Volvo S40 (04 on) - Review

Review by Dan Harrison on
Last Updated: 23 November 2009
This Volvo S40 is a clean break from the model that ran from 1996-2004. Whereas the old car picked up a slightly dowdy image by the end of its life, this model is stylish and well proportioned. It has some unique touches too - especially inside thanks to its clever 'floating' centre console - while the chunky styling gives an air of solidity. It uses the same platform as the Ford Focus so is composed and surefooted on the road - however it lacks the sophistication of some saloons and doesn't feel as agile. It's good value though and comes well equipped for the money while there's a choice of some strong engines including the excellent D5 diesel and T5 that's shared with the Ford Focus ST.
4 out of 5

Other Volvo reviews

4 out of 5

Running costs

Depreciation on the S40 is about the same as for the Volkswagen Jetta - petrol models are expected to retain just under one third of their value at three years/30,000 miles, while diesel versions are worth just over one third of the original price. Diesel running costs are modest - particularly the 1.6-litre and especially the DRIVe versions launched in 2009. Servicing at Volvo dealers isn't particularly cheap, but there are a few independent specialists to choose from.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,574 - £2,116 *

Diesel

£866 - £1,602 *

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

12,500 miles.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£0.00 - £460.00

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

4.5 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
    99
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
    227
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

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

Emissions summary

The 'greenest' models in the S40 range use the 109bhp 1.6-litre diesel engine. Before 2009, these had CO2 emissions of 129g/km, but modifications for the low-emission DRIVe range brought them below 120g/km and from summer 2009 with the optional stop-start - which cuts the engine when idling in traffic and restarts when pressing the clutch to engage a gear - reached 104g/km. Very impressive for a car of this size.

Find the exact engine and CO2