Safety, style, ride, looks

lack of sporty wheels in the States.

I have a 2002 v40 wagon. I have 16" wheels on it to make it look a little more sporty. Only 15" are available in the states so I had to get some from Europe. This wagon is a great car! It is nice for people who like something sporty but not with the harsh ride. I think Volvo worked hard to fix all of the earlier problems as I have had none so far!

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BMW 325, Audi A4

comfortable driving/stearing ,winter package, handles great!

no standard option of CD player, v6 would be nice!! a spoiler & mud flaps do make it sportier.

I love this car, I haven't had one thing go wrong so far and knock on wood don't intend on any problems. The gas mileage is great, it is comfortable and the air-conditioner cools you down really quick. I look forward to using the heated seats and hope the winter button will be useful in the winter. The only dissapointment for the money is no CD player and you can't buy any after market one that isn't volvo for $800 which is way too much.

Heated seats.

I bought my first Volvo due to the safety features and great reputation. However, after having the new vehicle for a month the problems started. So far, it has been in the shop three times for the check engine light and once for the recall for this. It has almost no traction in the snow. The thing does not make it up the driveway or out without going sideways. My previous car, a GrandAm, had absolutely no problem in the snow. It must just be this model. Friends who have other models love thier car and have no problems. I don't think I would ever purchase another Volvo. The options on the sports edition are nice and it is a sporty looking vehicle.

short braking distance, high torque at low RPM for Hwy pickup, state of the art safety features come as standard

slow & weak rear window defoster, stupid cupholder, poor fuel economy

Leased it since 2000 Oct, now 2002 May at 48,000KM. The only thing that I had changed were: cabin air filter at 24,000KM service, brake pads at 36,000KM service, and 2 H7 bulbs at 47,500 and 48,000KM. All electronic related devices are ok...so far, as European cars tend to have more problem in this category.

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Volvo 240, 245, 850 turbo, 740

Looks Family features such as pop up child seats

Brakes Interior and exterior trim Air Cond Non Variable wipers. (hyundai''s have those) Indicators not cancelling Service ( rubbish )

I should have read some of the reviews before I purchased this Car it seems many problems are still the same on the late model s/v40,s My one (v40) had less than 30000 miles on it and was spotless. I would advise against buying one unless you sell it prior to the warranty runs out, or from my experience your on your own! Brakes, constantly being repaired, woodgrain dash cracks or peels away in places, air cond feeble, buttons and plastics poor quality, I have seen many of similar vintage with badly deteriorating exterior plastics and wheels, you have to keep up a constant vigil of these for them to remain somewhat presentable.My 1994 Jeep is our family hack and still looks good in the plastics dept. Customers these days don''t just buy Volvo''s for their safety record, there''s plenty of other cars out there with the same safety specs at the same price. Volvo buyers generally want some logevity and quality to their purchase and this is one model that will be a thorn in Volvo''s side for years to come. It seems the new owners are happy, it will be interesting to hear their stories in four to five years. I won''t be going out and buying another Volvo. As for who I would recommend to buy one? My enemies!!

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Nissan Pulsar, Mercedes C200, Toyota Camry

None that I can think of for $26,000

Maintnance costs

Looks good, lousy maintenance record; We''ve replaced headlights, Check engine light comes on when it wants to (recall fix, however, during recall fix brakes needed replacement @ 20,000 miles so $200 later we left with recall fix). A/C inadequate, various squeaks and rattles

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Mercedes 190E (even it was better), Pontiac Bonneville

The driver''s seat is comfortable.

Haven''t I said enough already?

I have never owned a Volvo before this one. I have had this car for 1 1/2 years and it has been one problem after another. The "check engine" light comes on for no apparent reason--sometimes it will go off by itself; sometimes it requires a trip to the dealership to reset. I have had to take it to the dealership twice to replace the little "Volvo hubcaps" that flew off while driving. Within about 4 months after purchase of the car, it stalled out on two different occasions in the middle of busy intersections (a terribly dangerous situation). It turns out that it was a faulty fuel pump. The dealership replaced this with no charge, as it was under warranty. Recently, at about 25,000 miles, the car was making a loud humming noise after it was totally shut off. How weird!!! Took it to the dealership and they replaced the vacuum pump (brake-related). At the same time, the dealership discovered another strange noise (this time while the car was running), for which they had to order a part before they could repair the problem. I was told it was the "power cylinder" (also brake-related). When the part came in I took the car back to the dealership to be fixed. While there, they discovered that replacing the power cylinder did not completely rid the car of the noise; It was also in need of a new "brake booster?" Of course, they did not have this part in stock, but rather than have me COME BACK AGAIN later, they just took the part off of one of their new S40''s. All I can say is fortunately all of this was still under warranty! Needless to say, I am waiting for the next thing to go wrong. The dealership has been sympathetic and courteous. However, I will never buy another Volvo.

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None

Handling, braking, appearance

the cupholders SUCK

I LOVE THIS CAR! IT''s FAAAAAAAAAAABULOUS! Beautiful, fun to drive, hot to look at (mine is BRIGHT red)...and with VOLVO safety!! Nothing better for the price!

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BMW 325xi, ML320

Torque @ low rpm. HANDLING!! Safety system. Big seats for a compact car, compared to hondas/toyotas.

Audio (a subwoofer would fix this). No manual transmission. High-aspirated turbo not available in U.S and wiper intervals....that''s it!!! and AWD...maybe

The wait finally paid off!!!..... Just got the 2002 S40 w/ Sport Package (must have) + Audio package 2 weeks before christmas 2001. Sport Package = BLACK headlights bezels, Titanium-like trim instead of wood, SPORT SEATS (better than stock cloth, if you hate leather seats or the stock cloth), wing spoiler, SPORT WHEELS (even though it''s very puny, 15", but it''s alright...better that stock). NEW COLOR: Atlantic Blue (light blue)...... never seen that kind of volvo in town before. Friends thought it''s worth about 40K. No more flimsy cupholders like the previous model year. The cupholders sit next to the parking brake and on the armrest (back seat). Very solid!!.....So far no engine problem, just the right foglight screws weren''t tight; loose foglight ( .5 hour repair ). If driven in appropriate way, 21 mpg can be achieved. Notice that the engine takes advantage of the turbo A LOT (uses more air). Go for the 2002!!......

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Volvo 850, S70 VW Jetta 1.8T

the seat are superb logical interior layout , except that radio positioning the style of the car , modern

radio positioning no cup for AU spec steering doesnt really communicate

i bought the 2.0 n/a version of the car . it is ok for city traffic , the fuel consumption is low , and there is enough torque down low . but for an ''exciting'' drive it''s just isnt powerful enough . handle ok , understeer a bit , but easy to correct . the drive feels firm , solid , and composed , not the ''floaty'' drive u''d get from passat , bora or audi . recommended for the use as a daily commuter , but if u r after something that is more fun , go get a BMW ( i couldn''t get one cuz i didnt have enough $$ , BMWs r more expensive than s40 here )

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VW passat , bora , Audi A4 2.0 , Honda accord , BMW320