Advice for a noob soon to be commuting 120ish miles a day...
Discussion
Bonefish Blues said:
Mikey2312 said:
So browsing the net and stumbled across this... 7 miles from my home so going to have a look tomorrow..
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Can anyone list in ascending order the spec trims of volvo as I am confused to hell as to what are the more or lesser spec'd cars
No, definitely not that one. 4C is a no-no - sounds like a good idea but is a very expensive fix. That car has the big sports pack I think (can't remember its proper name), with 18" wheels and half leather interior, plus the 4C. Was an expensive option, but I've only seen a couple around.https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Can anyone list in ascending order the spec trims of volvo as I am confused to hell as to what are the more or lesser spec'd cars
SE is the desirable spec, with the HU850 sound system, 17" wheels, full leather, usually comes with Winter pack too, with headlamp wash and heated seats.
Regular Sport spec is nothing of the kind
ETA
Here are the cars you should look at IMHO: Euro 3 facelifts with 163bhp and no DPF, identifiable by their black engine covers. Best mpg, best durability. Autos sometimes give trouble, not because of a problem with the box, but because Volvo didn't spec ATF changes.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?sort=price...
Edited by Bonefish Blues on Sunday 29th October 16:51
Bonefish Blues said:
Adaptive dampers with multi settings, don't really add anything, and cost a fortune to replace.
Ahh right yea I didnt see that... definitely dont want that! I'll have a look anyway as its the closest D5 engine I can find so at least I'll know if thats for me... Hows the economy on the older 2.4 engines?
Bonefish Blues said:
On a 126-mile commute with A roads, lanes, and the M1 an honest, measured-over-55K miles 49mpg
Thats surprisingly good to be fair for what it is.. my journey would be a 120 mile round trip consisting of A roads and the odd back road.I'm still interested in the S40 2.0D but want to give the S60 a chance
I'd say that SE is the spec level to aim for, D5 163 BHP engine ideally (although with the length of your commute I wouldn't expect any DPF issues from the newer engines). The stereo is lovely so don't rush to swap it out unless you absolutely must have some extra functionality - and even then see if you can bolt it on instead.
Auto will have worse economy and the general consensus seems to be that you ignore Volvo's "Sealed for Life" label and go with the US interval for changing the fluid every 50,000 miles. Depending on the balance of driving in your commute it may be worth lookng at a manual for better economy and cheaper road tax, but I personally prefer auto in heavy & stop-start traffic.
Auto will have worse economy and the general consensus seems to be that you ignore Volvo's "Sealed for Life" label and go with the US interval for changing the fluid every 50,000 miles. Depending on the balance of driving in your commute it may be worth lookng at a manual for better economy and cheaper road tax, but I personally prefer auto in heavy & stop-start traffic.
OP I had a 2007 S40 2.0D SE, which I used for 3/4 months on my 100 mile a day commute before I’d had enough and sold it.
Average 49.5mpg (calculated) over just under 7,000 miles. Best I ever got out of the tank was 55mpg on a trip to Leeds and back.
Seats were comfy, drove nicely enough on a motorway but was completely lifeless on the last 10 miles or so of my commute through the back roads - hence chopping it in.
Overall, not a bad set up, found it frustrating that you can’t upgrade the sound system very easily
Average 49.5mpg (calculated) over just under 7,000 miles. Best I ever got out of the tank was 55mpg on a trip to Leeds and back.
Seats were comfy, drove nicely enough on a motorway but was completely lifeless on the last 10 miles or so of my commute through the back roads - hence chopping it in.
Overall, not a bad set up, found it frustrating that you can’t upgrade the sound system very easily
Edited by mattfuey on Sunday 29th October 19:08
mattfuey said:
OP I had a 2007 S40 2.0D, which I used for 3/4 months on my 100 mile a day commute before I’d had enough and sold it.
Average 49.5mpg (calculated) over just under 7,000 miles. Best I ever got out of the tank was 55mpg on a trip to Leeds and back.
Seats were comfy, drove nicely enough on a motorway but was completely lifeless on the last 10 miles or so of my commute through the back roads - hence chopping it in.
Overall, not a bad set up, found it frustrating that you can’t upgrade the sound system very easily
Cheers Matt, been wanting an S40 owner review to come forward. Did you have any issues with it during your ownership?Average 49.5mpg (calculated) over just under 7,000 miles. Best I ever got out of the tank was 55mpg on a trip to Leeds and back.
