Volvo S40 versus Ford Focus SES

This isn't an in depth review. Just my thoughts after renting a S40 for 5 days, owning a Focus SES, and being an enthusiast of both Volvo and Ford cars.


I was quite surprised when my "compact" car rental on a recent business trip ended up being a S40 with about 3k miles on it. I was expecting a Corolla at best or something like that. Very happy to get the S40. I'm assuming it was the low end model, I didn't have much time to check out under the hood, there was no manual.

Typical of Volvo, the doors and trunk felt solid, more solid than the Focus.

The most surprising thing is that the S4o felt gutless, really gutless. My SES is quick to accelerate and feels much faster. Very surprising actually but aligns with a friend who says their V50 is gutless. There are times when I accidentally peel out driving the SES, it really takes off. It's fun to drive.

The S40 proximity sensor key for the S40 is weird. I would lock the car, then pull the handle and it would open. Was the car really locked? I returned later without the key and couldn't open the door. I'm not sure the proximity unlock is a good or even safe feature. I'm not sure if it can be turned off.

The S40 cloth seats are a little nicer than the SES but the dash area is similar. Some reviews of the Focus complain that the dash and console is ugly, I never thought that and the S40 isn't that much different.

There are some blind spots in the S40 that I never really got used to.

I think the SES handles better.

It was raining a lot and the wiper interval adjustment was a little confusing in the S40. Although, having a manual for the car would have helped.

Both cars have a moonroof and low profile alloy wheels.

I couldn't really figure out the bluetooth in the S40. I think I've gotten lazy with the excellent SYNC system in the SES.

Here's the specs for both cars (Volvo S40, Ford Focus).

Overall, I'm really glad I got the SES instead of the S40. The speed, handling, features, and price make it a winner. Recent Ford quality is underestimated while Volvo's is overestimated. Plus, the SES is more fun to drive!

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Roadflow is changing to Ford Focus stuff!

There are a few reasons for this. But first let me state that all existing Volvo posts, labels, and links will remain. Roadflow gets tons of hits for everything from OBD-II to Volvo movie info. Rest assured these will all remain here.

I've been in the market for a new car for a while. I wanted something small, fun, fuel efficient, and able to carry a little bit of cargo. The C30 was a top candidate. However, upon further inspection and research. I decide it was too expensive and the cargo area was inadequate.

So, despite being a Volvo enthusiast and owner of many Volvo's through the years, I sought out an alternative. The Honda Jazz (Fit) was looking to be a good choice. But, the Ford Focus won. I am super happy. The car is everything I want. Fun to drive, great cargo area, fuel-efficient, and more than half the price of a C30!

It's been a lot of fun to write about Volvos over the years and I'm looking forward to doing the same for the Ford Focus.

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Siam Paragon Volvos

The Siam Paragon shopping mall in Bangkok recently had a temporary Volvo showroom setup on one of the floors. I spent some time checking out the cars and the C30 in particular. It was comfortable and felt solid, like other Volvo's I've had. The back hatch was surprisingly small and limits what can be put in despite having room inside. Also notice the price tag of nearly 2 million baht. That's close to $60k US dollars! Much of that price increase is import tax.

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Highlights for the 2009 Model Year Line-up

The latest Vine news lists out some 2009 highlights including:

R-Design, Complimentary Factory Scheduled Maintenance, Safe Calling, Executive Treatment, and Build One of Your Own

Check it out.

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Löv

The XC60 Crossover has the first-ever automatic braking system to come standard on a car and is touring North America now. Check it out.

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C30 Box of Tricks

C30's are starting to show up at the Thailand dealers. I haven't seen anyone driving one yet though. It's probably a good car for the narrow and crowded Bangkok streets.

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Design your own C30

This site is pretty fun. You can design your own C30 color, pattern, seats, wheels, and more. Here's a screen shot of the design page. Have fun...

S60 D5 Thailand

Check it out here

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Special features on V70... coffee break?

An audio alert and message that tells the driver to take a break? Yes, the alert and message is part of the Driver Alert Control (DAC) system on the new V70. Supposedly, erratic driving is the trigger. I think the Volvo's in Thailand will have to have this feature turned off. The message will be going off all the time. Read more about new features in the V70 here.

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Concept cars at SEMA

Volvo displayed five new concept cars at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show. Included in the five were a hot rod and a surf rescue vehicle. Read the story here.

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BKK Volvo Dealership

Here's a picture of half the Volvo dealership in Bangkok. Sorry, the car I was in was moving too fast to get a picture of the whole building, maybe next time. A few times I've walked by and checked out the cars on display. I guess the C30's haven't made it to Thailand yet because there were none. I sure do miss my car.

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Volvo Technology Transfer AB is a new part-owner in El-forest AB

Volvo is trying to increase it's role in the forestry industry by investing in El-forest AB. The El-forest forwarder is the world’s first forestry machine that uses energy efficient electric-hybrid technology. Read the whole story here.

