all the bells and whistles, great engine, great styling

not a lot of rear-seat room

This is a great car it really is. i've had no problems so far it's very reliable; it's always a joy to drive i've had it for almost a month now and i still get a smile on my face every time i get in the car. The engine's just right. It's powerful, but not outspoken. I'd recommend this wonderful car to anyone that has the money

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Saturn SL, Taurus- volvo's a million times better than any car i've driven

Reliable. Solid Construction.

So far, happy with everything.

The pricing of this car here in Malaysia I would not enter into as the Govenment adds a killer 110% sales tax. As for the car itself we are very happy with it. At around the 4000 kilometre point the engine is truly ready to move the car along effortlessly, the take off from a standing position, is extremely quick.
The interior is well finished and comfortable.
Volvo did recall the vehicle for a free wheel alignment of the rear wheels, this took a few hours.
Overall it gets us from A to B in comfort and safety and isn't that really is what the bottom line is all about.

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Audi A4. VW Passat. Peugeot 406.

-Great Handling
-170lbs of torque, 160 hp from a turbo 4 cyl.
-styling: clean, timeless looks
-comfortable and supportive seats
-good gas mi. (average 28mpg)
-high durability, build quality
-safety
-quiet ride, even at 85mph....quiter than the S70's and S80's
-good value, high resale

-No 5-speed offered yet although it will be avail. next year

-rear-seat room is cramped for adults when the front seats are pushed back. This car is great for singles or a family with young kids.

This is a great car for the money, especially if you don't load it up with all the extras. I test drove the A4 and was impressed with the quattro, but its pretty slow. The Volvo S40 0-60mph is faster than most other 4 cyl cars in its class, and even some 6 cyl. There is hardly any turbo lag, and there is plenty of power at the low RPM's (most torque is avail. at 1800).
The build quality on this car is up to par with BMW's and Audi's and it handles very well. Of course, it has all the saftey features you would expect in a Volvo.
If you're thinking about buying a new car priced in the low $20,000...check out this car. I love mine so far: I'm soon getting a chip to increase its power by about 40hp, only for $600. If you are thinking about the Audi A4, BMW 323 or the VW passat, add the Volvo to your list. Although not as fast as a BMW, it costs less and can be easily upgraded for quicker acceleration.
This is the best car I have ever owned, and I expect to hold onto it for many, many years. Volvos are built to last, just ask anyone who has owned one.

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Audi A4 1.8T

Saturn SL

Ford Contour SVT

Reliable. It moves. No one wants to steal it.

Looks like a brick. Doesn't feel like one. No one want to look at it. Noisy engine. Too low gears. Awfull parts: interior and exterior. Dents easily. Rusts badly after 6th year (even on roof, bonnet and boot tops!). Steering wheel is on the wrong side.

I had this car brought in from Malaysia after I was posted back here. Thought I'll bring the car back as a souviner and a daily transport.

Now I am regretting it. No parts, I can't sell it or even give it away.

It's almost 10 years old and I think it's still being sold in Malaysia as the Proton Iswara (where do they get those names?).

It drives ok, as long as you're going straight but when you hit the corners...never mind...it has been to the body shop so many times, it is now being held together by duct tape.

BUT IT'S STILL THE BEST CAR IN THE WORLD FOR ME AS NO-ONE ELSE HAS ONE! YEAH! AND IT KEEPS ON GOING AND GOING.

I going to order myself a Proton Wira 1.8 XLi 5-door saloon.

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Nissan Sunny 130Y (the best), Peugeot 504, Toyota Corolla SE and Volvo 240.

Price, Luxury, Comfort of the ride.

Engine power but what do you expect for a 1.8 T

This car is exceptional. !!!! Living in germany I have test driven all of the european cars, BMW, Merc, Audi, and of Course Volvo S80, S60, S40. The S40 has so many percs above the BMW. Not to say anything about the extra $10,000 you pay for the name BMW. The ride is smooth and breaking is exceptional. Leather and heated seats add so much to the ride..... This car is stricty for comfort. Going from a V6 Dodge Avenger (LEMON, american cars seem to really bite lately) I have noticed major power lose, but I can except it. And lets not forget that no car on the market can compare to the safety of Volvo.
Okay you could purchase a Honda for the same price but why would you even consider it....

