Volvo S40 - which S40?

hughs

Looking to buy a used S40, probably 2007 or 2008. I dont do high mileage, prob 8K miles a year. I currently drive a 1.4 astra and am sick of slow performance and would like something with a bit more power.

What are people's views on best version? Probably go with SE but which 1.6 Diesel, 1.6 Petrol or 1.8 Flexifuel?

DJ Hafez

2 litre diesel one is fantastic. Great performer and good pulling power. Great MPG too.

VolvoMan

DJ Hafez wrote: »

2 litre diesel one is fantastic. Great performer and good pulling power. Great MPG too.

The 1.6D is just as good though, with better fuel economy.

Stevie Dakota

Diesel everytime.

jonnygee

Would probably go for 1.6 diesel, but at the back of my head would be a little voice saying hope no-one mentions this is actually built on a focus chassis, isnt it?.

BostonB

That would be a good thing, no?

bazz26

Try and get a 08 so that it qualifies for the lower Co2 based motor tax.

1.6D is ok but the S40 is a heavy car and the 2.0D suits it better. Given though that the OP is only doing about 8k miles a year the 1.6D will probably be good enough. Definately get the SE spec for the very comfy leather heated seats alone.

As for being based on a Focus, so what, the Focus is a very good car especially to drive, would people have the same hang up with Audis despite most of them being based on VWs, Seats and Skodas?

R.O.R

If the OP is only doing 8k a year I think it will very much depend on the price difference between a FlexFuel model and a Diesel, and how long he's going to keep it.

If it's being kept for a few years the difference in resale price is going to be minimal (it will depreciate fairly heavily) and it's unlikely they will save that much on the fuel economy to make it worthwhile buying the diesel.

SE spec is a must (luckily there aren't that many S spec around), but heated seats were never standard on the SE. They were an option that many people ticked but aren't standard.

OP, does the car need to be 07 or 08? There should be some older models with fairly low mileage which will be bargains now. 05 or 06 1.8 SE's can be had for under €10,000 with half decent mileage and have a 6 CD changer whereas the facelifte model lost that in favour of an Aux in.

hughs

Thanks for all the replies. Will hold onto it for at least 4 years, probably more so resale is not a big issue.

Probably a stupid question but, is the 1.6 petrol not faster than 1.6 diesel?

What if any concerns would people have about the Flexifuel, I have read on other threads people having problems, including going back to the garage and being told you should not but E85 in car!!

bazz26

hughs wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies. Will hold onto it for at least 4 years, probably more so resale is not a big issue.

Probably a stupid question but, is the 1.6 petrol not faster than 1.6 diesel?

In the real world, the 1.6 diesel will feel quicker as it has a turbo and more torque. Diesels have come along way in the last decade.

VolvoMan

bazz26 wrote: »

In the real world, the 1.6 diesel will feel quicker as it has a turbo and more torque. Diesels have come along way in the last decade.

The 1.6 petrol isn't up to the job. It only has a measly 99 bhp in a car that aspires to be a 3 Series rival (which it isn't, its more of a Golf/1 Series/A3 rival).

hughs

VovoMan - with a name like that, you must know what your talking about:D

Any opinion on flexifuel or 1.6D?

Healyc

hughs wrote: »

VovoMan - with a name like that, you must know what your talking about:D

Any opinion on flexifuel or 1.6D?

Avoid Flexifuel because it drives terrible (no power) and maintenance costs are very high (oil+filter every 10000kms and service every 20000kms) but if your doing little mileage this wouldnt be so bad.

2.0d is the best but the 1.6d is quiet impressive. Just go for the SE spec:D

steelbar

I have a 07 1.6 D SE, and would recommend it.
I do average milage, around 20,000 miles per year and it preforms well.
They are well spec'd and comfortable to drive.
It does start to struggle power wise when you have 3 or more people in the car.

VolvoMan

hughs wrote: »

VovoMan - with a name like that, you must know what your talking about:D

Any opinion on flexifuel or 1.6D?

I did my time in a Volvo dealership a good few months back and at the time the Flexifuel range were selling extremely well. There was a VRT rebate on them before the changes came in in July and it proved attractive to many. I don't know of the disadvantages of the Flexifuel over the regular 1.8 litre but if the following poster is to be believed then there must be a few.

