Thinking hard about a Volvo S40

[Blackjack200]

Here it is on the dealer site Text

Summery per ZV's request

- Year: 2005
- Make: Volvo
- Model: S40
- Engine 2.4l i5 (why, oh why, do auto manufacturers make i5 engines?)
- Trim Level - Basic Trim I think. But it does have leather
- Modifications (if any) - NA
- Mileage - 70,456
- Price - $9,595

I'm seriously considering buying this car as the mileage is reasonable, it's a stick shift, and and a damn low price. I much prefer BMW or Audi, but there are no mint 2005 stick shift Audis or Bimmers under $10,000.

I would imagine Volvos are not the most reliable car that has ever existed, but for this price, I feel like I can overlook that.

Am I thinking about this right?

Update!!! -- Heathen dealership sold the Volvo to someone else (that isn't ME!)
I'm now focusing on this Saab 9-3 Linear. Even cheaper, but not quite as nice. Text

 

[Kirby]

Good looking car. :thumbsup:

 

[Blackjack200]

I'm not typically a Volvo fan, but I agree, I like the way it looks. The low price scares me a bit, even though it's a dealer.

I'm trying to tell myself that it's because Volvos depreciate quickly, and that goes double for MT Volvos...

 

[cheesehead]

It's a Ford - for better or worse. As such, it's not going to hold value like a BMW or Mercedes Benz, but this isn't going to add up to much over the life of the car - maybe $1500 when you sell it in a few years. OTOH, I'd be willing to wager that it won't cost quite as much in terms of servicing and parts. It's also very safe.

I recall that one of my second cousins owns one of these, and likes it very much. (Family reunion was months ago...)

 

[TehMac]

Originally posted by: Blackjack200
I'm not typically a Volvo fan, but I agree, I like the way it looks. The low price scares me a bit, even though it's a dealer.

I'm trying to tell myself that it's because Volvos depreciate quickly, and that goes double for MT Volvos...

I think you pretty much nailed it. Volvos are good cars, but not much for appreciation.

 

[franksta]

Other than similar mileage ours is different than that one in every single way.
Automatic transmission
T-Tec interior
2.5L Turbo
Sport handling package

Text

It's my wife's daily driver. I think it's only been OK. I really don't care much for small front wheel drive cars. It hasn't had any issues that rendered it undriveable, only 2 overall that were both warrantied.

The real surprising bit about it is how great the fuel economy has been. 26MPG in mixed driving is easy and I've seen 35MPG on the highway.

 

[Atrail]

I really like the S40. I have seem them with as low as 40K miles for around 15k, lease turn in vehicles. I wish it took regular gas, but I still say go for it.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: Cheesehead
It's a Ford - for better or worse. As such, it's not going to hold value like a BMW or Mercedes Benz, but this isn't going to add up to much over the life of the car - maybe $1500 when you sell it in a few years. OTOH, I'd be willing to wager that it won't cost quite as much in terms of servicing and parts. It's also very safe.

I recall that one of my second cousins owns one of these, and likes it very much. (Family reunion was months ago...)

In the case of the S40, you're wrong. It was developed in conjunction with Mitsubishi.

 

[franksta]

Originally posted by: Atrail
I really like the S40. I have seem them with as low as 40K miles for around 15k, lease turn in vehicles. I wish it took regular gas, but I still say go for it.

87 octane, using the (R+M)/2 method is the minimum prescribed in the manual.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Cheesehead
It's a Ford - for better or worse. As such, it's not going to hold value like a BMW or Mercedes Benz, but this isn't going to add up to much over the life of the car - maybe $1500 when you sell it in a few years. OTOH, I'd be willing to wager that it won't cost quite as much in terms of servicing and parts. It's also very safe.

I recall that one of my second cousins owns one of these, and likes it very much. (Family reunion was months ago...)

Actually, while Ford does own Volvo, Volvo continues to operate largely independently. Volvo still designs their own engines and still sources their automatic transmissions from Aisin. Volvo's design team remains in-house at Volvo.

The first generation S40 was actually a shared platform with Mitsubishi (Volvo had a pre-existing partnership with Mitsu before Ford bought them), specifically the Mitsubishi Charisma.

The current (2004+) S40 was largely developed by Volvo and while there is some very minor component sharing with the European Focus and Mazda 3, the engines are all Volvo designs, the transmissions are still sourced from either Aisin or Getrag, and the AWD system is still 100% Haldex.

Simply saying "they're fords" is ridiculously over-simplistic.

