VOLVO S40 - A true beauty

Advantages: Reliable, comfortable, good used prices, safe, secure, customer service
Disadvantages: image a bit dated now, high fuel costs

...I travel to work everyday by car, which means I need a good reliable car, but thats got a bit of an image to it too. I went for a Volvo S40, Volvo have always had the reputation of strong well built reliable cars and in the past ten years have been up their competing with the likes of luxry marques like BMW and Mercedes. --------- PRICE --------- We bought the car used at £7995, a bargain considering that brand new this particular model (the 1.8i) was over £17,000. Yet at seventeen k new, this is still around three k under the new price of a Mercedes Benz C Class and a BMW 3 series (its main competitors) and at a similiar price to the saab 9-3, the car it is most commonly compared with as saab and volvo are both sweedish firms. I was fair happy to pick up the volvo at what I thought was a low price. It is fair to say that...

gusgusrule 30.04.2004 · Read review
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Review of Volvo S40 1.8i

New Volvo S40 2.0D SE

Advantages: Low Price for Premium Badge, Styling, Build Quality, Handling
Disadvantages: Lack of cubby space, Boot too shallow

...Having owned this car from new , I can give it a firm thumbs up. The new S40 started life from scratch and carried nothing over from the older, duller S40. The styling is typically Volvo, but with a German'esque' look to it and a familiar Volvo shoulder line. It's clear that Volvo have aimed squarely for the 3-Series, and A4 - Infact the S40 is the Auto Express Compact Executive Champion 2004. Though the new S40 is smaller than it's predecessor, the wheel base has grown by 78mm thus giving more space inside, the extra width has given the S40 a more muscular look. Infact a friend described it as a 'S60 that has shrunk in the wash'. Based on a shared platform, the S40 shares it's underpinnings with the New Ford Focus and the Mazda 3, thus it is very good to drive and has superb handling. The steering is direct, crisp and well...

ihl123 09.08.2005 · Read review
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Review of Volvo S40 2005

Volvo S40 1.8 AUTO

Advantages: Space, ride and comfort
Disadvantages: Running costs

...Having bought a nine year old a few months ago I didn't expect much, all I can say is I'm shocked - it looks stunning and hides its age very well, helped by the fact it remained on sale largely unchanged sice 2005. My needs were for a relaxed cruiser to drive from our home to my parents home 200 miles away. The car eats the miles effortlessly, and especially in automatic trim is a very relaxing drive. The main disadvantage - enhaced by the auto gearbox - is the fuel consumption, at 40mpg it is fine on a long motorway cruise, round town, however watch that petrol disappear at about 28mpg! One great advantage of that auto box however is the wonderful sport button by the shifter. The car drives relaxed and quiet, push that sport button and the 1.8 litre engine comes alive, the noise and pick up are superb, just keep an eye on that petrol...

leo85 22.09.2005 · Read review
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Review of Volvo S40 1.8 

S40 1.6 - From an owner to you

Advantages: Super safe, stunning looks.
Disadvantages: MPG isn't the best

...As a current owner of a 1.6 S40, I would like to share with you the joys of this car. The car is super safe, after all Volvo does mean "Rolling Iron", so you can expect all the safety features your dear old Granddad expected from his first Volvo. It all depends on what you are looking to get from your vehicle. If you are looking for complete peace of mind, knowing that should the worst come to the worst, you will be safe, then this is your car. If you are looking for a car that has stunning looks and decent performance, this is your car. Ok, so fuel consumption is not the best with this car, but that is to be expected. It is a 1.6, so it won't have the same MPG as your 1.0 run-around. It is also quite a heavy car, another sign of its immense safety. Take the versions with a few extras and this car soon becomes just as luxurious as...

ConcreteMonkey 30.06.2004 · Read review
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Review of Volvo S40 1.6

Rock & Volvo

Advantages: Big boot, lots of buttons to press!
Disadvantages: Could do with some more power

...I've been the "lucky" owner of the last ever Ford Escort 1.6 model (2000 model). I must say that I was happy with it and it did the job but the time had come to slip into something more comfortable. Volvo is latin for "I roll". (see the great pun with the title now?) I've always admired Volvo's for their safety and although some say Volvo's are for Grandads, that is certanly not the case anymore. I'm the proud owner of a Black Volvo S40 2002 model. I've got the SE edition which adds a lot to the enjoyment of this car. THE KIT Climate control - set the temprature and the system will take care of the rest by turning on/off the aircondition to maintain a cool (or warm) temprature. Cruise Control - the SE edition comes with cruise control. At first I never thought that'd be something I'd use but after doing a few...