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BMW 323, 328, A4

1) strong body 2)durable interior 3)drives well at 170k+ miles--can still get up to 80 mph 4)this engine will last forever! 5)roomy--i moved all my furniture in this car, and i can haul around kids and big dogs without feeling cramped.

seemed like every time i drove this car out of the shop's parking lot, something else went wrong the next day. two days after i bought the car, it needed some menial part for over $300. it soon developed an oil leak, transmission leak, among others. the gas mileage is horrible (13 mpg) and the gas gauge and odometer are broken. the transmission had to be completely rebuilt, and it still has some handling problems. the AC has a leak now and will cost over $500 to fix it (not worth it to me). i have put over 4 times the amount i paid for this car into fixing it, and i doubt it will ever stop having problems.

A sturdy, strong car, yet it had many little problems that were always very expensive to fix.

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None

Strong Turbo Engine.
Quality Fit and Finish.
Many safety features.
Sporty look and feel.

Poor Audio system, even when upgraded to Premium.
Weather system seems like a useless option.

Great Entry level European car. I went with the S40 due to sharp appearance, safty features and overall fit & finish. This car is put together very well on the inside and out. The interior surfaces all blend together well, with very little gapping between parts. The materials match well together. An interior trim kit can be found for around $200 and make the duller basic model look sportier than the upscale leather / wood trim package. The cabin feels roomy enough, but the addition of a sunroof makes the car feel like the larger S60. The outside trim is equally impressive when bundled with the sport appearance package. The body colored spoiler and fog lights add an look that normally is reserved for BMW and Audi.

The 1.9 liter Turbocharged engine is quite powerfull, and acceleration is smooth and even throughout the powerband. After the initial "Turbo Lag" has dissapeard, the car rushes straight to 100mph with little effort. The automatic transmission seems to add extra power in the 55mph to 75mph passing range for quick and safe passing. For under $1000, an ECU upgrade and Exhaust Upgrade can push this engine to the 200hp found in the European version.

Overall i give this car very high marks, and a must have for the $25K to $35K catagory.

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Audi A4, BMW 3 Series

I can't think of any.

Where do I begin? I guess that I will just list: The stripping is falling off the windows, the check engine light constantly comes on and no one knows why or how to fix it, it has a very slow start in warm weather, at 15,000 miles the head and tail lights blew out and needed to be replaced, the radio fades in and out, the air conditioner stops working properly when you come to a stop light, the paint scratches when you so much as lean against your car, the breaks needed to be replaced after 14,000 miles, IT COSTS $200 TO GET YOUR OIL CHANGED, my software has been reinstalled 3 times, the doors get stuck in the locked position, and the car rattles at higher speeds.

Please don't waste your money. If you already own one memorize the number to Volvo USA and pull out your checkbook, you're in for a really bumpy ride. Oh, and did I mention how rude and unhelpful EVERY Volvo dealership is.

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None

The engine. Could be bigger, but it moves the car.

Everything else.

Just horrible. There are no other words to describe this tin can. The brakes go out. I actually wrecked the car on a curb b/c the brakes went out. Dealership took 2 weeks to fix and all they did was put the broken pieces back on the car. I was also told I needed to replace the rear brakes at a cost of $200! The car had 16,000 miles on it! Air conditioning does not cool. Bird droppings erode the paint. Wheel caps fall off all the time. Check engine light comes on. Trim is peeling off. Cupholders are poorly positioned. Interior layout is a bit "cheap" looking.

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Take the bus.

Torque
Handling
Looks
Comfort
Space

Rattling
Stereo quality -> even with the premium speakers
Air conditioning does not cool down fast enough
Other then that, it is an amazing car.

Very impressed with the car. Excellent driving, braking, and overall a quality ride. I have been in a Volvo driving family my entire life. From 240's to 740's. I swore when I turned 17 that I would never drive a Volvo. My first car was a Jeep Cherokee and I loved it, and still held up that would never drive a Volvo. Unfortunately I had to get rid of the Cherokee, around the same time my parents moved, so they got me my S40. I was depressed the entire week I waited for it to arrive. Within 5 minutes of driving it, I was a totally changed person. After 2 months of driving it and 7,000 miles, I am still in love with this vehicle. I felt it needed something, considering I am 19 and a Volvo is more an ADULT car. So I tinted out my Metallic Midnight S40 with Limo tint all around, and immediately I knew I had found what I had been looking for. once I reached my 1000 mile break in period, I have pushed this car to the max, and it is always ready for more. My stock S40 has beaten an Audi A4, an Accord V6, and numerous other cars. I love this car and I don't care what my friends say, this is a quality automobile, and I recommend it to everyone of all ages.

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