As a 40,000 mile per year salesman I have a replacement car every 18 months or so. Up until September last year I spent 65,000 miles enduring a Volvo S40 and I do mean enduring.
Typically the Volvo S40 will compete on size and cost with the likes of the Laguna/Mondeo/406 with Avensis and Xantia also within a possible group of candidate cars. Myself and my colleagues are free to choose any make and so far 2 of us had chosen Volvo S40s. Neither of us will repeat the mistake. I will be fair and say what was good about it. It was from an engine point of view reliable though the performance of the 1.8 engine was very ordinary.
It is a good looking car, nicely proportioned and for a volume car quite well put together. It is comfortable with a good driving position and seats which are neither too soft or firm.
However to be a good salesmans car any vehicle has to fulfil one main criteria - it has to propel the salesman from A to B without adding to the stress he already has. Can the Volvo S40 do this? No way. The handling of the Volvo S40 is simply no match for any of the cars in its class. The steering has no feel at all and although this was reported to the agents and they did change the steering rack it did not improve. Then there is the ride - this was just too stiff.
First of all I admit to making a mistake and choosing lowered suspension as an option - a very big mistake. Now sometimes a stiff ride can be balanced by some improvements in handling in corners but Volvo designers defied this convention with a car that could not take a corner without breaking away or the tyres leaping over a cats-eye. I had many attempts with the agents to have this improved and in fairness they tried many things including changing the shock absorbers more than once. All was to no avail and the poor ride continued up almost until the end. Volvo no longer offer the lowered sports suspension as an option and that says it all.
Ironically after the car had done about 40,000 miles it got a little more stable. It was a long time to wait for it to run in though and perhaps my now very low expectations as I walked towards the S40 every day taught me to expect little and avoid disappointment. Finally , thankfully, I completed enough miles to get rid of it. I went back to a Peugeot 406 and now reach my customers smiling.
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Saloon - Front (FWD) - 5 Speed - (Man) / 5 Speed Geartronic - (Auto) - 2435 cc - Max Speed: 138 mph - 170 bhp - Petrol - Available Trims: S, SE, SE Sport, Sport
Estate - Front (FWD) - 6 Speed - (Man) / 6 Speed Geartronic - (Auto) - 2401 cc - Max Speed: 140 mph - 185 bhp - Diesel - Available Trims: R-DESIGN, R-DESIGN Premium, SE, SE Lux, SE Lux Premium, SE Premium, S, Sport
Advantages: Useful extras like pull up booster seats, extra locking button for the children, strong car. Disadvantages: The lights stay on in the day. It's built like that. (safety purposes)
ashrafi78692 26.01.2009 ·
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