Hey, hoping some of you newer FWD experts can help me with a question about what has happened to Volvo since the Ford buyout. My uncle is considering ordering a new V50. He's been really impressed with the ride quality, roominess in a smallish car, iPod connectors and so forth. I'm on my second 240 and the other Volvos in my immediate family are all pre-buyout (1994 850, etc.) and we've had Volvos nonstop since the early 80s. I've pretty much disassembled my 240s bumper-to-bumper in my time with them, so I know my way around one of these cars. The question that he has is that he is under the impression that some of the engineering aspects have been influenced by Ford (essentially, they are no longer true Volvos.) We know that the engine in the V50 is pretty much the same as in an 850, but does anyone know anything about what else Ford-related ended up in modern Volvos? In general, have you owners of post-Ford cars found them to be unreliable/poor build quality/otherwise not worth it? Any help would be appreciated.
thanks
Drew