, wheel bearings, coil packs, and frequent CEL issues). So..when you say that Volvo parts and service costs are high, would you say that they are WORSE than VW/Audi? What attracts me most about Volvos is their reputation for safety. Thanks again, vwdawg Replies to this message: snead_c (Oct 07, 2009 12:24 pm) vwdawg (Oct 08, 2009 7:09 am)
#1742 of 1743 Re: Volvo S40/V40 pros and cons [vwdawg] by snead_c Oct 07, 2009 (12:24 pm)
Replying to: vwdawg (Oct 07, 2009 7:15 am) I've also had 1 Acura,7 VWs,1 Volvo...lots of Subis,Hondas,Toyotas,and even a Ford LTD and Galaxy, 2 Pontiacs,a Dodge Diplomat, a Chevy Kamback,a Protege,and...I must have left something out...currently we have a 2006 S40 and 2009 Prius. I've never had a car I didn't like at the time and most were "solid"...in pricing parts for the Volvo I've watched waranty items and service costs. I'd say VW and the Volvo would be about the same with a little more parts availability for VWs. I look at the highway admin data when available for safety concerns. You seem very experienced and could probably handle typical repair issues for any purchase. Me...oil changes,etc only. For my daughter I purchased a Honda Accord(used..and stolen) A new Civic (wrecked) a Toyota Camry(used and traded) for a Mazda Protege. After 100,000miles she purchased a new Civic and loves it. I drive the Volvo for the awd aspect since we live in the mountains and it's a solid feeling comfortable car to drive (with 23MPG overall)...more so than our Prius. I purchased the Prius for my wife last November...we have 19,000+ miles on it and love it. gas milage can run from 40 to 55 MPG and it has minimal service need and it's a Toyota. The hybrid battery should exceed 180,000 miles and about all I need to do is change the oil every 5000 miles and drop in an air filter now and then and it has very good safety ratings. Seriously, if you haven't driven one check out the 2010. I 'll bet you'll be very surprised. Nice chatting with another "car crazy" person. Replies to this message: vwdawg (Oct 08, 2009 7:09 am)
#1743 of 1743 Re: Volvo S40/V40 pros and cons [snead_c] by vwdawg Oct 08, 2009 (7:09 am)
Replying to: snead_c (Oct 07, 2009 12:24 pm) Hi snead_c: Thanks for your thorough overview and commentary on all of these vehicles. It sounds like your experience with the '06 S40 has been reasonably good....I might explore the S40 or V40 in the near future, although with two recent college grads and my youngest daughter still in private high school, I'm probably going to have to restrict my options to 2002 or older, with lower mileage if I can find one. I bought an ancient (1995) Mazda 626 V6 for my oldest daughter three years ago, and it just keeps rolling along at 140,000 miles. I have also owned several other Mazdas along the way, and have concluded that they are just as dependable as the Hondas and Toyotas, but the prices aren't quite as overinflated. I am aware of the raves on the new Prius, and will probably purchase one in the future, but the budget won't support a $28-30,000 rig right now. Have an excellent day. vwdawg

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