Seats were comfy, drove nicely enough on a motorway but was completely lifeless on the last 10 miles or so of my commute through the back roads - hence chopping it in.
Overall, not a bad set up, found it frustrating that you can’t upgrade the sound system very easily
The fiesta is gutless with only a little bit of poke near red line so I'm sure, for me, the S40 would be an improvement.. as long as it has a little bit of puff for overtaking I can live with it... for 14 days of the month it will be used for commuting to work and then just the odd trip into town and then eventually for family in the future so doesnt need to be a performance car
Mikey2312 said:
Cheers Matt, been wanting an S40 owner review to come forward. Did you have any issues with it during your ownership?
The fiesta is gutless with only a little bit of poke near red line so I'm sure, for me, the S40 would be an improvement.. as long as it has a little bit of puff for overtaking I can live with it... for 14 days of the month it will be used for commuting to work and then just the odd trip into town and then eventually for family in the future so doesnt need to be a performance car
Other than a puncture, absolutely nothing.The fiesta is gutless with only a little bit of poke near red line so I'm sure, for me, the S40 would be an improvement.. as long as it has a little bit of puff for overtaking I can live with it... for 14 days of the month it will be used for commuting to work and then just the odd trip into town and then eventually for family in the future so doesnt need to be a performance car
My step dad bought it off me when I was finished with it, he eventually chopped it in when the clutch & DMF started to give up. Was also a rattle of some sort from the rear axle, but not sure what that was if I’m honest.
mattfuey said:
Mikey2312 said:
Cheers Matt, been wanting an S40 owner review to come forward. Did you have any issues with it during your ownership?
The fiesta is gutless with only a little bit of poke near red line so I'm sure, for me, the S40 would be an improvement.. as long as it has a little bit of puff for overtaking I can live with it... for 14 days of the month it will be used for commuting to work and then just the odd trip into town and then eventually for family in the future so doesnt need to be a performance car
Other than a puncture, absolutely nothing.The fiesta is gutless with only a little bit of poke near red line so I'm sure, for me, the S40 would be an improvement.. as long as it has a little bit of puff for overtaking I can live with it... for 14 days of the month it will be used for commuting to work and then just the odd trip into town and then eventually for family in the future so doesnt need to be a performance car
My step dad bought it off me when I was finished with it, he eventually chopped it in when the clutch & DMF started to give up. Was also a rattle of some sort from the rear axle, but not sure what that was if I’m honest.
Is the DMF failure an expensive repair on the S40's?
Wonder if a warranty from warranty direct would be a good idea
PartOfTheProblem said:
Please can we all stop recommending the S60 D5 now? I'm on the lookout for a 2004/2005 facelift EU3 SE manual and can't find what I want for love nor money at the moment.
They're not nicknamed "holy grail" spec for nothing! Mine has just turned 130k and feels factory fresh.Mikey2312 said:
I guess it is being recommended because people think the car is a good choice... If the test drive goes well tomorrow then the hunt will begin for one and I'm sure recommendations will stop but we'll see tomorrow ??
Set the dampers to the softest setting to at least get a feel for the ride quality.Bonefish Blues said:
PartOfTheProblem said:
Please can we all stop recommending the S60 D5 now? I'm on the lookout for a 2004/2005 facelift EU3 SE manual and can't find what I want for love nor money at the moment.
They're not nicknamed "holy grail" spec for nothing! Mine has just turned 130k and feels factory fresh.Mikey2312 said:
That's pretty good, I'm a little cautious about the PSA engines but then of all the ones I've seen for sale at least 60% are over 150,000 miles so they must be fairly reliable..
Is the DMF failure an expensive repair on the S40's?
Wonder if a warranty from warranty direct would be a good idea
If I’m honest I wouldn’t know about the repair cost..Is the DMF failure an expensive repair on the S40's?
Wonder if a warranty from warranty direct would be a good idea
However, I do know, if I was doing it again, I’d probably go for the S60. The S40 didn’t feel as solid as the S60 I tried.
I've just swapped my 2010 SAAB 9-5 Aero for an '08 9-3 Aero TTiD Seats are excellent, plenty of go, plenty of kit, the seats are typical SAAB you just don't notice them it's like sitting on a cloud! my commute is from Ashton under Lyne to Warrington about 35 mile each way during the week when traffic is horrid it averages 50mpg but the average for the weekend run is 61mpg!
Best of all it was £4k for a car with 2 owners full history and only 78k on it.
Best of all it was £4k for a car with 2 owners full history and only 78k on it.
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