Volvo V40 1.6

Advantages: Spacious, Volvo Safety, Road Holding, Reliability
Disadvantages: Underpowered, Comfort, MPG

...I like Volvos. I would hope so now that I have owned 6 of them starting with a lovely, quick Volvo 360 GLT, through the 4 series, S40, etc I bought this V40 1.6 about 12 months ago as I 'needed' a car to get my dog around in after trading my Isuzu Trooper for a Mazda RX8. I didnt want to spend too much on a second car having just splashed out on the Mazda with the 'must have' toys', much to my wifes disaproval. After several fruitless searches of local garages I bumped into an old school friend at the Volvo dealership who introuduced me to this car which they had just taken in. It seemed to fit the bill nicely. It was an estate, ideal for the dog, and was in the price bracket I was looking at. After a test drive, the deal was done So, enough waffling, what are my views of the car. Lets look first at the exterior The car is...

Woodsa12 29.09.2006 · Read review
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Review of Volvo V40 1.6

Volvo V40 1.8 Bi-fuel

Advantages: Smooth ride,quiet & sticks to the road
Disadvantages: Extremely expensive servicing

...This was my first Volvo, my first LPG car and my first estate car. I had it from new for 1 year (only got rid of it 2 weeks ago due to opting out of company car scheme) The car was an SE spec so all the toys, electric everything and all leather,climate control etc. Firstly the fuel thing- LPG took a couple of weeks to get used to as it lacked power at low revs, pulling off required an extra few revs but after that there was no noticeable difference. Beware though this car has no spare tyre because the LPG tank is in the wheel well,a emergency aerosol tyre repair kit was provided and worked when I needed it but I do Know an owner who was stranded with a flat,This also compromises boot space and the usefulness of the estate is lost a bit as the boot floor has a large raised area.Dog owners beware my Lab struggled to get comfy in...

geoffers 20.06.2003 · Read review
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Review of Volvo V40 1.8

A Volvo is for Life, not just for Christmas

Advantages: Wonderful safety features!
Disadvantages: A little more expensive than some other cars!

...A Volvo is for life well in Shane?s case until he rights it off! Well, that not all together fair, okay so he hit the back of a Mercedes Lorry, then a Mondeo car rolled over the bonnet whilst he was on a single track road and then finally someone in a VW Polo hit the back of the car whist he was turning left. These incidents occurred in 300 series Volvo?s since then Shane has had on 440 SE, I have had a special edition 440 redline and currently a 440 turbo. Shane has progressed to a V40 1.8 limited edition (engine 1731cc but is a factory tuned engine) and she is gorgeous, well it is if you like this type of car! Anyway, following his accidents Shane has never been seriously hurt, he gained only minor whiplash injuries. So why do we stick with the Volvo cars? Well it all boils down to safety and comfort at a reasonable price. I...

wulise 05.02.2002 · Read review
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Review of Volvo V40 1.8

V40 - solid, reliable and adequate power

Advantages: Good power, nice shape, feature rich
Disadvantages: None

...Having driven one of these for the last 2 years through my company, I can say that it is a very capable and comfortable cruiser. I churned out over 50000 miles in this car without a single mechanical hitch and it is certainly a pleasant drive over long distances. I can certainly vouch for the solidity of bodywork. My partner, who from time to time took the wheel of this beauty, had the misfortune to reverse into a Ford Mondeo on one occasion. The upshot of this prang was a completely mangled front bumper of the Mondeo and an virtually imperceptible scratch on the Volvo. The V40 is feature-rich and much is provided in the way of providing comfort and convenience for the driver. The cruise control was a bonus for me because I do a lot of motorway driving. Boot space is more than adequate and there is plenty of leg room. All...

Mr_Wink 18.10.2001 · Read review
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Review of Volvo V40 1.8

Volvo - makes my family feel safe

Advantages: The whole feel of safety, I drive my 18 month old daughter around and will never choose another make of car!
Disadvantages: Heavier on the fuel than I am used to, not drastically but costs more to run than my old 1 litre.

