#737 of 1117 by creakid1

Apr 11, 2004 (12:28 pm)

I'm sure Volvo tuned the car the way they like, but this Focus II suspension never felt like it's got very long travel compare to Mercedes or maybe even BMW w/o sport suspension.
 
The S40 sport has a fairly tight tuning, although still free from harshness, as if it's the std sport tuning from everywhere such as the '91 Sentra SE-R but w/ longer springs. Getting a Mazda3 isn't too much different from the S40 sport, either.
 
The T-5's std suspension is the non-Japanese "everything's in slow motion" type of fun, as if you always have time to think & decide whatever next you want to play.
 
For example, what happen when you add more front sway bar to restrict the front body roll? The car dissipates that energy as MORE understeer. Ditto the rear w/ the swaybar change. So as you make VERY abrupt lane change on the S40's std suspension & the body starts to roll slowly AND continuously. & before that travel stroke stops, you already finished the transition & corrected the steering back the other way to straighten the car. The whole process never pushed the the tires in any way, as if the elastic-but-still-calm suspension took the beating forces! Sure, you can't operate the car at the higher limit the sport suspension allows, but you actually got time to decide how you can provoke the car & choose different combinations while your passengers are being entertained by the comfortable & smooth transition that's also as fun like some sort of the mild amusement-park rides.
 
npaladin2000 Apr 11, 2004 4:03am
"Creakid, we already know your suspension preferences run closer to Buick than Mazda. "
 
I drove a Buick Regal from the '90's several times, &, no, I don't like its ride comfort at all. This FWD Buick didn't have much spring travel & there's not much STABLE slow motion to play around.
 
The C240's non-lowered sport suspension fits my taste a whole lot more than Buick's, although might still oscillate a little too much if I push it hard.
 
Since the 2.4i's 5-cyl isn't silent enough, the T-5 engine seems to be a must for a compact luxury. That's why it's available w/o the sport suspension(a $750 difference including the pretty 17" wheels).

#738 of 1117 OSD, volvomax by lev_berkovich

Apr 11, 2004 (3:13 pm)

#740 of 1117 by creakid1

Apr 12, 2004 (12:52 am)

venus537 Apr 2, 2004 8:12pm
"the ride on the open highway can be a little busy, especially on less than perfect concrete highways. On smoother asphalt, the S40 is quiet and comfortable. I'm perfectly willing to admit that this complaint could be the result of a personal bias toward soft-riding highway cruisers, but the fact remains there are cars like the Acura TSX that offer both sharp handling and excellent highway manners"
 
The TSX has an interesting tuning. It rides superficially plush due to extra-soft bushings(softer than Euro Accord's) and, therefore, misleadingly smooth most of the time. When the bumps are deeper than expansion joints, the vertical jolts coming through the TSX's taut-setting suspension into the passenger torso are more forceful than in the rather busy riding S40 sport & Mazda3. & by then, if you're not smart enough to figure it out, you'd probably still blame the road rather than the TSX's setting since the car is plush to begin with. No wonder French cars, which are deeply absorbent but not superficially plush, don't sell well in America.
 
Pretty much all the time, the slow-body-movement T-5 w/o sport suspension pampers the passengers more than the TSX for sure, although the TSX got the taut-&-long-travel suspension that has more capacity to take bumps during hard cornering better than just about anyone else.
 
I think the TSX would be an excellent car if they use firmer bushings to keep the tire-grip steering feel from completely washed out, & reduce some suspension tautness along w/ adding some slower rebound setting to relax the ride a bit. I think Acura's trying too hard to distinguish the TSX from the large Accord.
 
So you might wonder why not just get the Accord if you don't mind the extra length. I don't know. The Accord still drives relatively boring & still doesn't seem to have that Euro-style calm suspension movement for me to play around. I believe some old-style French cars are fun to play around not just for cornering over deep bumps, but to double as an off-road vehicle while riding calm! No wonder I saw Peugeot 504 sedans in some old video shot in Africa.

Replies to this message:

• venus537 (Apr 12, 2004 12:15 pm)

#741 of 1117 Lev by volvomax

Apr 12, 2004 (9:30 am)

Replies to this message:

• lev_berkovich (Apr 12, 2004 11:49 am)

#742 of 1117 Celebration!!! by anythngbutgm

Apr 12, 2004 (10:23 am)

Was at NY on Saturday and spoke with two of the girls and one of the men at the Volvo booth. All confirmed that an AWD S40 AND V50 will be available with the 6-speed and inline 5T!!! Even better? well how about a starting price for the above mentioned at $25,700? That's based on a pricing sheet that one of the reps had with him. The Gray V50 they had at the show was gorgeous, and they had the Candyapple red S40 which was stunning. Thank you Volvo!!!
 
One downer, may be a big one, anyone notice how low the rear exhaust tips sticked out below the rear bumper. Seems like you'd have to choose your parking lots wisely and make sure the exit doesn't have to much of a dropoff. Could scrape those off pretty quickly
 
Sorry, haven't gone through all of the posts, so maybe I'm re-iterating existing information.

Replies to this message:

• benjamins (Apr 13, 2004 1:48 pm)

#743 of 1117 Re: Lev [volvomax #741] by lev_berkovich

Apr 12, 2004 (11:49 am)

Replying to: volvomax (Apr 12, 2004 9:30 am)

Max,
I have an impression that you work at the Volvo Dealership. Is it true? It seems that you have some issues with the VCNA, as you constantly is trying to diminish it's position in the Volvo Car Corporation.
I would think, that VCNA has a major-major say there.
 
How about this fact?
 
"Ford taps N. American Volvo head as new Volvo chief
Source: Yahoo
 
DETROIT, June 6 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F - news) on Tuesday named Volvo North American chief Hans-Olov Olsson as the new president and chief executive officer of the upscale Swedish car company, and set a goal of growing worldwide sales 50 percent by 2004.
 
Olsson, 58, takes over from Tuve Johannesson, who ran the Volvo Car Corp. since October 1995. Johannesson becomes vice chairman of the board. Ford, the world's No. 2 automaker, bought the Volvo car unit in March 1999.
 
Olsson said in an interview from Sweden his mission is to expand Volvo's worldwide sales volume from a projected 445,000 vehicles this year to 600,000 by 2004. At the same time, he will work to double the company's profitability from today's levels."
 
The VCNA, LLC is an organizational part of the VCC (Volvo Car Corporation) as well as Volvo Car UK, Ltd.
It's just one corporation with the divisions, controling major markets.
 
And the US market is, by far, the biggest Volvo market in the world.
 
My question to you is - Why do you want to separate the VCNA from the VCC?
 
(Same as I still can not get why do you want to separate the DSTC from STC and ABS?)
 
I also would like to have your e-mail, as it might be more comfortable for you and for me, if we can discuss some of the issues off-line.
lev_berkovichhotmail.com

#744 of 1117 Re: [creakid1 #740] by venus537

Apr 12, 2004 (12:15 pm)

Replying to: creakid1 (Apr 12, 2004 12:52 am)

#745 of 1117 by creakid1

Apr 12, 2004 (12:55 pm)

Replies to this message:

• venus537 (Apr 12, 2004 7:05 pm)

#746 of 1117 re: anythngbutgm by gambit293

Apr 12, 2004 (6:32 pm)