Ask the Car People.SM


Volvo S40

1807 messages,  Last post on Jul 01, 2011 at 7:51 AM

You are in the Volvo S40 Forum.

What is this discussion about? Volvo S40, Sedan



Messages Page 80 of 182

#785 of 1807 Proximity of gas and brake peddles by twillia

May 01, 2004 (6:26 pm)

I was at the Volvo dealership this morning looking at the 2004.5 S40 and as I was sitting in the driver's seat I noticed that the gas peddle seemed tucked in the corner and the brake peddle seemed really close to the gas peddle. I haven't test drove the car yet, but has anyone who has driven the automatic had any issues with your foot movement and the peddles?
 
Thanks.
 
Tony

#786 of 1807 Not me by creakid1

May 01, 2004 (8:40 pm)

#787 of 1807 Volvo Drive Event by benjamins

May 02, 2004 (9:16 am)

Finally, it came to New York. Can't really come to any great conclusions about the car. Can it oversteer? Maybe, I don't know, the 2.4 seemed to understeer a bit. The T5 a bit more neutral. Steering feel is fine, nothing razor sharp, feel is there, effort and feedback are very good. Changes direction well. Can't tell about ride, the t5 seemed to jiggle somewhat on somewhat uneven pavement in the parking lot, but I could'nt really tell to what degree.
 
The interior is better in light colors that show contrast, like the light gray. I didn't love the volvo t tech but it seemed to be grippy. At this point I'm not used to the lower visibility and lower driving position that the car offers, I'm used to the 700/900, s70 driving position, so I felt like I never sat in a commanding position. It felt similar to driving a Passat in position, but with smaller windows. Seats are firmer than s60 and bigger Volvos, but supportive enough. They just don't have the plushness of the bigger Volvos. Car looks nice enough, I still find it truncated at the back. I like the red car with black base, as opposed to all red. For me, the s60 is still the best looking Volvo sedan and the s80 the most balanced, though aging. I'll say the s40 may look sportier in some ways than s60.
 
I didn't test acceleration and brakes. The cars run smoothly and have a different exhaust note than s60. There's not enough room to test these things though some drivers tried and got warning by Volvo personnel to slow it down.
 
I would need a more extensive drive, over bumps, over various types of roads, accelerating and merging, to get more of an idea. Still feels like a Volvo cruiser to me, not as tightly sprung as most German cars, but I'm not sure. I'd be able to tell over crests and bumps and such. I'm a little warmer on the interior but don't like the plastic molding on top of the doors. I don't feel the high arm rest that Creak is talking about and think the doors panels could be more organic. They feel a bit boxy. Center console looks good, though not necessarily revolutionary, even if it is. I'm more interested in the controls and placement on them and their layout. Interior is simple, maybe a bit too simple. I don't feel this car is a BMW 3 series competitor in how it feels. It may handle and perform well, but the overall feel isn't in that league. I'll go along with Acura TSX as competitor, not sure it matches Audi A4 feel either. The BMW competitor is the softer handling s60, that feels like a higher quality car, especially after going to it from sitting in an s40 that was right next to it.
 
s40 is nice car, but maybe still feels like an entry level Volvo and lower rung than the s60, v70, s80, xc90, which all feel fairly close to each other in quality. I'd have to think about the s40 and test and retest it. But I'd probably end up with the s60, I don't value handling that much over overall feel, here's where the s60 is superior and worth a little more money to me even if the back seat room is poor. The new s40 is a big improvement over the old, in solidity, handling, engine, tightness of chassis, and is an up-to-date car, complete with the silly integrated grill in bumper that would have to be replaced if bumper is damaged. What happened to the European form follows function? There are many concessions to style in most of the new European cars.

#788 of 1807 2001 S40 or 2000 S80? by aobar

May 18, 2004 (5:27 pm)

My parents and I have been looking at cars lately (I'm a teen), and we have looked at a 2001 S40 (base) and a 2000 S80 (base). The S40 has about 43k miles, and is listed on a Volvo dealership's website for $12,200, and for a Volvo, it is bare-bones - no options. The S80 has about 44k miles, and is listed on Autotrader for $13,990 and is well-equipped. I would assume that there would be no warranty left on the S80, and I cannot get a warranty from the dealer (a large used car lot). However, there would be about 6 months worth of a warranty left on the S40. I am considering the S80 only because it has more features at a reasonable price and because I think my father would prefer it if he had to drive it. I love the S80, but would I be right in assuming that the S80 would not be a wise purchase? I know you've probably noticed that the price for the S80 is rather low, so is there a reason for this that a mechanic may not find if we were to get the car inspected?

