Topic: CD Article: 2006 Volvo S40 2.4i

[Autos_Editor]

You may discuss our cover story of the day in this thread....
Test Drive:

The stylish Volvo S40 2.4i sedan is one of the few compact luxury brand cars available for under $35,000, says Editor, Greg Wilson.  "This is a small car that feels like a more expensive luxury car," he says   Highlights include a stylish interior, nimble handling, good fuel economy, and above-average safety equipment.  "But be warned: when you start adding options, the price can balloon by five to ten-thousand dollars."     More...

[The Mighty Duck]

In North America, choices in the under-$35,000 import luxury sedan market are limited: there's the trendy but rather flamboyant Mini Cooper S; the 'space-age' Acura CSX Honda Civic look-a-like; the Saab 9-2x, a Subaru Impreza knock-off; and the new but debatably not-as-handsome BMW 323i that starts a hair above $35,000.

Someone needs to tell Mr. Wilson that the Mini Cooper S has two doors and a hatch... 

[captain_ron]

I've seen two S40's on the road in the two years they have been out.  Starting at 31,500 is just way too much for this car.  TSX = $36000 323i = $35300, IS250 = $36300.  All of the three have bigger standard engines, bigger car, stronger brand image,  more standard equipment (especially TSX), the 323i includes 4 years maintance.  A3 also better value in my opinion. 

A 263hp Turbo Mazda3 with Xenon lights, 18'' wheels, premium sound system etc.....same platform as the S40, is $500 cheaper than the base 168hp S40.    Is there ANYTHING the base S40 has that the MazdaSpeed3 doesn't?

A fully loaded S40 227hp Turbo AWD is close to 50k?  I'll take the 48k 306hp IS350 or 335i Coupe 300hp 6MT.   

[a4_tom]

Audi put S40/V50 as A3 SB's chief competitor, even B-Class is in the 2nd place.

[johngenx]

A fully loaded S40 227hp Turbo AWD is close to 50k?  I'll take the 48k 306hp IS350 or 335i Coupe 300hp 6MT.   

There's the rub, eh?  Lexus has pretty much put this car on the trailer (except for the base model) with it's IS series of cars.  What do you think the resale on an IS350 is compared to the S40 turbo AWD?  Though the MSRP's are similar, the Lexus would cost a great deal less to own thanks to it's much higher resale.

In the $30-35K mark, the Volvo also competes against loaded Mazda 6's, Honda Accords and Toyota Camrys.

[mdxtasy]

Agree with the Captain and johngen.  Nice as a stripper but quickly loses its appeal when she starts to nickel and dime ya.

[Loudpedal]

A fully loaded S40 227hp Turbo AWD is close to 50k? 

Pricing like this makes the Japanese brands so much more appealing.   Here's your car, chose your colour, manual or auto, nav or no nav...done.   

[MKII]

A fully loaded S40 227hp Turbo AWD is close to 50k? 

Pricing like this makes the Japanese brands so much more appealing.   Here's your car, chose your colour, manual or auto, nav or no nav...done.   

How boring.
I can understand this philosphy when buying a cookie cutter house in the suburbs, but IMO, it is appealing to have the choice how to spec your car so it is not like the neighbours.
Volvo Canada screwed up with the S40 2nd year offerings with taking so many stand alone options(offered in the 1st year) and putting them into expensive option packages. The base S40 should have had heated seats,STC(traction control),headlamp washers and electronic climate control, as standard fare.

[AVToller]

How boring.
I can understand this philosphy when buying a cookie cutter house in the suburbs, but IMO, it is appealing to have the choice how to spec your car so it is not like the neighbours.

I have never been able to understand this thinking. How does what your neighbour drives affect your driving needs/wants/pleasure? Do you choose your car as a fashion statement? 

[MKII]

No its having the choice of colour,wheels, sunroof, seat fabric etc.  I am anti clone, nothing to do with fashion statement, its about knowing what you like, not settleing  for  what the car manufacture offers.

Let me make it simple, if you buy a new TSX chances are almost 100% that the car is identical to the last or next TSX consumers, except you have a choice of 5 exterior colours. I understand the concept of keeping it simple, but I prefer to have a choice when spending my money on a car purchase.

Not  having a choice reminds of good ole Soviet thinking.  

[Loudpedal]

MKII,

My two last cars were "built" this way.  My Civic SiR did not have option boxes to consider (excluding accessories), only color.  It came fully loaded, and I use that term loosely, and did not even have an option for transmission, manual was it. 

My wife's Infiniti G20t was the same way, choose color and tranny and you're done. 

From a costing point of view, I believe the economics of making cars this way is superior to making a car that can be equipped in dozens of possible permutations.  I have no proof of this however. 

Perhaps I like buying cars this way as I tend to buy something that's on the lot and not pre-order.  On modern day cars the only two things I would not want on a car are 6 disc and Nav (and maybe AWD, depending on vehicle).   Looking around a Japanese car lot I don't have to guess what may or may not be on that exact car.   Go to a domestic car lot and who the heck knows whats on the car without looking at the window sticker. 

