New Volvo S40 2.0D SE

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

...shut with a solid clunk, infact everything feels nicely screwed together. Safety is synonymous with the Volvo name and needless to say it is superb. The S40 scored a maximum five stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests, and the SE model comes with Dual Stage Driver & Passenger Airbags, Side Impact Protection System (SIPS), SIPS Airbags, Inflatable Curtain, Whiplash Protection System for the Front Seats, ABS, EBD and Dynamic Stability & Traction Control ! - Phew !! That's a mouthful ! A neat feature I particurlarly like is the personal attack alarm featured in the key fob, press the red triangular button and the cars alarm blares away deterring any would-be attackers. Also the coming home lights are another neat feature. So all in all plenty of positives, on the downside however I am disappointed with the lack of storage space in my S40...

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 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 

Volvo S50 D5 SE

Advantages: Nice Design, Great Comfort, Reliable, Economical
Disadvantages: High Insurance Group

...This is the 2.4 Litre, 5 Cylinder (Diesel) Volvo S60 My Dad owns this car but i borrowed it for a few days when i needed a car to drive around in. I only took out a temporary insurance deal with norwich union which, for 2 weeks, cost me £71.40 which is expensive, but i only needed it for 2 weeks and i wasnt going to pay £4k for a years cover (just because im 18) The boot space is good and is plenty for shopping, or luggage, although if you carry equipment around which is bulky, you may have a problem, because being a saloon, the boot opening is fairly small. Although the engine has 163 Bhp which dosent sound a lot for a car this size when you see cars like my mates Renault Clio having 197 Bhp, but the car squeezes every last drop of power and the clio is no match on acceleration or top speed. The handling round corners is...

Nerox 03.05.2006 (20.07.2006) · Read review
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Review of Volvo S60 Diesel

The Volvo S60 Diesel SE

Advantages: Volvo , Great looks, Great Drive, Great Car
Disadvantages: None I Can think of

...I Took delivery of this car on the 13th Dec 2002. The car was spotless. It is a black S60 model SE. I work as a senior ambulance officer. The car was then taken to our Ambulance Workshops. It was then fitted with Blue Lights behind the Grill Alternating Headlights that flash, rear blue and red strobes on the rear shelf and a magnetic blue lamp for the roof. It was also fitted with a hands free VHF radio and a VDO Dayton Sat Nav system. The reason for the fititng of the sat nav was that the volvo option was £3000 and the VDO was £1200. This was quite a saving so it was decided that it would be better . Finally the car was fitted with a 100 watt siren . The switched were fitted neatly below the heating controls. The car its self also has electronic seats with memory. The seats are leather and heated. The car has automatic transmission...

curry99 19.05.2004 · Read review
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Review of Volvo S60 Diesel

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