For the OP:

You almost cannot sell a stick-shift Volvo. There remains some demand for a stick in the 850 and S70 T5 cars, but even that is a very small niche market. That would go a long way to explaining the price. Also, if it truly is a base model that helps to explain it as well. It can be difficult for car lots to sell "stripped down" versions of cars like Volvos because a lot of the people looking for a Volvo are trying to get a luxury car.

As far as why do they make I5 engines, packaging. It's almost impossible to fit an inline 6 transversely in an engine bay. Volvo did manage that with the S80, but that took a combination of a larger, wider car and what was, at the time, the world's thinnest transaxle. Volvo's inline 5 engines have 15 years of development in them (they debuted in 1993) and are generally regarded as indestructible. I will admit some bias because my S70 has one of those I5 engines, but I still feel that they are strong, solid units that will last a good long time.

In the end, I am biased, but I do like Volvos quite a lot. I think they are among the most reliable European brands and I also tend to like their styling, even the old boxy cars.

ZV

 

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: Blackjack200
Here it is on the dealer site Text

Summery per ZV's request

- Year: 2005
- Make: Volvo
- Model: S40
- Engine 2.4l i5 (why, oh why, do auto manufacturers make i5 engines?)
- Trim Level - Basic Trim I think. But it does have leather
- Modifications (if any) - NA
- Mileage - 70,456
- Price - $9,595

I'm seriously considering buying this car as the mileage is reasonable, it's a stick shift, and and a damn low price. I much prefer BMW or Audi, but there are no mint 2005 stick shift Audis or Bimmers under $10,000.

I would imagine Volvos are not the most reliable car that has ever existed, but for this price, I feel like I can overlook that.

Am I thinking about this right?

For that money, I'd say jump on it...but I'd run a Carfax...and of course...try to get it for even lower.

 

[Atrail]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
In the end, I am biased, but I do like Volvos quite a lot. I think they are among the most reliable European brands and I also tend to like their styling, even the old boxy cars.

ZV

How do you feel about them possibly being bought buy a Chinese company?

 

[angry hampster]

Originally posted by: Blackjack200

- Engine 2.4l i5 (why, oh why, do auto manufacturers make i5 engines?)
?

Shorter than an I6 and sound better than anything else?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3yY0VIcpcs

 

[geokilla]

Take that S40. If it was me, and I had a job and was old enough, I'd definitely purchase that S40.

@Atrail. For me, being bought by a Chinese company would be a good thing for both the company and Volvo. But of course, we each have our own thinking to this. I was very disappointed when I heard that Ford bought Volvo back in 1998.

@ZV. What Volvo do you drive right now? Our Volvo S70 SE is still pulling strong.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Atrail

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
In the end, I am biased, but I do like Volvos quite a lot. I think they are among the most reliable European brands and I also tend to like their styling, even the old boxy cars.

ZV

How do you feel about them possibly being bought buy a Chinese company?

I think that would be a disaster unless it was a silent ownership and Volvo was left almost entirely alone. I thought the same thing when Ford bought Volvo, but Ford wisely left Volvo largely alone. Still, I honestly do not believe that a Chinese company will be able to resist the temptation to meddle deeply with Volvo's cars.

I think it's somewhat short-sighted if Ford divests itself of Volvo given how much Volvo has helped Ford in safety and even in performance (Volvo is supplying the turbo 5 as well as the 6-speed gearbox in the new European Focus ST and the Focus ST is getting rave reviews). Volvo stands to be a good long-term option for Ford if they can resist the temptation to meddle.

To Geokilla: '98 S70 T5 SE. So far all that has been done is an IPD reverse intercooler piping setup. At some point I would like to get into the suspension but it's not a high priority.

ZV

 

[Blackjack200]

Update: Got to the dealership today and found out that the car was sold two days ago. DOH! I'm pretty sure they were telling me the truth, they didn't try to steer me toward any other cars.

With no comparable car coming up in searches, I'm leaning toward this Saab 9-3 Linear: Text.

I gave it a test drive and was extremely impressed for the price. I doubt it's as good a deal as the Volvo was, but 8.5 thousand for a clean (almost mint) 4/5 year old Saab still seems very attractive.

Anyway, thanks for all the input guys. This is the one that got away.

 

[SearchMaster]

I would say it wasn't a spectacular deal. In my area (North Georgia), I see several S40s in that price range for that year.

For example, this one and this one have 52-53K miles for $9999. They are auto though (can't remember if your original linked car was auto or manual).