Low pressure turbo engine--great ciy car! Amenities-features for the basic price. Basic handling--better than the Honda Accord, and the Toyota Camry TOTAL SAFETY-SIPS & WHIPS SYSTEMS--for the price!--plus phase II safety curtains! Volvo warranty, including road assistance!

The product has been manufactured for the past six years, and should have all production glitches ironed out by now!

I have read ALL the S40 product reviews, and can agree with some in that, YES, I have had the check engine lights for the EMC system for a software update, and a converter exchange, and a turbo pressure sensor replacement--only! And, YES, the H4 light bulbs do burn out(three times for me), and I have had to have Volvo service re-tighten both my front and rear suspension, BUT, when one has a Volvo product that is tested and capable of stopping in 120 feet in 0-60 mph, and which has been "FIELD TESTED BY THE OWNER", and which has saved my life in TWO separate occasions due to the immaculate functioning of the EBD system, along with the rear brakes that "wear-out" in 25000 miles or less, THEN, one really says, "this is a great product, as I am still living". One has to purchase a Porsche 911 for $ 75,000+, or a Mercedes Benz S500 for $88,000+, or a Lotus Esprit for $85,000+ to obtain the FANTASTIC braking power of their $23,000 basic S40 Volv0.--NOW, IS THIS A BARGAIN!!!!!!! Their are always glitches in any system, and all people are not perfect, and that is what builds the S40--people! One(Volvo) can attempt to control their quality control, but if a person building your vehicle doesn''t want to do their job the way they are being PAID TO DO IT, you and I suffer with the consequences! This is quite apparent in the variety of the reviews that your and I read, as the extemes of good and bad reviews are there; there are not the "consistent" bad reviews by year and model--S and V 40s''. The dealers do play an importnat part in the satisfaction that you and I derive from the product as owners, and this is the job of Volvo to correct, if they want to continue to build and sell their product!

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looks

nothing:)

SOO FAST!! GREAT TURNS!

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Looks, comfortable seats, features and solid.

electronic problems, it could be wider, the rear view mirror could be headlight sensitive and the doors could lock automatically once parked.

In under 5 months of owning this car I have had 6 things go wrong: 2x the shiftlock has broken, 1 rattle behind the front dash (kick panel), continuous rattle in passenger door (resonance buzz sound with vibration of road and/or radio), the driver''s door has same resonance buzz noise and the recirculation cuts out after 12+ minutes despite holding down recirc button for the instructed 3 seconds which supposedly overrides this time-limit feature set by the ECC standards. I owned 2 Fords before this car and I NEVER had a problem. So, for the extra $10k I spent for a Volvo I get to visit the service department every 3 weeks and get a S60 to drive. ps. I was told the S60 is far better than all the other models Volvo has to offer.

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Well did I tell you about the road handling? Last winter with packed ice on the highway the car stood it''s ground and plowed through with an assuredness of a Land Rover (the older ones).

Couple of wierd ergonomics on the thing. Rear legroom on the leather seats is kind of tight. Factory sound system (6 speaker cd) is a little dim. What''s with the goofy cup holder! And the window control panel is could have been set forward a little more. Expext a few minor electrical gremlins that''ll be fixed easily. The famous "pudiddle" (a front light out) is because Volvo switched to higher output light systems but the bulbs were the same old thing so after about 10K one of them will blow which is a 10 minute fix. Hey it happens. The brake dust issue is a famous Volvo trademark and I just get out the garden sprayer and hose it off.

I scanned through the rest of the reviews and I guess the car has a somewhat spotty past. I researched the car for more than a year before I bought it and settled on it due to the good reviews it received in Europe (see the Volvo Spy website). It''s not really a new introduction and has 5 years of road testing to take the kinks out. Nevertheless somehow the American model either has a bad rap or those writing the reviews are the dissatisfied customers with happy ones out cornering and powering through slick roads instead of whining on the net. The intent of this car is to introduce the younger generation to a car that has gained a reputation for solidity that has favour with the older crowd. Does it do this, yes I think it does. a 160 hp LP Turbo with the some amazing road holding. Though I don''t advocate everyone does this I''ve screamed onto the turnpikes at 70 mph powering through ramps that warn American "dyna-gliders" not to go above 30. I live in the country with typical winding open country roads and have found it to be quite a thrill curbed only by the occasional deer that causes me to check the BVD''s. The boys in blue tend to leave me alone because.... "it''s a Volvo" No way could that dothering car have blown past them at 80 mph..their radars must have been out of cal.. The girls like it, they think it''s an expensive set of wheels with a foreign powerplant that''ll not be challenged because it doesn''t have to be.... Funny.... I paid less for this luxury than for the Firebird T-top I previously owned and have a lot more fun... especially in the snow. You can tell I''m one of that targeted generation and as I move upwards in my profession will probably go for a 60 or maybe C series. Someday.....

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Strong torquey engine, excellent transmission, suspension and brakes. Very stable on the road - can cruise all day at 160km/hr - very quick car. Service intervals long. Excellent lighting. Upgraded stereo has good sound.