...I have owned a volvo v40 for nearly 2 years which I purchased from new. I was expecting so needed something bigger than my KA. My husband was also worried about safety so we opted for the Volvo. A little more expensive than we wanted to pay but it has been worth every penny. We travel long distances for holidays and visiting friends and it is always a smooth ride. My daughter hardly ever wakes up as it is quiet inside. I am not up to date on looking after a car, but I send it in for its service and touch wood there have been no problems. I think the car has lost some of the old view of what a volvo is whilst still keeping the safety and nice handling, I would recommend this car to anybody with a young family. I think the family pack is very helpful, child locks operated from the front and booster seats....

mkberridge 21.03.2005 · Read review
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Review of Volvo V40 1.8

Changing the appearance of the Volvo driver

Advantages: looks, build quality, dealership service
Disadvantages: insurance

...Having exchanged this car from a GTI and driving away in an estate the general opinion was, what have I done. This opinion did not last, the comfort factor, the build quality and the cars good looks changed my mind, that an estate wasnt just for the family. Volvo what to attract a younger customer for their cars in addition to the faithful Volvo owners that keep going back. I have driven this car now for over 10,000 miles and have found only a few minor problems, which on reporting to the local dealership have been sorted almost immediately. The customer service aspect has been extremely good. Lets go back to the car. The V40 has a more sportier touring approach to design than its big brother the V70. The 1.8 is a good starting point but I feel I will sooner or later upgrade to the 2.0 for that extra overtaking speed...

TLCK9 04.03.2001 · Read review
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Review of Volvo V40 1.8

The Volvo 850TDi Estate

Advantages: Reliable, cheap on fuel and great fun with the carrying capacity of a removal van!
Disadvantages: None, except perhaps getting a little old in the tooth!

...and isn?t cheap but then its expensive keeping the ark royal going and you?ll soon think that with all this versatility you have your own private aircraft carrier! Handling for a car is fantastic with little body-roll or sway and when you consider this is an estate it?s superb. Many of the first time passengers will never believe this is a diesel because this is a diesel with attitude it goes! Top speed is an easily achieved 120+ yet all these time your driving around with a car that?s doing 40mpg whew! Volvo service is excellent with helpful and courteous dealers so owning this bus isn?t unpleasant. What to look for? Well as low as mileage as possible, after all you want the benefit not the previous driver. Plus a Volvo service history with no gaps! Get one of these and you can travel the world in comfort while not spending a lot...

Bigbadbob 23.10.2002 · Read review
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Review of Volvo 850 TDI

Volvo 940 ESTATE 2.0 litre

Advantages: Good reliable car, easy and cheap to maintain. Good bodywork.
Disadvantages: Slow acceleration, but great after 60mph. Cruise at ninety all day.

...also easy to service. I do a regular 600 hundred mile round trip journey to my holiday house in Cornwall with the car loaded to the gunnels. It still drives well with no rattles or shakes. It uses no oil in between changes. The heater valve has just started to leak a little so I have bought a new one, £42.00, watch out for damp carpets on the drivers side. I,ll fit it when I get around to it. I would like to get a V70, I like the car, but what a pity Volvo put the engines in the wrong way round; I suppose this means heavy servicing bills when changing the timing belt, worn wheel bearings and front suspension bushes and tyres taking a lot of wear. Maybe some V70 owners out there can alay my fears on this score. Bad points about the 940. Front wheel tracking is very sensitive. I wish the car had aircon. I suppose I should have bought...

velocette 01.05.2008 · Read review
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Review of Volvo 940

My 1994 Volvo 2.0 20v GLT 7 Seater estate.

Advantages: Loads of space, comfortable ultra-safe.
Disadvantages: Thirsty if you are heavy footed. Parts can be expensive.

...(double width). Finding a double din cd player is going to cost me about £100. The heated seats do not work, but I haven't checked the fuse yet. The rear door panel rattles and is loose, a common fault due to age I believe, although there is a repair kit on a well known auction site for approxiamately £10 so it isn't going to break the bank. This car will comfortably seat 4 adults, 2 smaller children and a toddler on the arm rest booster seat. The only concern I had was a rear end crash with the kids in the boot, I assume that Volvo wouldn't have allowed the seats to be there without stringent testing first. THE COSTS OF OWNERSHIP As I said I have recently had some work done to it, which may seem expensive but in my mind isn't bad and I'll explain why. Two front tyres were low, new ones fitted balanced. £70 the pair...

safariman72 14.01.2007 · Read review
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Review of Volvo 850

Volvo 740 Estate - A Great Safe Family Car

Advantages: Safe, lots of extras, reasonable insurance, easy to drive
Disadvantages: A bit high on petrol

...We recently decided that our car was too small for our family and that an estate would be a much better proposition. Eventually we decided on a Volvo Estate and were delighted when an F Reg 740SE came into our local paper. Anyway we bought it and it is a great car. I have never driven such a big car but due to the automatic gear box and power assisted steering it is very easy and light to drive. I had never driven an automatic or power assisted car before and was a bit hesitant but it was no problem. We have a young daughter and we certainly feel very comfortable and safe in this car. It has loads of room in it and we can even put her pram in without having to take it apart. This particular model has electric windows, electric sunroof, electric wing mirrors and heated front seats! Unfortunately it is quite heavy on petrol...

elvina 31.07.2000 · Read review
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Review of Volvo 740