Ask the Car People.SM


VW Jetta 2.5 vs. Volvo S40

28 messages,  Last post on May 06, 2013 at 10:40 AM

You are in the Volkswagen Jetta Forum.

What is this discussion about? Volkswagen Jetta, Volvo S40, Sedan

Messages Page 3 of 3

#19 of 28 apples to apples by myob

Jul 12, 2005 (7:01 am)

You need to remember to compare real world prices on these cars. An A4 will drive out at nearly $30K. You can drive out an S40 T5 in the $26,000 range with the rebates/discounts offered now. It depends on your particular options. I would also test the auto transmissions in the two to make sure you like the feel of them.

#20 of 28 Re: keeping looks out of the equation.... [venus537] by tjones1

Sep 07, 2005 (8:49 pm)

Replying to: venus537 (May 30, 2005 10:51 am)
We just bought a new Jetta 2.5 Monday. It's got about 125 mi. on it, so I don't have any idea about how the thing's gonna hold up, but from the first impressions, it's fantastic. We looked at an S40, and to be quite frank, we were quite disappointed in it. The ride, handling, and so forth was not even in the same class as the Jetta. We were die-hard Volvo people, (still are) and still have the '94 850 that we bought in '95. It's got 153,000 mi on it, and we just had the front end rebuilt, (struts, bushings, etc), so hopefully it's ready for another 150,000 !!
As far as the Jetta's engine not being as refined as the S40's, I'm not sure about that. The Jetta gets as good or better fuel economy, seems to be as quiet, etc. as the S40's was that we drove. I don't know, maybe the S40 we drove happened to be a "fluke". As far as the styling, I must say that Volvo S40 does have a good deal of influx from Ford. I'm not opposed the the styling of either of the cars, because as the old saying goes: beauty is in the eye of the beholder".
Cheers!

#21 of 28 Re: Greg: [greggor] by tjones1

Sep 07, 2005 (9:15 pm)

Replying to: greggor (May 23, 2005 10:31 am)
We test drove the S40 and the new Jetta 2.5. No comparison, the Jetta felt to be much more solidly-built than the Volvo. Now, hold on, my wife and I are both long time Volvo owners, and we still have the '94 850 w/153,000 mi. on it. And it was tough for us to think that Volvo had slipped that much. It might be possible that the S40 that we drove maybe had something wrong with it, but it sure didn't impress either one of us. We bought the Jetta. Hope that we did the right thing. I guess time will tell....

#22 of 28 Styling by Volvo by benjamins

Sep 09, 2005 (2:52 am)

The s40's styling is by Peter Horbury, the same designer that designed the s80, v70, xc90, and s60--and its relation to the s80 is very obvious. Some of the interior design is based on Volvo's concept wagon from a few years ago. This idea that Ford has anything to do with Volvo's styling is a falicious one.

#23 of 28 What's a better purchase? by katherine8512

Jul 19, 2007 (6:23 pm)

I'm looking to purchase a new car but on a budget of about $10k-13k since I'm still a poor college student. I'm looking for a foreign car as I am sick of my current American made car. I've been looking at 02-05 VW Jetta/Passat, 00-04 Volvo S40/S60/S80, 02-04Honda Civic/Accord. I'm leaning more towards a Jetta or any of the Volvos, but I've seen lots of complaints with maintenance problems which is something I don't have time to deal with. Which one do you think would be a better buy for me? Any other suggestions of cars to look at? Thanks.

#24 of 28 Re: What's a better purchase? [katherine8512] by blumstein

Jul 23, 2007 (1:28 pm)

Replying to: katherine8512 (Jul 19, 2007 6:23 pm)
Take a look at a new Toyota Yaris. My daughter's BF got one and absolutely loves it. I think it is a little over your budget, but not much. Other option is a Ford Focus, used. Yes, it is American made but we got 140k trouble-free miles until the tranny started acting funny & we traded it in on the S40.
Paul

#25 of 28 Tough decisions by walkabout

Aug 13, 2007 (7:30 pm)

I've loved my 2001 Jetta 1.8T. It's been a great car (even with the few (and anticipated based on reading online) minor mechanical/electrical issues I've had) and I think I would do it all over again if I had the choice. What was NOT fun has been my dealership experience (here in the Saint Louis area). I've been to 3 different dealerships and experienced incompetence, poor workmanship and more recently just downright rudeness/abuse. It's been horribly disappointing.
 
I felt often times like I bought a $12K car instead of a $24K car. I can't imagine buying a $100K Phaeton and getting that kind of treatment.
 
That said I will NOT be buying another VW. I can't handle the visits to the dealership no matter how much I enjoy the vehicle. The customer service is that bad
 
And for the price being paid the reliability/build quality needs to be improved. This coupled with yawn-filled external stying on the new VW Corolla err... Jetta means I'm looking at options... and the S40 is on the list of considerations.
 
I don't think the S40 is perfect despite it's hot styling, I think the Jetta with it's 2.0T/good-handling and a nice interior finish might outdo it in these categories but then I'm back having to face the VW dealerships. Not an option.
 
Also, it's hard to configure an Audi A4 or a BMW 3 series with the features I can pile on the Volvo or VW and avoid reaching $40K. But what other options are out there really for someone looking in this segment of small luxury sport sedans who are looking in the low $30K and not the $40K?

#26 of 28 Better Choice by tgkoenigsegg

Aug 20, 2007 (10:14 pm)

In my personal opinion I would choose the S40. This is due to the fact that I live in Colorado and there is an S40 AWD and it is a better looking car. VW customer satisfaction is at the bottom while Volvo is around the Top 10. I prefer the Belgian built S40 than the Jetta bui;t in Mexico.

#27 of 28 Having trouble choosing between a 2002 Volvo S60 and 2005 Volkswagen Jetta by amic10

May 04, 2013 (9:46 am)

My dad is buying me my first car. I have the options of a 2002 Volvo S60 2.4M 4-door Sedan and a 2005 Volkswagen GL 2.0L PZEV 4-door Sedan. They are both priced at $6,995. The Volvo has 106,087 miles on it and the Jetta has 96,778 miles on it. I am having trouble which one to decide on. I want to pick a car that is good on gas and doesn't cost a lot to maintain since I am a college student. HELPPP!!!!

#28 of 28 Re: Having trouble choosing between a 2002 Volvo S60 and 2005 Volkswagen Jetta [amic10] by Kirstie@Edmunds HOST

May 06, 2013 (10:40 am)

Replying to: amic10 (May 04, 2013 9:46 am)
Our Help Me Choose discussion is much more active, so you might want to post there.

Messages Page 3 of 3

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