handling, solid ride, comfortable interior, safe, nice trunk space, sound system with upgraded stero, controls on dash are easy to work and easy to read, extremely comfortable seats, quiet ride for a "sports sedan"

not much leg room in backseat, hard to see out rearview window with spoiler, one cupholder that is in front of CD player & the other one in the back?!

I just got my 2001 S40 today and love it. I drove off the lot knowing that we made the right decision. I have been looking at cars to lease for many, many months. I really like all the cars named above, but thought that the Volvo was going to suit me best. The fact that they are reliable and safe meant a lot to me. I also like the fact that it is sporty car, but not too much. We are about to adopt a child and really were thinking about that during our search. The real test is to see how the car does after time, in the interim...........I love it!

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BMW 330i, Audi 1.8T, Passat, Mercedes C240

I felt that the Volvo was the best value for the money and they had a very attractive lease available. The insurance is also the lowest we found on all the cars I looked at.

Style, Acceleration

Body Integrity, Electrical System, Trunk Latch, Reliability is 0

After driving my S40 for approximately 6 months, I still appreciated the handling and acceleration. That is, when I could drive it. I purchased a 2000 S40 with 100 from Volvo On Camelback (PHX, AZ.) When I purchased the vehicle, the trunk latch was broken, they said it was no problem and took it for a day to fix it. Over the next 6 months this vehicle was in Service 18 times. The Trunk latch was repaired 7 times, the body integrity (rattles) developed and were fixed 3 times, the windshield wipers kept blowing fuses, and the electrical system fried about 7 times, resulting in replacement of the trip computer. The problem was not just because of the inept mechanics at Volvo on Camelback, I started taking the vehical to Powell Volvo after Volvo on Camelback illegally charged me for warranty work (on the electrical system.) Volvo's After Sale support told me "if you would like to have us consider taking the car back, file your lawsuit with us." The poor customer service that I received from Volvo on Camelback and the Aftersale support's lack of responsiveness and courtesy has caused me to lose all respect for the company. After paying $28000 for a car that was in the shop every other week, I decided to pursue a lemon law case against Volvo. My attorney reviewed the case, and I couldn't afford to fight Volvo in court under the lemon laws (the amount of time involved is incredible.) So I sold the car to an Unsuspecting Volvo dealer. After this experience I will never again consider Volvo a well-made car and will never understand their blatant lack of Customer Service.

Tourist and Diplomatic Sales program *****! Acceleration, turbo a real asset on the motorway, the seats are SOOO comfortable, the stereo really rocks!

Rear seat legroom is terrible, high head rest inhibits view over left shoulder, rear view is smaller than it could be (especially with the spoiler)

Volvo's TDS program is awesome. I paid about 77% of what I would have paid for this car if I had bought it at a dealer. The TDS program allows you to buy your car directly from the factory tax-free! On top of that, Volvo takes care good care of you when you get to the factory. This cost savings really made the difference. A car which was only slightly less expensive or the same price as competing models, suddenly became much less expensive. The $22500 I paid is less than the North American list price, but the car is loaded. At the dealer, I would have paid over $29000.
I drove this car from Kiel, Germany to Munich, Germany on the first day (about 600 miles). It was great!!! I have to admit, I have a Euro spec edition (2.0l Turbo, manual transmission), so it may have been much more fun than with the automatic. At any rate, the car really accelerates well while passing or merging into traffic. The stereo is really great, brilliant bass response. It really drowns out the engine, even at high speeds (200+ km/hour). It's not a race car, but really gets the job done. Frankly, if you are looking for a hot rod, you probably should be looking at a true sports car. But if you're looking for a sedan with good get up and go, this is a great alternative. The rear legroom is really cramped, especially if the front seat passengers are tall. But the situation is the same in the A4.
The only thing which really irritates me is the blind spot if I look over my left shoulder. I don't like to make lane changes in heavy traffic with only the mirrors. But if I look over my left shoulder all I can usually see is the head rest, which is really high. I'm having to learn to depend more on the mirror.

