Hi, I am from the Saab Forums (saablink.net). Thought I would ask you guys about this.... what do ya think?

My future wife is car shopping, we test drove 3 or 4 civics, 1 volvo s40, 1 2003 jetta...

Both:
-black 4 door
-automatic (wifes car)
-~65,000 miles
-have the parking lot dings, little stains, ect
-loaded (power locks, power windows, sun roof, keyless entry)

2002 Civic EX: (9,995+tax, tittle, ect)
-38+ mpg
-N/A 2.0
-cloth, meh feeling interior
-slow feeling, but still goes
-brand new tires

2002 Volvo s40: (9,600 with tax/tittle)
-~31 mpg
-Leather heated seats
-Leather interior that is comfy as can be.
-1.9 turbo
-all service records
-10k miles on the tires
-man I love that interior


They are both a cars we would like. Any big opinions from you guys?

 

Im a Volvo guy so thats what I would go for.
Honda's have a valve seal problem from what I have seen.

 

No question, go with the Volvo. Of course this IS a Volvo forum.

 

I figured that would be the responce.

Anything that I should watch out for at this point? My friend with an s60 said to watch for the automatic transmissions needing to be flushed. Anything else?

Also, there is an optional 5year/100,000 mile power train warranty for 1200 bucks, should we go with it, or will it be pretty rock solid?

TIA.

 

Welcome to the forum.

I too, would go for the Volvo, because out of the selection the Volvo is the safest car, and it would protect your wife better than the rest of the bunch would. I'm a Honda guy, as well as a Volvo guy but haven't been impressed with Honda lately; they seem to have tamed down.

There seems to be only one minor recall for 2002 S40:
http://automallusa.net/2002/volvo/s40/recalls.html

I would spend the $1,200 for replacing some components (timing belt-tensioner-pulleys/tyres/brakes/fluids/filters/secondary ignition coil packs, etc...) rather than that extended warranty, because 85% or more of the time additional warranty is a huge waste of money and they may come up with hundreds of excuses not to cover the loss/damage.

Good luck,


JPN

 

S40s are great cars, but yes you do need to watch for the trans, as I've seen that being one of the problems people talk about. As long as the car has been maintaned you should be okay, definitely get the trans flushed. And I would definitely get the warranty! Will save you a fortune on stealership prices for maintenance.

 

The 2005 S40 T5 is hands down the best car I've ever owned from a fit-and-finish and overall driving satisfaction standpoint. It is fast, performs well, and is a great value for the money.

I will say this though: if you are going to get a Volvo, be prepared for the worst... THE WORST... customer service you have ever experienced. Volvo Canada has irritated me so much with their glib, we-don't-give-a-crap-about-you-or-your-car-because-there-will-always-be-someone-to-buy-our-product mentality. The salesman at Volvo Villa who sold me the car lied to me about availability (got me to sign on the dotted line with the promise that there was a car waiting for me in the lot, then hit me with the news the next day that he had "made an error" about the availability, and now I would have to wait 90 days for my car while they built it). The customer service department at Volvo then pulled the standard "our dealers are independent so we can't really control what they do". And maybe there is some validity to that, but she was so smug and condescending about it that it made me very angry. Then I got my car and for the first little while, everything was fine. 2 months in, my steering wheel leather started to unravel. Long story short, I went to Newmarket Volvo, Volvo of Oakville, Volvo of Mississauga, Volvo of Toronto, and finally Durham Volvo before I got it fixed. No kidding, I was all over the city, and I met not one sympathetic representative of Volvo. Volvo of Durham finally fixed the wheel after a one-week wait, which made me pretty happy. Then I had a problem with my power windows, and they needed to replace a component. After making me wait a week, they told me to come down. I did (a 60 km drive from where I live) and guess what? Oops, sorry, we don't have the part. When I expressed my irritation to the Service Manager,his answer was "Sorry sir, but it happens. If you don't want to wait, you are welcome to go elsewhere for your servicing". Fair enough, I guess.

Bottom line: great car, but I'll never buy another one based solely on the customer service experience i've had. Next time, it's BMW for me, if I can afford one. Even if I can't, the extra money might be worth it if the customer service is better than what I've had so far.