New Volvo S40 2.0D SE

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

..., the front door pockets are very very small, I can just about fit in my PDA and that's it. The glovebox, though deep is yet again too small and the boot is shallow though quite deep. Summing up, the S40 2.0D SE is a super motor, handsome, excellent value for money and an inexpensive rival to other premium badges....

ihl123 09.08.2005 · Read review
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Review of Volvo S40 2005

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

Volvo V50 Sportwagon 2.0DS

Advantages: Looks, Ride, Handling, Perfomance
Disadvantages: Controls, Safety

...from experience). When it comes to loading and use the 60/40 split rear seats these are not good either. Assume a long load, and you want to fold (the potentially useful) front passenger seat (which won't fold flat 'cos the head rest is too tall), but you still want room for two kids. No can do. The 40% split is behind the driver, so instead you have to loose two rear seats (60%), even if you're only sticking a length of 2" x 2" wood in the car. And, again, even if you only want a little bit extra load space and want to fold down the 40% rear seat, you can't do that without all the palaver of removing the, otherwise brilliant, cassette thing that holds a brolley, a roll up safety net, and a roll up rear luggage cover. It's heavy and awkward to do and then you need to store it somewhere... For a safety conscious image company, Volvo...

Reeves-Cartoons 27.05.2007 · Read review
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Review of Volvo V50 2.0 D SE Sportswagon

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 

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

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

One for the Road

Advantages: Super 'real world' performance, Comfortable.
Disadvantages: How can I turn those lights off?

...If you need to cover long distances quickly and in comfort then it would be hard to beat the S40 in 2.0t guise. My late 98 car has had a couple of glitches which were rectified under warranty. Noisy suspension bushes which were redesigned on the 99 model were replaced and Volvo recalled me to replace pipework to the oil cooler - something that only effects the turbo models. More surprisingly some 2.0t and more potent T4 also had ECU problems. In my case this manifested itself in a sudden surge of power at about 2,000 rpm and then the power levelled off quickly - sometimes embarassing me when overtaking. Volvo replaced the ECU and the difference was startling. I don't want to be negative about this car because it is very impressive. 160bhp and more importantly 169 lb ft of torque from only 1800rpm mean quick progress and easy...

noelm 05.08.2000 · Read review
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Review of Volvo S40 2.0T

Volvo 850 2.0 10v

Advantages: Got the power, big, safe
Disadvantages: drinks fuel, lack of power in low rev range

...A large volvo 850 saloon, 2 litre engine, used my traffic and undercover police, I picked up the keys, stepped inside, the first thing you notice is how comfortable it is, with lots of room inside, loads of legroom, headroom, I put the key in and turn it, you hear a loud roar from the engine, and think this could be fun, pulling away I became disappointed, I have seen rolling road graphs and know the high power is in the higher revs but the volvo 850 I found hugely disappointing. Comfortable, true luxory and you know your going to be safe but I couldn't help but be disappointed, but there was no raw power there I know this may sound stupid because yes it can wheel spin at 70mph and give bmw's and porsches a run for their money. Fuel economny is as most cars, parts can get expensive, but I think it's all worth it knowing your kids...

aj3001 11.01.2006 · Read review
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Review of Volvo 850

Ooh how grown up am I

Advantages: Very safe
Disadvantages: A bit too safe .......

...When I had the chance of buying an ex-company car I thought great, a well serviced car which has done mainly motorway driving. When I was told it was a Volvo S40, I said "what on earth do they look like?!!". I really had no idea about Volvo's and never had the slightest interest in them. The only thought I had had about them was the people that drive the big square estates seem to think they own the road!! Anyway when I saw what my new car looked like I was more than happy (it's silver which is my fave colour for cars as well). When I got into the car it just felt so comfortable. It's very easy to drive, although I did have a problem with first gear for a while (my husband did too, fortunately!!), it just didn't seem to want to go in very easily. I've got that sorted out now and the rest of the car is perfect. It's got climate...

Claire69 14.06.2002 · Read review
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Review of Volvo S40 2.0

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