Having just passed the 2 year anniversary of the 2 year lease on a V50 2.4i I found the article interesting.
The V50 probably has a less competitive marketplace as the # of manual tranny Wagons is very limited. Volvo's option structure today vs when we leased ours would have kept us from even thinking about it. We really wanted the Sport suspension as well as power seats (with memory which is one of the best features of the car). Now you need to take the package with Dual Climate control heated seats etc to get that. It would make our car a 40 K 168 hp manual tranny agon. Its frankly stupid.
An S40 with Sport package and sunroof is 38 500!1 that's more than a TSX that's: bigger, more powerful,has a far superior Audio system, leather seats, a 6 speed tranny and MUCH much better reliability.
Anyway the article is right the tranny and clutch are pretty smooth (not Acura Hinda smooth but not bad). The electric steering and small turning radius make it a nice car around town. Its a decent cruiser for its size.Its more competent than sporty and ride quality over bumps is far to stiff given its not an extreme handler.
Ours has been mired in issues. Its probably the worst ownership experience I've ever had especially given the price class of the car.
They should sell OK to older folks who want the safety and name of Volvo in a smaller package but why anyone else would buy one over a TSX or even a Turbo Jetta is beyond me. Its just not close to a good value and not special enough in its drive to justify the premium.
We should have gone with a 6 Wagon.
Sure are nice looking though aren't they?
I nearly bought a V50 instead of my Legacy wagon because I liked its looks, its character, and Volvo's history. Posts like this make me realize I made the right decision. The only issues I've had with my Subaru are interior rattles and a flat tire (not like the latter has anything to do with the brand name). It's fun to drive, has AWD, more room than the V50, and cost thousands less than the cheapest V50 out there.
