Volvo S40

As I said in Stuff posted back on 13th December, I am now a Volvoist, a Volvo owner and it's time for some comment on the subject. First, I never thought I'd ever be a Volvo owner / driver - that's for the elderly and / or safety obsessed, not me, I'm not one of them, am I?

So I am surprised that this little car which was bought simply because it is came over as an honest little car is actually a pleasure to live with. Like most cars it has bings and boings to remind the forgetful that seat belts have to be worn, that doors have to be shut, and all the stuff that stupid people forget / ignore. But these are much more friendly than their German equivalents. These start off nice and quiet, the volume building as you go, not shouty-shouty like those in the Mercedes and VW I have owned. The rear parking sensor is usable and even picks up kerbs, in fact everything is pretty well sorted and refined for such a small family car. The central console has a menu that controls the computer controlled functions of the car which I find really easy to use. The windscreen has a quick clear function which works well and the driving position is so comfortable. The sound system is really good too, easy to set up, program and adjust to suit for personal preferences.

So it is easier to list the things I don't like. The nearside mirror has a very poor field of view so it is just as well it is electrically adjustable (and that is easy to use). The rear screen could do with a wiper to speed up clearing it. The boot could be a bit bigger (actually, quite a lot bigger, it is small) and there is very little storage space in the cabin. The Pirelli tyres are quite noisy so I will soon be replacing them.

After the 2 bigger and much more powerful diesels this 1.8 petrol has taken a little getting used to (and I think I'd like a diesel version even better). The fuel tank is half the size, and consumption is roughly 10 mpg less than the bigger cars which means I am filling it up on a more regular basis - but at least each fill costs so much less at roughly half of the 2 diesels. We have done a couple of long trips in it and they were both trouble and pain free, so rather unexpectedly I am enjoying being a Volvoist. Suzie is happy to drive it (she would not drive the Passat which she hated with a vengeance) and Andy has given it his seal of approval (first time he's done that since I sold the Honda Accord) saying it is better than both the German cars I've owned. They were good examples of their marques but I agree with him, it is, I am surprised!