Whichever you go for though, you won't go too far wrong. Every engine in the range is decent, and if you didn't mind paying road tax for a 2.5 litre, I would seriously suggest you consider the top of the range T5. They are seriously good value right now and have a gorgeous sounding exhaust note. And with petrol prices coming down as we speak, it won't hurt your wallet that badly either.

The 1.6D is a very flexible unit and has nice pull throughout the rev range. It is a PSA/Ford jointly developed 1.6 litre diesel with 110bhp. It gives service in many Peugeot/Citroen's and Ford group cars, and suits the S40/V50/C30 particularly well.

Regarding trim levels, I recommend you go for at least the SE. They come fully loaded with things such as leather, wood or aluminium trim, and upgraded alloys.

I hope I have been of some help to you and I wish you the best of luck in your search.

bazz26

VolvoMan wrote: »

The 1.6 petrol isn't up to the job. It only has a measly 99 bhp in a car that aspires to be a 3 Series rival (which it isn't, its more of a Golf/1 Series/A3 rival).

Your preaching to the converted here, I would not have the 1.6 petrol in a million years. It is past it's sell by date.

hughs

VolvoMan wrote: »

I don't know of the disadvantages of the Flexifuel over the regular 1.8 litre but if the following poster is to be believed then there must be a few.

Is there a 1.8 petrol on the market? From looking at Volvo website, there seems to be only a 1.6 petrol available?

VolvoMan

hughs wrote: »

Is there a 1.8 petrol on the market? From looking at Volvo website, there seems to be only a 1.6 petrol available?

Well in the UK and the rest of the world there still is and in Ireland up until last year there still was one available to order. Volvo Car Ireland have narrowed down the engine range and are now only selling the models that sell well here. That means you are no longer able to buy the likes of the S80 V8 or S40/V50/C30/C70 T5.:rolleyes:

colmha

Am thinking of buying S40 myself, wondering though if prices will fall further, with daily bad news, wondering if now is time to hand over my precious cash.
My mate has a 1.6D SE and is very happy with performance. what do other people think, is 2D worth it, second hand prices seem quite high?

Silvera

I'm currently considering an S40 and came across this thread while doing a bit of research.

I'm wondering what a '05 or '06 1.6SE diesel is currently worth, given the state of car sales?

(Also considering the 2.0 diesel and 1.8 petrol ...actually anything except the 1.6 petrol which is by all accounts too underpowered)

My annual mileage is c.10,000
Should I seriously consider a petrol model or is it 'diesel all the way' as another poster put it?!

MisterMagoo

I'm considering purchasing a 09 Volvo 1.6D SE manual but all the latest reviews seem to be about the DRIVEe version. I can't find any reviews about this older model. Would anyone out there have an opinion? I'm looking for folk's views on actual mpg, trim, value for money, average servicing costs, how much does the timing belt change cost?, depreciation, is the engine powerful enough for a diesel?.

Thanks a lot

colm_mcm

I think the UK SE models don't have standard leather.
The 1.6 in the S40 is the same as in the Focus and Mazda3 so I'd say any opinions on the engine would stand.

EPM

It's basically gearing and tyres are the difference. Possibly slightly lower suspension. Check out the deal you could get on a new one. If you order a basic spec you get a free upgrade to an se at the moment

bazz26

1.6d DRIVE version has slightly lower Co2 emmissions meaning it only costs €104 to tax for the year compared to the standard 1.6d which costs €156. DRIVE has slightly different gearing and lower rolling resistant tyres along with some extra aero dynamics via bumper lips and side skirts. I think those horrible wheel trims have now been dropped in favour of standard light alloy wheels.

Start/stop technology is also available with the DRIVE version afaik.

StephenM_smc

MisterMagoo wrote: »

I'm considering purchasing a 09 Volvo 1.6D SE manual but all the latest reviews seem to be about the DRIVEe version. I can't find any reviews about this older model. Would anyone out there have an opinion? I'm looking for folk's views on actual mpg, trim, value for money, average servicing costs, how much does the timing belt change cost?, depreciation, is the engine powerful enough for a diesel?.

Thanks a lot

I have an 05 1.6D. As regards MPG, I haven't had the car long enough to get real figures, I got an S model but it included radio controls in the steering wheel and cruise control (Two items I needed in the car). I found it difficult to get the right combination of reputable dealer, with a reasonable warranty on a diesel S40. Petrol models are a bit cheaper and easier to find from my experience. I ended up getting one from the UK for about the same price, (Through a dealer, with a 12 month warranty).

