Volvo V40 - Small things that affect enjoyment of a car

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Sat 2 Nov 2013 22:10
Volvo V40 - Small things that affect enjoyment of a car - craig-pd130

It's funny how small things like the feel / feedback from controls can really affect the enjoyment of a car.

I've just had a Volvo V40 D4 (the 177bhp diesel) for a day. A nice premium hatch, tidy handling, fairly smooth ride etc.

But the thing that turned me off it was the heavy, and non-linear, throttle pedal action. When pulling away from rest and ambling around in 30 limits, the first quarter of the pedal's action had very little effect on rpm. So I'd find myself giving it a little more pedal, at which point the torque is released like a dam bursting and punches the car forward far quicker than I intended.

Yet on open roads in 4th gear and higher, the first quarter of the pedal travel is sensitive and much more consistent.

It feels like Volvo has tinkered with the ECU mapping to restrict torque in lower gears and at lower speeds, unless the driver makes a very determined stab at the throttle. Unfortunately, it makes town driving irritating.

What niggles get your goat with cars?

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Sun 3 Nov 2013 09:18
Volvo V40 - Small things that affect enjoyment of a car - skidpan

It feels like Volvo has tinkered with the ECU mapping to restrict torque in lower gears and at lower speeds,

Most manufacturers do that, if they didn't gearboxes would not last long. Many of those dodgy re-map services simply remove that feature, car feels much faster until it kills the gearbox.

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Sun 3 Nov 2013 10:22
Volvo V40 - Small things that affect enjoyment of a car - dan86

Why do people belive that somone in a shed knows better than the manufactur of the vehicle who has spent milions on R & D

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Sun 3 Nov 2013 11:01
Volvo V40 - Small things that affect enjoyment of a car - mustangman

It could be that what your are feeling is the turbo cutting in. This can give an "all or nothing" effect at various throttle openings. Not so obvious at higher speeds.

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