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New S40/V50
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Comments
Quicker than the T5 with AWD for better balance, plus roomier inside. The S40 is more WRX sized really.
-juice
I did not like the GT's throttle response at all....lag followed by too much...nasty in Chicago's heavy traffic. The Outback H6 engine was fine, but ride was not as good as the GT. I'll just keep my W8 Passat wagon for another year or so. When the Acura RL AWD shows up I'll drive it.
I'm looking forward to Acura's new Super Handling - All Wheel Drive, though the RL is too rich for me!
I'm surprised, though, isn't the S40 a bit small if those are the models you're cross shopping? Why not an V70R AWD?
-juice
The lag on the GT turbo was very prominent; it is hard to believe that break-in would help that much. My old 2.5l GT (1997) took forever to break in, but still had some hesitation even without a turbo.
The RL could be a "keeper" that would warrant its price unlike the S4 Avant that is nearly a repeat of my W8 wagon at a ridiculous price. Imagine an S4 out of warranty!
V50 is very roomy, more so than the S40, especially rear head room.
-juice
I would also argue the S40 has a better drivetrain and more refined and solid interior. Yeah, the interior is on the "modest" side, but I prefer modest over flashy, trendy, or whatever. For example, I completely dislike the Mazda 6 interior.
There are also some cool features, such as the menu-driven customizing options for the car (climate control, key operations, audio, etc).
I am very impressed with my S40 tranny's responsiveness to downshift requests when I am driving in Manual Mode. It seems to downshift as soon as I hit the gearshift lever, with no noticeable lag whatsoever. It is much more responive than my 2000 BMW StepTronic, which typically exhibits about a 1-second delay.
I agree that the Jetta has nicer materials inside. Volvo's are inconsistent, some are very nice, others look cheap, mostly below the waist line. I really like the floating center console, though.
I like Mazda's dash design, too, the sporty cockpit feel.
-juice
While the Volvo version of the new Mazda/Ford platform may have a few more safety features, it is still a small car in an SUV world. For more safety, buy bigger and heavier as well as more crush space.
Plus:
http://sdm3.rm04.net/servlet/MailView?ms=MjUxMzc5S0&r=NTIyNzA- 5MjM3S0
I don't care for the floating center console, which forces all buttons to become soft touch rather than mechanical. For instance, my cars got A/C button that clicks inward when on, so I don't even have to look at it when driving.
But Jetta IV's interior simply sucks! Don't let the finish material overwhelm your logic, & I'm not talking about the reliability. It's the ergonomics nightmare. What the heck is the that low location for the stereo/HVAC? So it looks more like an Audi A4 &, therefore, more expensive looking? Even w/ telescopic steering column to impress, my 5'11" frame still find the steering wheel too far away, as if only the non-transversely-mounted VW's like the Passat can allow me to hold the steering wheel. But then even the Passat's door armrest is too low to rest my left elbow while driving, ditto the 325i. That's where the new S40 comes to rescue w/ that beautifully high door armrest. I wonder what other car has it?
The problem is that I like to adjust the seat sitting high but doesn't want a clumsy SUV.
I remember seeing a N. California earth-quake picture. Only the Volvo(a 700 series) had the roof not collapsed by the falling bricks. All other vehicles, including a Chevy Suburban, had their roof/pillars flattened!
But who cares as long as you're such a skillful driver that you'll duck every accident anyway. It's the new S40's high door armrest, not high center of gravity, that rules! ;-)
All cars have to withstand 150% of their own weight on their roofs, but trucks are exempt from this safety standard. However, some trucks do meet it.
-juice
VW used to have high location for the stereo & HVAC, but the steering wheel locations are always a long reach on models w/ transversely mounted engine.
Does the 3 have the same structure as the S40 with increasing strengths of steel as you get closer to the cabin, or is that a Volvo exclusive? I noticed the 3 is slighty longer, but also several hundred pounds lighter. Is the weight difference from the structural make-up or the fact that they have different engines, transmissions, etc. or both?
Thanks!
The weight difference is probably a combination of the safety structure, and added features (power seats, etc) and materials (ie sound deadening).