gekornro 14.04.2005 · Read review
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Review of Volvo S40 1.8 

A Car To Avoid

Advantages: Comfortable
Disadvantages: Awful ride and handling, dismal performance

...As a 40,000 mile per year salesman I have a replacement car every 18 months or so. Up until September last year I spent 65,000 miles enduring a Volvo S40 and I do mean enduring. Typically the Volvo S40 will compete on size and cost with the likes of the Laguna/Mondeo/406 with Avensis and Xantia also within a possible group of candidate cars. Myself and my colleagues are free to choose any make and so far 2 of us had chosen Volvo S40s. Neither of us will repeat the mistake. I will be fair and say what was good about it. It was from an engine point of view reliable though the performance of the 1.8 engine was very ordinary. It is a good looking car, nicely proportioned and for a volume car quite well put together. It is comfortable with a good driving position and seats which are neither too soft or firm. However to be a good...

polydeuces 22.12.2000 · Read review
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Review of Volvo S40 1.8 

The good old square box went round.

Advantages: none
Disadvantages: none

...Andy, what do you think of Volvos? Well now, arent the the standard joke car about being square with boringh drivers and the funny lights that stay on all the time. If you ever want to annoy a volvo driver, flash him and then tell him his lights are on and its only 1:30 in the afternoon!!! Enought of that, on with the review!!! Volvo's S40 and V40 models consigned angular 1970s styling to the past and ushered in curvaceous and stylish looks that harked back to cars like the P1800S, star of the 1960s TV series 'The Saint'.It was a box on wheels that made skodas lok like streamlined supercars. They looked forward, too, to the rounded S80, a trend-setting luxury saloon contender, the gorgeous C70 Coupe and Convertible models and the latest V70 estate. The sharp-edged trend of the Seventies is now but a distant memory, thank goodness...

andycharger 29.08.2000 · Read review
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Review of Volvo S40 2.0

....not a bad car, all in all

Advantages: Reliable and well built
Disadvantages: Relatively limited back seat space. Quite poor rear visibility during parking.

...indentations between the front seats, which in reality are only deep enough to prevent something as short as a shot glass from falling over; not that I've used shots in the car (or any other alcoholic beverages I should probably point out!), but i suppose they may come in useful for passengers who were hoping for a more eventful ride - the s40 is far from an exciting car. The performance of this car is very adequate for normal driving. 3rd gear is quite effective for overtaking and general fast driving, while 5th provides quiet and economical cruising. Although 5th gear I find to be quite lacking in acceleration below the cars torque band, which doesn't suit lazy drivers as sometimes it's necessary to change down on dual carriage ways for overtaking. My only (sensible) complaint regarding performance is that 2nd gear in my particular vehicle is...

musicfan123 14.08.2006 · Read review
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Review of Volvo S40 1.8 

Good solid reliable car. Looks pretty good too.

Advantages: Reliable. Quick. Economic. Safe.
Disadvantages: No rear wiper. Expensive to service.

...I've owned two of these cars so far, and will seriously consider replacing my current S40 (one of the last with the 'classic' body shell) with the new S40, when the time comes. I bought the 1.8 model on the basis that the entry level model with the smallest (1.6) engine may be a little underpowered. Never driven a 1.6, but the 1.8 engine (122hp) seems to have enough to do the job. Only minor niggle would be the acceleration from 30mph when in fifth gear; it is a little sluggish in this situation, but once past 40mph is fine. Not a great fan of the revised gearbox (reverse in lower right position), I much preferred the original gearbox (reverse in upper left position) which was in the first S40 that I had. The revised gearbox seems to require more effort to locate the gears, particularly first in my S40. My car lives outside, so...

dvdlcs 19.03.2007 · Read review
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Review of Volvo S40 1.8 

Love At First Sight

Advantages: Comfort, Safety, Reliability, Performance, Security
Disadvantages: I can't think of any!

...The first time I saw an S40 was in an advert in a glossy mag. I thought that it looked quite stunning, without being overboard and too "flashy". I was thinking of changing cars at the time, so I took myself along to my local Volvo dealer and arranged a 24 hour test drive. I fell in love with the car and put my name down for a new S40 1.8 with a couple of option packages added in (these option packs included things like Alloys, Cruise Control, Trip Computer...) I loved the car every minute that I owned it, it was far and away the best car I had owned. The 1.8 engine was adequate, if nothing special, and had a distint torque band, but I soon got used to this. The road handling was fine so long as you're not the type who likes to tear around country lanes. For motorway and A road cruising it was great, remained stable and predicatble...

steventilly 29.04.2001 · Read review
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Review of Volvo S40 1.8