Timing belt in the service book of the 05 says 75k miles, but I've been told it doesn't need to be changed till about ~108k miles, but that varied depending on who you spoke to.

The 1.6D has turbo, and for my needs its got plenty of power. I did have a hiccup this week where the turbo stopped working for some reason and left the car feeling a bit dead, (still drove but with much lower performance). It may have been an issue with dampness with the recent weather as things were fine again after about 2 days.

Woodey

The 2.0d is the best engine in the S40, it has plenty of power & also the 6 speed box.

The 1.6d need a dpf change every 120km, at a cost of about €800.

Dont buy a flexi fuel, to many problems.

Dave

road_high

Hey,

I have an S40 1.6d. Lovely car and so economical. Averages around 53 mpg and that's with a heavish left foot
Go for the SE, the extra few bob is worth for what you get. Any time I sit in others peoples cars it makes me realise how far the S40 is ahead in comfort, refinment and equipement and just the modernity of the design.
Never drove the 2.0 litre one, though I believe there is little enough difference.

MisterMagoo

So, if the dpf needs changing every 120k or so and the timing belt too, thats approx €800 each?

I read somehwre that a bit of hard driving can clean that dpf - any thoughts?

Thanks

Henry Ford III

mfitzy wrote: »

Hey,

I have an S40 1.6d. Lovely car and so economical. Averages around 53 mpg and that's with a heavish left foot
Go for the SE, the extra few bob is worth for what you get. Any time I sit in others peoples cars it makes me realise how far the S40 is ahead in comfort, refinment and equipement and just the modernity of the design.
Never drove the 2.0 litre one, though I believe there is little enough difference.

Must try that myself!

JHMEG

A relation was looking at getting a 1.6D S40, but has changed her mind to a Civic 2.2 iCDTi. One of the reasons is the 1.6D S40 is dog slow in comparison. Ironically the RSA have declared Honda as the safest new cars available, which was one of the other reasons.

Quigs Snr

I too am looking at one of these, saw a high spec 06 1.8 petrol earlier. It had a few minor cosmetics. I wonder does anyone know if these would be a big deal to put straight.



Chipped Alloy.. is this a problem ? Could it be repaired or can you buy a single alloy to replace ?



Paintwork is good overall, but obviously someone tried to wash it with a gritty sponge and there are a few bits like this. I reckon it would be handy enough to buff out.



Small puncture on the rear bumper, would need to be filled I expect.

Also feels like it needs new front pads.

Would all of this be expensive ? I reckon 200 for the rear bumper maybe another 100 to get the car buffed back up. Dunno about the alloy or the pads.

Any opinions ?

Quigs Snr

Regarding the chipped alloy pic above, someone I spoke to reckons its an NCT fail and possibly dangerous as we don't know what would have caused that damage.. anyone know anything about alloys ?

eastie

Quigs Snr wrote: »

Regarding the chipped alloy pic above, someone I spoke to reckons its an NCT fail and possibly dangerous as we don't know what would have caused that damage.. anyone know anything about alloys ?

Would cost between 60 and 100 to repair, I would tell the dealer to do it, its a buyers market. I was looking at a 320d recently that had something similar on the front passenger side (its fairly common as thats the side where all the potholes are), I told yer man he would have to fix it and he was going to. Alot of them are just chancing it, they know it should be fixed but if you dont ask they wont do it. Bought a 04 V40 before and the tyres were fecked, told them I'd buy if they put new tyres on and they did no bother. Again, they are kind of half hoping you wont notice which is a bit cheeky. I believe you would fail the NCT with it like that

bazz26

Damaged alloy wheel, rough paintwork and cracked rear bumper, all the hallmarks of an abused car. There are plenty of high spec used S40s around, I bought one earlier in the year myself and waited for the right one to pop up. They are popular as company rep mobiles but I've seen my fair share of abused or hard driven ones for sale so I'd pass on it to be honest.

batperson

how does the s40 compare to the s60?

A friend of mine is looking at an S60 in the UK to import. A 2008 D5 185bhp diesel manual. Dropped so much in vlaue so he thinks its a good buy. Is manual the best one, as most seem to be autos in the uk? or is he better buying here?

Tabnabs

I have the 1.8 petrol SE LUX model.

