2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD 2.5 turbo
Summary:
The S40 is a highly capable premium sedan that is comfortable and reliable
Faults:
The car has performed flawlessly, with the only item being the service light coming on when service was not due. This was due to the timing as to the factory date of manufacture and was not tied to the mileage which is admittedly low on this Volvo for its age, but it's the most fun car I own and it is perfect for city driving.
I had a flat tire within a couple of hundred miles that was likely due to a road hazard, although it appeared as though the tire had imploded when they took it off the rim. I would not hold this against the car, though as it was a Michelin tire, not a Volvo component that failed.
The only other item to go wrong was a power mirror being extended too far back due to being bumped in a parking lot, but it was easily put back on track when I called the dealer's service department and they guided me through it. Again, this was not a fault of the vehicle, but of the person who bumped it, and it was simple to fix in about two minutes.
General Comments:
This is a wonderful car for the city due to its compact dimensions.
It has adequate room for four adults, five in a pinch.
The interior is finished to a very high specification in the T5 trim with durable leather seats and a marvel of simplicity in its center controls. I have the stainless steel trim as opposed to the woodgrain and it underscores the contemporary feel of the vehicle.
The AWD is very comforting in inclement weather, and the vehicle performs well in snow/ice, horrendous rain, and on regular pavement. I was once driving it in a terrible rainstorm when vehicles had to pull over due to the road suddenly flooding. The only vehicles getting through with ease were SUVs and my S40.
The seats are comfortable, though the rear headrests can be intrusive when looking to the rear, and it would be nice to have the auto tilt feature of the side mirrors when reversing as well as park distance sensors because of the headrests.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 20th February, 2007
5th Jul 2006, 09:26
After about 3000km a warning light came on and a message that said "reduced engine power". The engine did not respond at all to the accelerator. After a restart it worked, took the car directly to a Volvo service, but they did not find or correct the problem. After 7 months and 20'000km the electronic lock for the ignition did not release when the key was inserted, so it was not possible to start. The problem was in the electronics that reads the chip in the key, and also the steering did not release after it got locked, so the whole thing had to be changed. After this the central locking stopped working. Most of the time the car would get locked, but every once in a while the passenger side remained open.
When the engine is warm and the car is idling rpms fluctuate between 500-1100 rpms. When accelerating on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear the acceleration becomes kind of "jumpy" and attenuates around 2600-2800 rpms.
Honda anyone?