Don't pimp slap me, please. I'm trying to either a) make more money to justify having my S4 or b) ditch it and go for something mucho cheaper that's still fun to drive. I have found a few and driven one, and it was ok, but I'd really appreciate ownership opinions. TIA

he'll never buy another Volvo that's for sure...stuff that was defective and should have been recalled or replaced under warranty wasn't - he was pissed.

Owning a Volvo is like you paying for a luxury car but you get better service and warranty with a Hyundai - no kidding!

It was ok....nice performance on the freeway....but up to 60mph....I would be dead even in my 95 Acura Integra LS(5-speed)...past 60...it would slowly pull away.

Hated the interior, though...and it didn't really handle too well.

Guess you're sick and tired of losing to me... :)

They said it didn't handle that well and that it felt kinda' cheap and rickety.

unless a perfect 5 spd comes along at a steal of a price, I'm gonna pass on the R's. I need something cheap and fun, and while it fits the cheap bill, $$ would need to be spent to make it more fun.
I'm on a teacher's "salary" and paying multiple benjis a month for a car that I'm getting really pissed at all the little things that happen- rattles, paint chips, glass cracks, it all gets to me. It's not that I don't appreciate and love the S4, it's just that it's SUCH a sinkhole of money. What to do, what to do... it seems like I bitch about this every few weeks, but no answer seems good to me (WRX, '95 M3, C36 Benz), financially or otherwise, so I just stay put and keep putting more money into my car, dammit. I guess I need another job...

I thought it drove pretty well. Of course, there was some torque steer but it was not excessive. The one problem we did have, however, was with the tires/suspension. On Michigan roads it did not work well. We must have had bubbles in all four tires at least once. My opinion would be that if you really want the car swap the 17 inch wheels and tires for the 16 inch combination from a standard turbo. Any more questions feel free to e-mail. Hope this helps.

Mike

I have special circumstances that help me out in other areas of life right now, but I'm mostly financially independent (from my parents), which is something I actually wanted, go figure. So let's just say I'm not saving a whole helluva lot of dough this past year... that's why every month I go through this period of looking for a cheaper car.

I had a 1998 Volvo S70 T5M. Similar to the 850R, but with less aggressive suspension and a 5spd manual. I liked it more than the S4 I used to own in many respects. I suggest dumping your S and getting an 850R. Don't listen to these haters.

Volvos are sensational cars, and my service experience was better than what I received with Audi and my S4.

Pros - God's own seats, thumpin' stereo, WAY BIG turbo power for way small engine, went well in bad weather, roomy, unique and unusual wail at full throttle and full boost.

Cons - nearest dealer 100 miles away, looks like the box it came in, rode rough, handled not so good, funky Nordic ergonomics, 5-cylinder engine not the best-balanced unit out there.

Overall - It was pretty cool, but I felt like a lawyer driving it, so I traded it for a BMW 528i. YMMV.

Good luck! - Mike