# Volvo S40 or Mondeo?



## Stevo2006 (27 Sep 2008)

Have to choose a company car and i have narrowed it down to 2 cars.

Volvo S40 1.8 petrol SE or SE Lux

or

Mondeo hatchback 1.8 diesel 125hp zetec.

I should say that i had a new mondeo for a while and really liked it but i do like the look of the Volvo.

Thoughts anyone?


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## Frank (27 Sep 2008)

Botht pretty boring and gutless.

Six of one.

The turbo diesel will give a lot more low end push, muc more usefull for every day driving.

Octavia 2.0tdi would be a much better bet.


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## RS2K (28 Sep 2008)

Mondeo. Bigger and better. Car of the year last year and a cracking drivers car.

Octavia doesn't compete with it at all. Smaller cheaper car in a different segment of the market.


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## tosullivan (28 Sep 2008)

Mondeo hands down between the 2, if that's all you've got to choose between


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## homebird (28 Sep 2008)

If you've kids go mondeo. S40 very small


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## folder (28 Sep 2008)

I had the same problem recently when choosing my company car. Boss gave me something else in the end. Git!

Anyway, the Volvo S40 SE LUX was my final cut, nearly. The Mondeo unless you get the Ghia or the Titanium is no good for accessories.

S40 SE LUX comes with leather, heated seats, all round elecs, 17" alloys, cruise control and multipoint airbags.

The Mondeo has none of the above except special editions.

If you are going for the Volvo, I suggest the V50, estate version of the S40. I think it actually looks better than the S40 and has the same spec.

The 2.0 6 Speed is a good engine in the S40 and has great Torque as opposed to the Mondeo.

Dont be a sheep like the rest of the Reps driving the Mondeos. Be Different. Thats why Im glad boss gave me an Audi A4


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## RS2K (29 Sep 2008)

S40/V50 are built on the same floorpan as the Focus. Mondeo is a much larger car.

2.0 6 speed diesel is common to both cars. Identical unit.


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## Purple (29 Sep 2008)

Stevo2006 said:


> Have to choose a company car and i have narrowed it down to 2 cars.
> Volvo S40 1.8 petrol SE or SE Lux
> 
> Or
> ...



The Mondeo is a better car in just about every way. It's better designed, better to drive (by a mile), better built, bigger and newer. It’s also much better value for money. Ford have raisef their game considerable over the last 10 years or so with the Focus and the new Fiesta but the Mondeo is a huge leap forward.

 The only reason to buy the Volvo is the badge. If that is the deciding factor then you have  bigger problems than what car to choose.  
The only Volvo that is at or close to the best in it's class is the XC90 and then only if you are bringing the kids and are not too worried about acceleration.


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## amgd28 (29 Sep 2008)

A dissenting voice - I went with the S40 in early 2007 before the Mondeo was on the market. If the new mondeo was on the market, I would defintely have been interested. (Personally I don't regard Volvo's as being a badge with any significant caché)
I have since driven the Mondeo and while it is certainly much bigger, I didn't feel that it drove much better than the S40. 

One thing I would say is the S40 SE 1.8 Petrol is hands-down the most comfortable car I have driven and has also 125bhp, so performance is not too bad. If you wanted a Mondeo with comparable levels of comfort, you will pay significantly more.

All in all, I think I am happier with the S40 than I would be with the Mondeo of the same price, due to the extra comfort levels.


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## z101 (29 Sep 2008)

The S40 is much classier looking car. If you want to look like another sales sheep when stopped at every light then the Mondeo. Back seat space is the only area where the Mondeo is better in my view.


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## Caveat (29 Sep 2008)

If I were in the market I'd go for the S40 - better looking IMO and it's probably more reliable.  As others have said, better kit/spec. for the price too.


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## dieseldave (29 Sep 2008)

Mondeo, new model is a massive improvment on the outgoing, it's bigger than the volvo.

Would agree with you on the looks and i think most volvo's come with leather, still would have mondeo


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## folder (4 Oct 2008)

Mondeo is boring and every tom dick and harry(and sue for you sexist's) drives one. 

