Faults:

Numerous electrical glitches; burnt bulbs, radio memory loss, intermittent warning lights, etc.

No major mechanical failures.

General Comments:

You can definitely tell that Ford has left their mark on Volvo. Owning this car has been a frustrating experience. The car's electrical system seems to have a mind of its own, and must be serviced at a dealer. In fact, everything has to be done at a Volvo dealership, because they're the only ones who can reset the maintenance computer.

No complaints about the 2.4L Inline 5. The engine provides good power and throttle response, and the suspension and steering make the car feel much lighter than it actually is.

The interior of the car is comfortable, functional, but generally unattractive and bland. The center console is an amazing array of at least 30 buttons, all to operate a single radio. Buttons on the steering wheel, radio, and heater are small, hard to read, and hard to use with gloves on. The little pocket behind the console is a nice touch, though.

Cabin space is enough for four adults, and can get very cramped, very quickly. Trunk space is god, but there are two pits on either side of the spare tire cover for no discernible purpose, the opening is small, and the trunk button on the remote only unlocks the trunk rather than open it. The seats do fold flat, though, which is a nice bonus.

However, just when you think that Ford has completely ruined Volvo, there's still some evidence to say otherwise. Last year, the car was being driven through recent snow. The car hit a downhill patch of ice towards a curve, and impacted the curb sideways at over 40 km/h (25 MPH). Two rims on the passenger's side were badly damaged and needed to be replaced. When the car was brought to a shop, the technician told us that the car shouldn't have been driven and was likely to have major suspension damage. But when a check was done, the car was not only undamaged, but it was still holding perfect alignment! Volvo safety and quality aren't just clichés. And thankfully, Ford has at least left this intact.

Faults:

Minor oil leak.

General Comments:

This is a really solid car, great performance.

The manual model is a bit faster and uses less fuel.

I'm averaging 40 mpg (a lot of motorway driving).

The boot is tiny (Volvo really need to address this if the S40 is to compete with other makes)

The centre floating console is very artistic, but the buttons controlling heater, hrw etc are tiny - it's very easy to press the wrong button - or press two buttons at once.

Those are my only gripes - apart from that it is a very fast, solid car and certainly gives BMW a run for its money.