not thrilled with new S40
 

So, my car was totaled in a wreck in September and I had to purchase another vehicle and it was a brand new S40. I"m not overwhelmed with this car and the more I drive it, the less i like it. In fact, if a tree fell on it today and totaled it, I would not be sad. I laugh when I read that line above "all the amenities of a luxury sports car". No. Not even comparable to the KIA Sportage I owned, that for $10,000 less had heated seats, moveable visors, a leather interior that looked great with 30K+ miles AND allowed me to walk away from a near head-on collision where my vehicle was shoved 30 feet back from where I was stopped.

Safety? First, I think it's made more crash worthy so that with the terrible side and rear blind spots I'll survive when someone hits me because I cannot see out the windows properly. The screen controls for everything require you to look at them and touch them just right to get what you need; A/C, fan, etc. so you are taking your eyes off the road... not safe. There is NO DOME LIGHT in the rear seating area--- so if I need to get anything out of the car at night, I'd better have a flashlight. No illumination whatsoever. The sun visors only move up and down - even the cheapest cars today have ones that go side to side as well. The A/C fan is sometimes blowing reasonably well, sometimes not, temperatures are nowhere close to what the screen claims (warm or cold) and if I turn the knob to lower the air coming out, it begins to whistle. I am not looking forward to what happens this summer. Oddly, when you turn up one side of the air vents (passenger side) the driver's side gets less air - how is this possible? Is A/C rationed? The car was delivered with a heat weld dent in the fuel fill cover, looks like a door dent and apparently that is where Volvo's standards are - "they all look like that". Hmmm, no, they don't. No replacing this on a new car. The most annoying thing is the terrible leather seat. I have never owned a car with a leather interior that, at 900 miles, begins to exhibit sagging,compression and a general sloppy look with a seam coming apart where the back and front of the seat hinges. It is now March, and after much dealing with Volvo North America, who doesn't seem to care, I was finally informed that I would get "new covers". This of course was after the initial response of "who is paying for that?". New car - terrible interior - Volvo should be paying for a new seat. Even where my shoulders rest the leather is bagged out. Apparently this is also what they call "luxury" Every time I get in the car and see the squished down seat sides and bagged out leather, I am very displeased. I cannot even imagine what this will look like with 15,000 miles on it. I sure hope that when my covers arrive and are replaced, there is adequate stuffing to put inside them. Volvo however feels no sense of urgency with regard to the speed that this problem will be resolved. The discussion began in October and it is now March. I guess they are tanning reindeer hides especially for me. I was also informed by them that "leather seats compress" Really? I've not seen that. Furthermore, I was told that "the car is offered at a price point" So, I guess that explains lack of stuffing, dome lights, adequate ventilation and sun visors that move. The best thing about this car is that the cruise control doesn't require anything more than "on and off" That is nice. Really disappointed in this all around, and now, I am stuck with it. Will never recommend it or the dealership.