If you dont use the backseat very often then dont worry about legroom? If you have kids consider how long it will be before their legs grow long enough to need more legroom.

I lost legroom going from a 05 Passat(old Shape) to a 06 Audi A4. Barely enough room in the back to shake a bag of cats.

Volvo with Orinocco Blue. Beautiful car with better Spec than Mondeo. It looks better as well.

In the end, with a reliable engine the rest becomes important and you would feel hard done by not buying the one with leather, cruise, heated seats etc.


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## kkman (4 Oct 2008)

The mondeo was car of the year and won loads of awards for a reason, its the best car to buy by a mile.streets ahead of an s40. just because sales reps drive them should not put you off. damn good cars


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## macnas (4 Oct 2008)

The Mondeo is too large!


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## RS2K (5 Oct 2008)

CreditKrunch said:


> Make sure you get just one coat of metallic paint if you go for the Ford Mondeo.
> 
> Apparently Ford Dealers ( all of them ) have been busy double charging for it for years.
> 
> ...



I'm intetested in your allegations of overcharging and reliabilty issues. Can you provide some proof of these please?


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## folder (6 Oct 2008)

RS2K said:


> I'm intetested in your allegations of overcharging and reliabilty issues. Can you provide some proof of these please?



I should ask the poster to provide proof as to why Audi are driven by midgets. Im average height and have an A4!!


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## paddyd (8 Oct 2008)

Stevo2006 said:


> Volvo S40 1.8 petrol SE or SE Lux
> or
> Mondeo hatchback 1.8 diesel 125hp zetec.



S40 all the way, for one main reason:

That 1.8 diesel engine in the Mondeo is a complete and utter D-O-G. I will never ever drive one again.

someone mentioned all that 'low end power' earlier; thats exactly the problem with the 1.8; it has none whatsover!
A small engine, with a big turbo bolted on. You had to drive on the boost all the time just to get any (and I really mean any) acceleration. 

The turbo lag is simply unacceptable.

Go with the 2.0D mondeo, if you want the Ford. Otherwise the S40. (If I had the choice I'd pick the v50, its built on the Focus estate chassis, and has just more room)

volvo wins for style over the Mondeo every time too. Its out since '04 and hasn't aged a day, with a huge spec as standard, leather etc.

One of those much-vaulted 'car of the year' Mondeo LX's will be bargin basement stuff whatever way you cut it in 3 years time.


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## RS2K (9 Oct 2008)

1.8TDCI engine is fine. Proper independent reviews confirm this. It's not noted for turbo lag, and all diesels have relatively narrow powerbands.


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## paddyd (9 Oct 2008)

RS2K said:


> 1.8TDCI engine is fine. Proper independent reviews confirm this. It's not noted for turbo lag, and all diesels have relatively narrow powerbands.



you are correct; the engine is fine; but the turbo lag is unacceptable.

I drove a new one for 2 months from April, got sick of the constant stalling at low revs with no power, and gave it back.
The consumption was very poor, mainly because you were doing a lot of changing down; even though I am a million miles from a boy racer.

the man who took it after me was actually over at the weekend and I asked if things had improved. Low and behold he wants his '06 Passat 1.9 (105hp) back.

I'm sorry, but anyone who has taken a test drive of that engine, picked the 2.0l 140.

EDIT: btw, the cabin space in the mondeo is incredible, and the hatchback boot in mine was like a cave!


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## Bazzer01 (9 Oct 2008)

While I completely respect the opinions of all previous contributors, I can speak from first hand experience ... my wife drives a Volvo s40 .... we have had some horrendous electrical problems, which according to some blogs I have read are quite common. I recently drove a hired Mondeo (OK it was not the entry level) for a few days in the UK , and was very impressed with it ... good spec , solid feel. I agree that the Volvo is more stylish than the utilitarian Mondeo , and if it's a company car and you're not going to have to worry about maintenance / reliability issues then you might go for the Volvo.


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