OT: Volvo s40?

[Spidey]

Anyone know anything about the Volvo S40 ('05-'07)?  I've done my online research already, but I wanna make sure that no one is gonna tell me that if I buy one, it'll reach critical mass at 50K and kill me, the Blonde and every bystander within half a mile.  And feel free to make all the Volvo jokes that you're bound to come up with anyway. 

[Michael Moore]

A good friend leased a Volvo for a while. It was a great car he said, but the maintenance costs were wicked expensive.

But then you own a Ducati, so I'm sure it'll be NBD.

[Spidey]

A good friend leased a Volvo for a while. It was a great car he said, but the maintenance costs were wicked expensive.

Feck.  Really?  What constitutes wicked expensive?  I'll gladly pay maintenance costs for my passion, but not for some idiot box on four wheels.

[mmakay]

Oil change for my wife's '07 S80 runs $80-$90.  You can't do it yourself, because the only way to clear the maintenance message is with a shop computer.   

Still, it's been a great car.

[Vindingo]

My father has owned 2 S40's.  He leased one for a couple years then just bought a new one.  He has the turbo version, so it is a quick little car and the inside is fairly comfy.  I dont think he has had any problems with it.

It is a slippery slope... soon you will be looking for a house in Walnut Creek. 

My parents seem to be in love with them.  They have had 5 of them- 850 turbo wagon, then the S80, (2) S40s, and my mother just got a C70 convertable... I belive all of their past cars had well over 100,000 mi.  The 850 wagon had 250,000 mi.   

[Spidey]

Oh, make the beast with two backs me.  Now we're embroiled in a discussion about how many and which type of child seats you can fit in which car.  Will some please ride over here and kindly  beat me to death with a breaker bar?

[ROBsS4R]

Oh, make the beast with two backs me.  Now we're embroiled in a discussion about how many and which type of child seats you can fit in which car.  Will some please ride over here and kindly  beat me to death with a breaker bar?

Dont worry.

Just get a Minivan. Paint some stripes on it and take it to the Track 

[Michael Moore]

Oh, make the beast with two backs me.  Now we're embroiled in a discussion about how many and which type of child seats you can fit in which car.  Will some please ride over here and kindly  beat me to death with a breaker bar?

Mmmm. Get the wagon - you know you want to....


Seriously though, why not just get a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry? They go forever, cost nothing to maintain, and nobody's gonna be upset if the kid blurps or spills milk on the seats, or leaves red crayons on the seat when the car's parked in the full sun. (As you might guess, the last one's not a hypothetical.)  It'll probably last until the kid's 16 and then she can drive it herself.  You want an appliance here, not something you give a damn about.

[enzo]

Audi A3.  Fits the family.  Keep your balls.

[Spidey]

Seriously though, why not just get a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry?

I would in a heartbeat, but they're all arout 189 inches (which rules out an Outback wagon too).  The Volvo, Corolla, Civic, Scion Box, etc. are 174-177 inches.  The Fit is even smaller.  Makes a difference in for a city car.  Every time I've tried to park a new-generation Camry in the City, it's a pregnant dog.  They're deceptively large.

Enzo an Audi?  Seriously?  Talk about a stereotype --  I'd rather be a douchie Noe yuppie couple in a Volvo with a yippy dog and some blond kids than a douchie Marina consultant in a silver Audi (apologies to all douchebags--Marina or Noe, Audi or Volvo who many have read that line).  Besides, my mom would absolutely kill me if I bought a German car.

As for my balls, there's always Ducati.    

[johnc]

Feck.  Really?  What constitutes wicked expensive?

a testicle every 15k 

[Spidey]

a testicle every 15k 

How much is "a testicle"?

[Michael Moore]

I would in a heartbeat, but they're all arout 189 inches (which rules out an Outback wagon too).  The Volvo, Corolla, Civic, Scion Box, etc. are 174-177 inches.  The Fit is even smaller.  Makes a difference in for a city car.  Every time I've tried to park a new-generation Camry in the City, it's a pregnant dog.  They're deceptively large.

Enzo an Audi?  Seriously?  Talk about a stereotype --  I'd rather be a douchie Noe yuppie couple in a Volvo with a yippy dog and some blond kids than a douchie Marina consultant in a silver Audi (apologies to all douchebags--Marina or Noe, Audi or Volvo who many have read that line).  Besides, my mom would absolutely kill me if I bought a German car.

As for my balls, there's always Ducati.    

So get a Civic then. Fewer amenities and cheaper. Less to worry about too.

The little Civic wagon was a great family car.

[johnc]

How much is "a testicle"?

oh that's right ... i forgot you don't have any since your trip to valencia 

[Spidey]

So get a Civic then. Fewer amenities and cheaper. Less to worry about too.

<sigh>  I'd love to just get an old Civic or Corolla or sumptin'.  But they didn't come standard with all the safety gizmos (ABS, side airbags) until just recently.  So, if it's an econobox, it's gotta be a recent version.  For Hondas--because of high resale--it's better to get something new than a 2-3 y/o.  Same price as a used Volvo.