Different strokes perhaps.   

[MKII]

MKII,


From a costing point of view, I believe the economics of making cars this way is superior to making a car that can be equipped in dozens of possible permutations.  I have no proof of this however. 

Perhaps I like buying cars this way as I tend to buy something that's on the lot and not pre-order.  Different strokes perhaps.   

The dealerships sure do like it better to sell off the lot, and not deal with customer factory ordered.

Probably 98% (no proof) prefer purchasing their vehicle as you prefer.

In general it works great for the North American consumerobviously, but no so for the 2% that differ in opinion.

[AVToller]

I have NEVER purchased a car "off the lot". They have all been ordered according to my specifications. I did bend a little when buying my Golf in that I had a choice of taking one that was exactly as I ordered except for colour (it had to be shipped 800 km) or wait an additional 8-10 weeks for the factory one. As appearance has never been much of an issue for me, I accepted that car. Otherwise I have waited between 1 day (Forester - they found a perfect match) and a little over 3 months (1968 Minni Cooper - part of the last batch brought into BC).

[mdxtasy]

I want freedom.  FREEDOM.  Give me pink tires.  I want shag carpeting.  I want red lights.  I want to be different.  I want a smorgasboard.

[AVToller]

I want freedom.  FREEDOM.  Give me pink tires.  I want shag carpeting.  I want red lights.  I want to be different.  I want a smorgasboard.

[Benhaze]

A fully loaded S40 227hp Turbo AWD is close to 50k?  I'll take the 48k 306hp IS350 or 335i Coupe 300hp 6MT.   

There's the rub, eh?  Lexus has pretty much put this car on the trailer (except for the base model) with it's IS series of cars.  What do you think the resale on an IS350 is compared to the S40 turbo AWD?  Though the MSRP's are similar, the Lexus would cost a great deal less to own thanks to it's much higher resale.

In the $30-35K mark, the Volvo also competes against loaded Mazda 6's, Honda Accords and Toyota Camrys.

 

And I would so take a Mazda6 GT over the  S40  . A fully loaded S40 Turbo AWD can be over $50K which is horrendous. Volvo has made the same mistake as Jag has done with the X-type. Over capitalizing on the brand name and way overcharging for their entry model. Both are flops in NA.

Here's an example... 2005 with 11K Km with Nav, 160K Km extended warranty and 4.9% finance, $52K new, asking for $39K and still not selling... Dealer has put 3 adds in the auto trader.
http://www.trader.ca/Search/Details.asp?mknm=772&Region=-1&subcategory=&CAT=1

[Mitlov]

I've driven one of these, and found it absolutely charming and full of character.  Also, the driver's seat was, without question, the most comfortable seat I have ever sat in.  That said, though, if you visit SwedeSpeed's forums, this car seems to be an electronics-bugs nightmare.  And frankly, once you check and option box or two, you're approaching the Acura TSX and Audi A3, both of which I feel offer a lot more to the enthusiast driver.

[a4_tom]

A fully loaded S40 227hp Turbo AWD is close to 50k? 

Pricing like this makes the Japanese brands so much more appealing. Here's your car, chose your colour, manual or auto, nav or no nav...done.

Much easier for salespersons too. If you are Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche salespersons; you would gone nuts with those option codes while customers asked to search for stocks.

[johngenx]

That said, though, if you visit SwedeSpeed's forums, this car seems to be an electronics-bugs nightmare.

I really like the S40.  Looks great, drives great, but I don't like how the price rises so fast, and I'd be very concerned about being sunburned by the Check Engine Light.  One friend of mine had their Volvo wagon wrecked, and they went shopping for a new wagon.  They were shocked at the great values.  They bought a Mazda 6 wagon, loaded with V6/leather, etc for about the base price of an V40.  However, the real killer was that they felt that the Mazda 6 compared favourably to their now-gone V70 wagon, and at a great deal less money.

After having owned their 6 wagon for a while now, they're also amazed at it's reliability.  Their Volvo was plagued with engine electronic problems, wiring problems with the lighting system and many other faults.  This seems to be a theme at Volvo (and other Euro makes) and I think the Japanese makes have done an amazing job of captializing on it.  Lexus' reputation for impeccable reliability and the value in the new IS series is "back to Lexus roots" kinda thinking.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

How boring.
I can understand this philosphy when buying a cookie cutter house in the suburbs, but IMO, it is appealing to have the choice how to spec your car so it is not like the neighbours.
Volvo Canada screwed up with the S40 2nd year offerings with taking so many stand alone options(offered in the 1st year) and putting them into expensive option packages. The base S40 should have had heated seats,STC(traction control),headlamp washers and electronic climate control, as standard fare.

I'm with ya on the a la carte options. The way Volvo initially offered the S40/V50 really appealed to me. Now it would be too expensive to get what I wanted thru the packages.