One thing to watch out for (and do more research into) is the slave cylinder. Mine went without too much warning (only thing I noticed was the slightest of pause in the acceleration), but was expensive to fix (located inside the gear box). Seems to be a known problem according to the UK Volvo owners association forum (a wealth of information).

I drove the 1.6d V50. Personally was shocked at the acceleration; brutal :eek:

The only other problem I have is poor understeer on tight corners in the wet (especially on busy roundabouts).

VolvoMan

batperson wrote: »

how does the s40 compare to the s60?

A friend of mine is looking at an S60 in the UK to import. A 2008 D5 185bhp diesel manual. Dropped so much in vlaue so he thinks its a good buy. Is manual the best one, as most seem to be autos in the uk? or is he better buying here?

The S60 is a better car for the money full stop, provided the price of the one your friend is looking at isn't excessive. There are great bargains to be had on them now and they are a bigger car all round.

batperson

VolvoMan wrote: »

The S60 is a better car for the money full stop, provided the price of the one your friend is looking at isn't excessive. There are great bargains to be had on them now and they are a bigger car all round.

Would the manual be ok in one of these as Auto is higher VRT?

Also which diesel engine would you go for? and what is a good price, he found an 08 for 13,000 sterling plus VRT, which sounds a lot cheaper than anything here?

VolvoMan

batperson wrote: »

Would the manual be ok in one of these as Auto is higher VRT?

Also which diesel engine would you go for? and what is a good price, he found an 08 for 13,000 sterling plus VRT, which sounds a lot cheaper than anything here?

The manual is probably better even as the auto box is nothing to write home about.

I'd go for the 185bhp engine myself seeing as its the newer unit and more powerful. I suppose 13k sounds about right for one of that year, or you could possibly aim a little lower if the mileage is above average.

They are a great car by the way and excellent value for money.

batperson

VolvoMan wrote: »

The manual is probably better even as the auto box is nothing to write home about.

I'd go for the 185bhp engine myself seeing as its the newer unit and more powerful. I suppose 13k sounds about right for one of that year, or you could possibly aim a little lower if the mileage is above average.

They are a great car by the way and excellent value for money.

Thanks that's great to know.:) Btw as you are Volvo man he says the S80 is the same price but only comes in auto. if its also 13 for a 2008 s80 which would be a better buy? In terms of reliability, service running costs and overall best car and value?
Sorry about all the questions, appreciate any views on this.

VolvoMan

batperson wrote: »

Thanks that's great to know.:) Btw as you are Volvo man he says the S80 is the same price but only comes in auto. if its also 13 for a 2008 s80 which would be a better buy? In terms of reliability, service running costs and overall best car and value?
Sorry about all the questions, appreciate any views on this.

Well the S80 is a newer car and from the class above. The auto in them isn't bad either compared to older models like the S60.

Reliability-wise, I would expect nothing more than the odd electrical niggle. They are no more or no less reliable than their German rivals and I haven't heard anything major go wrong with them. Don't be expecting build quality to be up to old fashioned Volvo perceived standards though as they are built down to a price like most cars these days. For servicing I'll have to warn you that Volvo dealers are expensive but it is not necessary that you use them. I can't really comment on running costs though as I've never lived day-to-day with one.

What engine is in the S80 by the way? If it's the same price as the S60 I'd probably be more inclined to go for it.

batperson

VolvoMan wrote: »

Well the S80 is a newer car and from the class above. The auto in them isn't bad either compared to older models like the S60.

Reliability-wise, I would expect nothing more than the odd electrical niggle. They are no more or no less reliable than their German rivals and I haven't heard anything major go wrong with them. Don't be expecting build quality to be up to old fashioned Volvo perceived standards though as they are built down to a price like most cars these days. For servicing I'll have to warn you that Volvo dealers are expensive but it is not necessary that you use them. I can't really comment on running costs though as I've never lived day-to-day with one.

What engine is in the S80 by the way? If it's the same price as the S60 I'd probably be more inclined to go for it.

Same engine i think as as s60 - its a 2.4 D5.

VolvoMan

batperson wrote: »

Same engine i think as as s60 - its a 2.4 D5.

I'd probably go for the S80 then. It's a newer car, it's bigger and it's from a class above.

Tragedy

Go for the S80, really is a class above the s60.

Dreadfully sorry to resurrect an old thread but have been searching for an answer that someone here might know from the top of their head.

Does the s40 1.8 flexi engine have a timing belt or chain? I've been finding conflicting info online...

I might keep it if it's a chain!