#789 of 1807 Re: Pricing on 2004.5 S40 [sherryberry #769] by mgpark103

May 28, 2004 (7:25 am)

Replying to: sherryberry (Apr 06, 2004 4:49 pm)
Hey Sherryberry - if you are still in the market for a T5, the $3k lease incentive is still out there - i went to 2 of the volvo dealerships here in ATL and they both offered/mentioned it. BOTH however would have had to ship a T5 in from another state. Lucky for me, mine should be heading up I-75 from the Sunshine State in about 2 more hours! Good luck, Sherry! I posted elsewhere on these boards my lease terms & which volvo shop I ended up leasing from (again).

#791 of 1807 A few months ago in California by creakid1

Jun 07, 2004 (1:15 pm)

we leased at about $248 down(about $1k drive off) & $248/mo 12k mi/yr on a stripped $23k Passat auto w/ std passenger seat height & lumbar(wow!) & the no-cost metallic paint. The ride is great & roomy too, but the turbo lag sucks. The recall for the 4-cyl's ignition coil is a thing of the past. The Audi 2.8 V6 engine is now only available w/ the loaded GLX model.
 
By the way, the current Passat is an old Passat based on the Audi's from the '90's. The new one coming next year has nothing to do w/ Audi, not even the V6, & like the new S40, the rear suspension is Focus-engineer engineered.
 
The current European minivan from VW/Ford, the Sharan/Galaxy, are based on the previous non-Audi-design VW Passat platform. The new ones are unrelated but share the new Focus-suspension-type of design in the rear. The next VW Sharan will be based on the next Passat, while the next Ford Galaxy will be based on a stretched S40(Focus II) platform.
 
If you don't mind 1st-yr European car's reliability & are considering the new S40, you can also wait another year & get the super-roomy new Passat, which looks like a cuter version of the $100k VW Phaeton & will be available w/ 3.2 VR6 engine.
 
I personally love the new S40's driving position especially w/ that high door armrest for my elbow, but will consider the T5 only when their charcoal filter becomes available in this country. Unlike the Audi-badged ones, current Passat also lacks the charcoal filter.

#792 of 1807 liz by cotmc

Jun 08, 2004 (8:20 am)

If considering a 2004 Passat with the 1.8T engine, please make sure you test drive it thoroughly so that you are certain the turbo lag will not bother you in the long run. I previously owned a 2001 Audi A4 1.8T 5-spd, which has the same engine as the Passat 1.8T. I enjoyed the test drive, but after driving it every day for a few weeks, the turbo lag started to bother me.
 
Also, as creakid1 pointed out, the Passat is based on an aged platform. A completely redesigned version is going to be introduced soon. If you go with the '04 Passat, make sure you are getting a very good price, because there will be additional depreciation once the new models arrive at the showrooms.
 
No doubt the Passat is a better driver than any Camry or Accord sedan, but it doesn't have the suspension tuning to be a sport sedan (except for possibly the very expensive W8 model). However, it is roomy, and it serves well as a fun-to-drive family sedan. It has a classy design to it.
 
The S40 is smaller and sportier. I completely believe that my S40 has the best steering of any FWD car I've driven. I'm also impressed with the safety that was engineered into this car.
 
Before I leased the S40, I considered several other models. To be honest, the Passat was not one of them. My list included the Acura TSX, Mazda 6s 5-door, Saab 9-3 Linear, Mercedes C230K, and a BMW 325i (which was only ruled out due to its price).

#793 of 1807 The W8? by creakid1

Jun 08, 2004 (10:57 am)

"No doubt the Passat is a better driver than any Camry or Accord sedan, but it doesn't have the suspension tuning to be a sport sedan (except for possibly the very expensive W8 model)."
 
Its heavy nose on an Audi-layout only makes the handling clumsier.
 
Anyway, if you're getting a stripped Passat GL, don't forget to add the optional $280 ESP.

#794 of 1807 creakid1 by cotmc

Jun 08, 2004 (3:01 pm)

It was my understanding that the W8 model was the only Passat available with a firmer "sport" suspension. That is the only reason I singled it out.

Messages Page 80 of 182

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement