2005 Volvo S40 1.8 from Poland

Summary:

Beware of Volvo

Faults:

The car is a big problem. Not only does every thief want to steal the front grille from the car, which already I had problems replacing, but the car battery just seems to fail, after which the whole computer fails and all systems shut down.

Today it stopped in the middle of a busy street for reasons known to Volvo only. Then after pushing it into a parking lot, which demanded a lot of effort, I called the tow company. They towed me into Volvo, who was unable to say what was wrong, but now it's OK, and all they said is now I should keep an eye on the behaviour of the car. Are you joking? No no joke!

Do not buy VOLVO; they're expensive and crap. It's a myth that it's a reliable car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 21st November, 2007

24th Nov 2007, 05:00

Wow, just because some weird person wants to steal the grille and the battery goes flat (alternator?),the car gets 0 marks for comfort??? I don't think that you own this car. This is a dud review. Also, cars are heavy - they are made of metal - that's why it is hard to push! On the other hand. the Daewoo is made of baked bean cans - that's why it doesn't take much to push it!

3rd Jan 2008, 09:06

Yes! I think that you are rather biased. S40 is a great car!

Of course if I had problems with mine I would be less happy, but owning a BMW for many years I can't say that Volvo is less reliable. If you want a car with no problems guarantee, then buy a Toyota (I own one too). But you can't really enjoy driving a Toyota (except Toyota Supra!!!).

26th Mar 2008, 10:44

Yes, interesting these views. I am currently driving a Volvo S60 D5 (Diesel) and cannot fault it. I have just driven across Europe and it is fantastic.

What fascinates me though is the lack of American cars here in Europe - especially the UK. Why is this, if they are so good? To satisfy myself, I went and drove the Chrysler 300C... what a mistake - for a start, they have appeared to have made the thing out of the poorest materials going.

Volvo all the way for me I'm afraid. I have owned several well over the 100,000 mile mark and none have cost me anything other than usual servicing. By the way, I don't know what the American brake 'rotor' is, but mine have never needed brake pads or discs this side of 70,000 mile a time?

Also, at one time I had a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee (40k miles) and Volvo S70 2.5 1998 (135k miles) and the Volvo had was better in almost every way. I now don't own the Jeep - but can't bring myself to sell the S70.

No more American cars here please - they are cheap - and cheap for a reason!

2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD 2.5 turbo from North America

Summary:

The S40 is a highly capable premium sedan that is comfortable and reliable

Faults:

The car has performed flawlessly, with the only item being the service light coming on when service was not due. This was due to the timing as to the factory date of manufacture and was not tied to the mileage which is admittedly low on this Volvo for its age, but it's the most fun car I own and it is perfect for city driving.

I had a flat tire within a couple of hundred miles that was likely due to a road hazard, although it appeared as though the tire had imploded when they took it off the rim. I would not hold this against the car, though as it was a Michelin tire, not a Volvo component that failed.

The only other item to go wrong was a power mirror being extended too far back due to being bumped in a parking lot, but it was easily put back on track when I called the dealer's service department and they guided me through it. Again, this was not a fault of the vehicle, but of the person who bumped it, and it was simple to fix in about two minutes.

General Comments:

This is a wonderful car for the city due to its compact dimensions.

It has adequate room for four adults, five in a pinch.

The interior is finished to a very high specification in the T5 trim with durable leather seats and a marvel of simplicity in its center controls. I have the stainless steel trim as opposed to the woodgrain and it underscores the contemporary feel of the vehicle.

The AWD is very comforting in inclement weather, and the vehicle performs well in snow/ice, horrendous rain, and on regular pavement. I was once driving it in a terrible rainstorm when vehicles had to pull over due to the road suddenly flooding. The only vehicles getting through with ease were SUVs and my S40.

The seats are comfortable, though the rear headrests can be intrusive when looking to the rear, and it would be nice to have the auto tilt feature of the side mirrors when reversing as well as park distance sensors because of the headrests.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th February, 2007