Flimsey, ''chincy'' plastic parts and fittings that make different sounds with changes in temperature. Looks like a ''pipsqueek'' car from the rear (compare to Audi A4). No variable intermittant wipers just one fixed rate like our old Hyundai Pony - come on guys! Main headlight switch and fog light switch interaction make no sense to average humans. Cup holders are too ''creative'' and not practical for us coffee-swilling North Americans - a hole is all we need! Car is really a 4 seater - my 3 kids are jammed in shoulder to shoulder.

A mix of Volvo durability and Japanese-type flimsiness. Drove off the lot with a steering wheel not centred and interior rattles and after 2 weeks driving, a sagging drivers seat (how was I going to endure 48 months of leasing with this?). Your butt sinks in too far and support only comes from the side bolsters. One of the main reasons for buying this car was the allegedley good seating. Note: I am an average-sized person. Dealer put in a new seat cushion - didn''t do any good of course - (placebo effect) - just ended up scratching plastic trim etc. which had to be replaced. Eventually I fixed it myself by adding straps under the cushion with extra foam padding. Now seat is probably as the designers intended. This must be a supplier quality issue. My dealer told me that others had complained about the same thing. Variable power assisted steering is ''dead'' on centre - Volvo should check out how GM does theirs. Presets on the radio would be nice. Upgraded speakers felt like they were shaking the door to pieces! Because car is small (it feels small especially coming from a Camry), steering wheel is offset from drivers position - I should have checked this out more carefully when I test drove it. Gauges are hard to see at times. Driver''s door limiting bar started ''clicking'' after 3 weeks like a 10 year old car. All I did to cure this was pack the cheap split pin with grease. I shouldn''t have to do this on a 38K car! This is downright cheap - and it shows! Compared to ''real'' Volvos this smells of Ford cheapness - make it look good, but build it cheap. My wife''s GrandAm is a much more solid car even if not as refined. Gas consumption is higher than I originally assumed (only slightly better than my 1992 Camry 3 litre V6)- must be the turbo. If you drive this car very, very carefully, you get good mileage, but if you drive it ''normally'' you don''t. But it is a lot of fun to drive. Heating controls work OK, but it''s hard to get cool fresh air from the dash vents while still keeping warm air on your feet. Once again, Volvo should check out how GM does this. To sum up, car runs fine, but it''s not worth the money and when my lease is over I will be looking for something else. I believe that all car manufacturers are selling today''s cars with yesterday''s reputation - Volvo is no different.

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It looks like a $27,000-Car. It is a $29,000-Cars. And it drives now (after 10 Months) noisy like a $17,000-diesel- truck; and the guys from Volvo-service (Las Vegas, NV) tell us: It ''s normal !

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Good acceleration for the engine size, good handling, and generally a solid feeling car. Doesn''t quite touch the Audi''s or BMW''s for amazing driving experiences, but it''s no slouch (and it''s much cheaper too). I imagine it would be great if it was the 200 hp euro version.

That lousy overengineered cupholder over the cd player rattles annoyingly. Weather trim appears sloppily installed in places. Paint job is not as durable as some cars. Not the best dealer experience. Service intervals are fairly long, but service is not included in purchase price and the regularly scheduled services are exorbitantly expensive (i.e. $150 for an oil change and tire rotation at 7500 miles).

A competent car with some flair but generally conservative minded. Purchased this from the dealer''s loaner pool with 4k miles already logged on the car. Has the cold weather/sun roof cd equipment package, but w/o leather seats or spoiler, so it''s apparently an uncommon combo. Overall it''s been a good car free of the serious problems others complain of (those complaints seem to mostly involve the 2000 model). I''ve put 6k miles on it in 6 months, and it''s only been in the shop for its regular oil change. The service log already in the car indicated no problems during its first 4k miles.

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engine,seats

everything else!!

This car has been trouble from day one when the check engine light came on driving it out the showroom.The air conditioning quit 2 months later and still does not work properly.The paint is already faded on hood and trunk.Our volvo dealer called in a representative from volvo north america and he told us it enviromental and they were not responsible.My 1997 toyota is my driveway beside the s40 and it''s paint looks new.The dealership and volvo did not give us customer satisfaction.This is my third volvo and it will be my last.

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Fit and Finish, lots of saftey features (6 airbags, traction control, ABS, Stability control, EBD). Great ride. 5 speed automatic, fuel economy.

Only in a automatic, needs a little more power, needs bigger wheels, they charge $45 +tax to activate foglights that I installed.

Bang for the buck this is one great car. Girlfriend has a 2001 330xi and for what this car has in it, you cant go wrong. Short of the all wheel drive fit and finish is on par with BMW. Performance from the 1.9T is pretty impressive, I prefer more power and will upgrade the Turbo to 200 HP. Could use a little bigger wheels which I will also put on.

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I have fully enjoyed the comfort and feel of the S40. I was skeptical at first as I have never liked to purchase a vehicle when it is first introduced to the market. The s40 seems like it has more power than 160 hp and the control on the road is very impressive. The climate control and your average Volvo safety features are added bonuses. My Volvo has leather trim and wood paneling making the vehicle very comfortable. The trunk offers a lot of space for the size of the vehicle. Unfortunatley the glove comparment and the cupholder it the back (very flimsy) broke after the first two weeks of driving the car. The service department (like all Volvo Dearlerships) was very helpful and had brand new equipment installed in less than a week. (very impressive) I would definately recommend this vehicle for anyone with a small family who wants a smaller, safe, and fun to drive vehicle.

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