Volvo S40 (96-04) - Review

Review by Parkers on
The Volvo S40/V40 saloons and estates are often passed over because of their conservative looks and less than exciting drive. But they can be great used buys: comfortable, very safe, with a wide choice of specification. while its image may fall short of Audi A4, BMW 3-Series or VW Passat, S40/V40 makes a convincing case as a classier alternative to Vectra and Mondeo. Some early cars were not quite up to scratch in terms of build quality, but improvements were soon made and the range is now a sensible secondhand buy.
3 out of 5

Other Volvo reviews

3 out of 5

Running costs

Running costs are lower than big Volvos, but still not cheap; wholly dependent on dealer network for parts and servicing; resale values are only average, with base models depreciating the fastest.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,534 - £2,192 *

Diesel

£1,233 - £1,457 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

Every 10,000 miles

Warranty

Mechanical 3 years, bodywork 8 years

Road tax (12 months)

£135.00 - £270.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

2.5 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
    142
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
    236
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

S40 is not particularly environmentally friendly. With an average of 187 g/km CO2 across the line-up, its emissions are fairly standard for a medium-sized saloon. The range is not particularly economical, averaging 36 mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2