New S40 experience?

I'm driving the new V50 for 2 months now. (13.500 km uptil now and no problems. Fast car, good stability

I wait S40 20D next week. Than I will share my experience...:)

Andjelko Croatia

Always happy to be the voice of dissent, here's my opinion on the new S40: it blows.

I test drove a new style S40 T5, w/ the big tires (17" P7s I think), and the geartronic transmission.

It's FWD, which I never thought would matter much, but with a full compliment of people I was unable to accelerate briskly from a stop without causing a significant amount of wheelspin and eventually triggering the twitchy traction control BS. I guess the extra weight towards the rear really hurt traction. This rules the car out for any cargo or people carrying IMO.

The geartronic transmission is *complete* garbage. I have yet to find a less responsive transmission (including Ford's garbage AXOD). Downshifts took between 2-5 seconds (either with my right foot or from flicking the shift thingy).

Rear visibility and rear headroom were at best non existent. Even a Civic provides better room.

For the money, my vote would be any of the competition.

When Toyota puts out its supercharger for the latest V6s, I'd grab a new Camry V6 and buy all the TRD bits (SC, suspension, etc) you can get your mitts on. You'll still save a few thousand over a S40 T5 and have a roomier, faster car on your hands. If you went with a 99 Camry, the warranted output from the supercharger results in about 275-300hp. You can go well over that with the appropriate pulley. The 99 Camry was available with a manual transmission (so far the US spec S40 is not, AFAIK).

Or you could go for the Acura TSX (a.k.a. Honda Accord). 200hp, sat nav,