Volvo S40 (2004 - 2012) 2.0 D3 (150bhp) SE Lux 4d Geartronic (2011/60) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

It is a nice looking car that my friends admire as it looks very desirable.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

They think it is a good looking car and very comfortable to sit in plus it has good MPG.

Would you buy this car again and why?

No I would not by this car again. As the cars I was looking at, at the time I purchased this vehicle were more luxurious eg. jaguar/ merc/lexus. which would have been about 3 years old but this was a nearly new vehicle.

What are you likely to buy next?

I am looking at a VW golf or an AUDI A3 at the moment.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchised

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£18,000

When did you buy the car?

September 2011

Did you get a good deal and why?

I did not get a good deal as i was trading in 2 cars at the same time as only purchasing 1.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

I was running 2 cars at the time and i was finding insurance,road fund, servicing, fuel and tax on both vehicles too expensive. so decided to down size to 1 car.

What was the dealer like?

The dealer i used was ok but not exceptional. after a test drive i decided to purchase the vehicle but although it was only 8 months old at the time it had faults with the onboard computer showing that there were multiple braking and engine management problems. I was informed by the dealer that they would be sorted out by the work shop. on pick up of the vehicle 3 working days later. on the day of pick up non of the problems had been solved due to the work shop not being told to rectify the problems. at that stage i refused to accept the car until they had been completed and kept one of my cars until the work had been done to my satisfaction. this took a further 4 days to complete.

What's it like to drive?

Easy to drive around town and on the open road.

What's it like to park?

Poor front and rear view when parallel parking as the bonnet is not easy to guess the end of, and the rear of the car is longer than you think when getting it into a tight space. I have had to have parking sensers retro-fitted to assist with this manouver.

Have you had any problems with the car?

The car does not put a smile on my face as as i have had to have it back 3 times to the main dealer to have the head lights adjusted as they were too low on dipped beam. even with the head lights at there correct setting the light emitted by them is not very good. I have been on to web forums about this car and it has come up as a common fault with this model according to the expert i spoke to.

What's most practical about your car?

It does long journeys without missing a beat and you arrive at the other end feeling okay.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Cruise control.