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Volvo showed the unique side door beams that protect the vehicle in side impacts. BMW and Audi use round tubes, while Volvo used high tensile steel shaped in a pattern that gave it much more strength.
Not sure if the Mazda3 gets that, anyone seen a cutaway?
-juice
The 700-series TV commercial showed the car having no problem carrying a large delivery truck on top of its roof. So that's way higher than 150% of its own weight.
When I was a teenager, I rolled over an '83 Mazda 626 5-dr hatch but walked away w hardly any injury. The car rolled several times but didn't hit anything. Me, being near 5'11", also had the seat raised pretty high. So that was a close call, as the roof collapsed just ahead of the B-pillar. If it was the coupe w/ the more-rearward-located B-pillar, then...
http://www.volvocanada.com/index.asp?pag=brochure&lng=en&- - col=anigreen&typ=cars&car=xc90
Juice, you may remember me from the Santa Fe forum in 2001. Still have the Santa Fe but my daughter is driving it most of the time now. Great car btw, very reliable and fun to drive in the snow. I'm now driving a 2.5 XC90 and looking for a S40 for my wife next spring.
Guy
Hyundai has made great strides. They beat Toyota in the JDP IQ study this year.
S40 base or T5? I thought the T5 was tighter and more fun. Base is more than adequate, though. You doin' Euro delivery?
-juice
Are you still driving a Sub?
Guy
I'm eligible for certain tax breaks as a G-4 visa holder, so I could do euro delivery and get an even lower price than a US citizen could.
-juice
Thanks.
Wait a few weeks (4-6 possibly) and your car will arrive at the dealer where yo uget it back.
Volvo normally includes 1 round trip airfare to Sweden (sometimes 2), and a night in a hotel as part of the package. The prices can also be very good, sometimes outstanding, but it's hard to tell sometimes if the normal incentives are as good or better. At least you get the free vacation out of it.
One of the big drawbacks is having to pay for the car in advance, and then waiting for it to be shipped. You really need to be able to hang onto your old car for a while after paying for the new one, but if you can do that, it can be a great time (from what I've heard).
Participation can vary by dealer, and some hot models are excluded, but the dealer has all the details.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Free night at hotel in Gothenburg only.
The only car that can't be ordered right now in the S60R.
-juice
I was hoping the 6-sp '05 North-American-spec T5 would come w/ the missing charcoal filter w/ auto recirculate.
Has anybody heard this from other dealerships? Could this just be a Southeast thing, since getting leather, moonroof, etc. at no charge is a pretty sweet deal.
Or do you think it's just blowing smoke to maybe dropping the MSRP down some to make you think you're getting something for nothing?
I like the S40 because there just aren't a lot of them around here. Everybody's got an Accord or Camry or Altima and I'm not convinced VW has got its service department failings corrected. The Mazda 3 and 6 are nice, but still relatively new.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Steve
Dothan, Alabama
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Heck, I don't give a damn about motorized seats. I just want a full adjustment, including lumbar, on the passenger seat so I can impress someone important sitting next to me. Or just to show off to the BMW 3-series owners...
But then, the manual seat-height crank from Ford MoCo is not lasting -- as those Mazda3's w/ the same crank were coming loose in the RevItUp event I attended!
Free vers pkg is not offered on the V50.
Most V50's won't arrive till Fall.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
But I'd rather pay extra & take the S40 T5 for the std softer & calmer/slower-movement suspension. Even the std 325i can't do that!
Try the powerful T5 w/o sport suspension. It still handles great plus w/o any nervousness & makes you feel like a boss. Thanks to the Focus II suspension/steering.
& does OSD still require the premium package?
Probably till the end of the year, although I will have to check on that.
Otherwise this sounds like an amazing deal for a car like the new S40 T5. I think I will try and wait to get it in manual.
Volvo does it because it helps them sell more cars, and they make money at it. basically they sell it to you for the price they would otherwise charge the dealer (not exactly, but thats the concept), plus a mark-up to cover the fee they pay the dealer for handling the paperwork, etc.
You are right that it can be a very good deal 9even without the free vacation).
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.