I was very happy when I first bought my Volvo S40. I think the car has a clean and stylish design and is very practical. It isn't too large or too small but just right even from me, 6'1", 220. The select package gave me all the right features I was looking for in a car priced about $10K less than my comparable choice from Lexus.

The speed of the car is good and I feel comfortable with the exceleration capabilities. I have noticed that the engine takes a few minutes, in the summary, to get moving and level out. I'm curious about the winter.

My only issue so far has been the cars unexpected bumpy ride which I didn't notice during the test drive. I also drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee and am used to a smooth ride, even in bumpy conditions.

Overall, the car guages tell me that I am averaging about 20 miles per hour, about 18 miles per gallon and the gas tank holds enough gas to go about 400 miles without stopping.

The trunk space is very nice as I am the type of person to want to keep golf clubs and about 50 lbs of other junk in the car. It gives me somewhere to put it while keeping it out of site.

At the dealers recommendation, I chose to buy an aftermarket GPS unit which is great since I am driving two cars and can transfer it from one car to the other. The cost was also about 15% of what I would have paid to have a comparable system installed in the car.

The price for the car was still a little hard to swallow as I am not very happy with the pricing of cars these days but the leasing options made the purchase attractive. Having a second car, I won't have a problem keeping under the 12K per year allowance. In fact, I drove under 600 miles in the first 30 days. The lease also has an easy buyout option if I decide to purchase the car anytime and the finance company's customer service line gives me a free payoff quote anytime I want.

One main issue, from a design standpoint, is the fact that the side guard rails don't do a good job of protecting the car from neighboring car doors. When I saw them, my first thought was that they were an open target for a lot of larger cars with doors that open slightly higer. I am expecting a lot of car door dings in the future, because of it. I've owned the car about 45 days and already have one. In my Opinion, there is nothing more unattractive on a luxury car than dents and dings.

I also noticed the power outlets in the car aren't very stable. When I tried to push my auxillary power cord into the 12V power outlet, applying very little push, the power cord assembly near came apart. Ford/Volvo needs a better assembly system.

I've looked at the resale values of the car and they are great.

The insurance, for full coverage, is still only about $500 per year, which is much lower than I expected.

The car is built in New Jersey, by the Ford Motor Company, which I didn't know until after I bought the car.

http://www.digital50.com/news/categories/AUT/auto.html
Amount Paid (US$): 24500
Condition: New
Model Year: 2007
Model and Options: Automatic