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U.S. Debut of the All-New 2008 Volvo V70

Volvo will reveal to the U.S. the all-new 2008 V70 at the L.A. Auto Show (November 16-25). It looks like a decent design. I'll have to search for some more pictures.

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UK C30 ad

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Volvo C30

It's small but I kind of like it. There's a lot of small cars around these days that look like death traps but I'm sure the C30 is one of the safer of the bunch. Those in the market for a small car might want to check out the C30. They start at around $23k. Here's an animation from the Volvo site. Here's the build your own site. Check it out.

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Concept cars

I'm not a big fan of concept cars. They usually seem to get more attention than they deserve. Most of them are too futuristic or unusual looking for me.

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XC60 Concept

I'm not sure if I like it yet. Concept cars always take a bit of getting used to. Check it out for yourself here.

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Volvo XC90 V8 Sport

New options for the XC90...

"THE VOLVO XC90 V8 SPORT

Exhilarating performance. Distinctive styling. Outstanding comfort. The XC90 V8 SPORT has all that– and attitude. Here are just a few performance features that give this vehicle its bold and dynamic demeanor:

311-hp 4.4 liter V8
McPherson spring strut front suspension
Sport calibrated steering for a precise feel
High ground clearance to traverse rough surfaces

LUXURY, WITH AN EDGE The interior of the Volvo XC90 V8 SPORT, with unique Sport Graphite leather seats and special styling accents delivers a sense of confidence that must be experienced first-hand.

LEGENDARY VOLVO SAFETY The Volvo XC90 V8 SPORT’s high-traction road-holding ability comes via stiffer anti-roll bars, unique, sports-tuned chassis and sophisticated stability control technologies. The result is a vehicle that feels quick and responsive, yet composed and purposeful. We'd like to encourage you to take a test drive at your earliest convenience."

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C30s at the 2006 SEMA Show

From the Volvo newsletter:

"Just a few weeks after the Volvo C30’s global unveiling at the 2006 Paris Motor Show, Volvo Cars, in conjunction with three aftermarket tuning companies, unleashed the ultimate expressions of free will at the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) tradeshow in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The three cars, all highly modified iterations of the production Volvo C30, are the separate visions of Evolve Cars, Heico Sportiv and Burton Snowboards and IPD. These cars represent what could be the ultimate dream cars for the young active audience. "These three cars will definitely spark a lot of interest in the C30 and there is no better place to show them off than the SEMA show,” commented Hans Krondahl, Executive Vice President, Marketing, for Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (VCNA).

Built purely as design concepts and prototypes, each tuner took a decidedly different take on what the ultimate Volvo C30 could be. Volvo supplied each company a production C30 T5 with a six speed manual transmission and gave them only one rule to follow: all Volvo safety features must remain functional. Other than that, they were free to let their imaginations run wild. Additional photos and information on all three SEMA Volvo C30s, along with information about the production car, may be found here. Here is just a glimpse of what each car is about:

Evolve C30
The Evolve C30 is the ultimate street performer and track star with motorsports technology throughout. Horsepower is the name of the game here, with 507 stampeding ponies thundering through all four massive tires. Sophisticated race-inspired suspension, gigantic brakes and a screaming yellow high gloss paint scheme over wild body lines highlight the Evolve C30. Sequential twin turbos, exotic exhaust plumbing and an advanced heat exchanger promise eye-popping performance from this dream C30. Inside are highly bolstered seats, a safety structure and custom leather touches.

Heico Sportiv/Burton Snowboard C30
A joint collaboration between German tuner Heico Sportiv and Burton Snowboards, this C30 promises those with an active lifestyle the ultimate lifestyle vehicle. Fully drivable with 300 horsepower and factory electronically controlled all-wheel drive, this dream C30 features a height adjustable suspension, custom cut Toyo tires and an incredibly complex six layer camouflage paint job that will let the car blend into the mountain environment while still turning heads on the road. Inside, there's a portable GPS system and gleaming 2008 Burton snowboards and boots.

IPD
High tech and high style come through in the International Product Development (IPD) SEMA C30, all draped in the colors of the Swedish flag. Producing 384 horsepower, the IPD C30 retains its factory front-drive layout and puts its best foot forward by offering up plenty of electronic fun and a thoroughly custom fabricated interior, highlighted by a touch screen in the floating center stack and a heads-up instrument display. But the icing on the cake is the fully functioning gull-wing style doors."

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El Yellow Volvo Truck

Keeping with the yellow Volvo theme...

I haven't figured out what exactly he's saying but it's not hard to guess that he's introducing this spiffy new yellow truck. One can only imagine the years that lay ahead of this truck, jamming all over Peru, Central America and South America, delivering and hauling all sorts of things. Pretty exciting!

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