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Audi A4, VW Passat, Alfa Romeo 156. Acceleration better in the Audi and the Alfa, but really, for most uses, you really don't need that much.

Look
Build quality
Safe features
Power that comes with an economical engine
Lots of good detail thinking go into the interior fittings and equipment

Some parts "feel" light, but that's a feel only
No major setback so far (hope it stays in mint shape!)

I've just taken delivery of my brand new S40 that comes with FULL options, and to begin with, that's value for money for what I have! The driving experience so far has been simply superb - quiet comfortable ride, enough power (I'm not driving it rough as it still needs to be run-in), and lots of very driver/passenger friendly stuffs throughout the interior. The safety features are very good peace of mind, though we never would hope we have to test them. I think the S40 looks brilliant as well - very young and aerodynamic. It drives like a Japanese car, and to some, it may be a slight negative if you really want that heavy sturdy "European" feel of typical old Volvos. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my S40 will stay in mint shape for years for me to enjoy!

I still yet have to name it and keep that traditional Volvo ownership going!

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BMW, Volkswagon, Mazda, Ford

As in previous review. But I found the cornering of the S40 very well!

As some have already pointed out, rear view through the rear windshield could be quite difficult and you have to adjust yourself to that.

As the 2001 model of the S40 is such a different car from the previous year model, I would encourage all owners or those who have test driven the new 2001 model of the S40 to review it, so that we could have a just and fair judgement of the new S40.

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BMW, Volkswagon, Ford, Mazda

Nice solid car with a nice interior. Good gas milage and very safe.

Fake wood trim. Need to have 5 speed manual option. 2000 center console is LAME. They improved it in the 2001. What's up with the cupholder in the center dash? When you use it, you can't get to the CD player....nice!
Other than that pretty good, but the maintenance is expen$ive!

I've had this car since Sept 1999. First person in San Diego with it.
33k miles and it works well.

Similar Products Used:

None

Style, Interior, acceleration, climate control, seats.

Need to remove headrests in order to fold down rear seats

I got the vehicle since october 99 and so far the only thing I did was take it to the dealer to get a software upgrade for the DSA, since the light on the dash came on a few times.
So basically I'm very happy with the car.
I have the wagon which gives you more cargo capacity, pretty fair considering the exterior dimensions of the car.
It does run with 87 gas, as the owner manual states ,and my own experience proves, without noticing any performance drop, at least during normal drive. If you are of the lead foot type maybe premium is a better choice.

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Honda Accord, Mazda 626

Exterior styling, performance, safety, image

Trunk Space

I really love my car. I love the way it drives and looks. Most importantly, I love the safety and affordability of the car. It is an excellent choice for an entry level vehicle in a luxury/near luxury category.

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Saab 9-3, Audi A-4, VW Passat

Size and decent looks. Engine power is good. Economy.

Build not up to par of other Volvos

The S40 is not really a Volvo. The chasis is based on the Mitsubishi Carisma and it feels like a Mitsubishi. This car is un-inspiring in the way it feels and drives. The first thing u notice when one enters the car is the fact that the door doesn't have the same heft the other Volvos have. It feels like a econo-Japanese car. Overall, the S40 doesn't exude the same vault-like feeling of it's bigger brothers. Interior space is a bit cramp esp compared to the Passat. Engine power is pretty good but it lacks the refinement of cars in it's class. The S40 is not a bad car but compared to what one can get for the same amount of money, well it falls shy. I'd rather buy an A4 for same money. The Audi is leagues ahead in every respect.

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Audi A4, BMW 323i, Acura TL, Mercedes C-class, VW Passat

Fuel Economy
Quickness
Styling
Safety Features
Insurance Prices

Materials of construction are of poor quality
Relaibility (several problems including seat carriage replacement and steering column locking)
Value is ok, but his car will not last!

Buy a Honda instead! This car is not REALLY A Volvo. The quality is just not there. A co-worker and I drove my car while entertaining a customer. My co-worker summarized by observations that I was reluctant to articulate. He said, "This car isn't solid". It really isn't.

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A4