USED Volvo S40 Saloon (04 - )

My car

I have had my S40 since Sept 04 and have covered 53k. The car is impressive in most aspects. I always achieve mileage figures in the mid to high 40s, and achieve the low 50s regularly.

The interior is excellent, with a good audio system.

The down side is the number of faults I have had, the cd changer failed twice and was hanged both times, and the electronic ingnition failed completely on my drive way, so I could not even get the steering lock of.

But my dealer Owens of Ipswich has been excellent when handling my problems.

My car

I bought this car new in December 2004 when I was doing a long distance commute. Fuel economy has been excellent, averaging about 50mpg, and I have also been pleased with the performance.

I used to suffer back pain when driving long distances, but since I got the Volvo that has ceased to be a problem - the seats are truly excellent.

My only complaint is that the engine is quite loud - there is no disguising the fact that this is a diesel.

My car

I have had the S40 as a company car for over six months, and done 20,000 miles. It is the first car I have ever had that has had absolutely nothing go wrong with it.

My previous three VWs (Golfs and Passats) all had niggly faults, and you tend to get used to them, so it surprised me how faultless the Volvo has been. The 17-inch alloys kick up a lot of road noise on poor surfaces, but the handling is spot on - far better than my old Golf GTI.

The car has a nice interior, with a good hi-fi, and on the SE model, kit level is impressive. I'm getting over 47mpg average, with up to 58mpg on a good steady motorway run. The boot opening is a little akward - it's too small. Volvo should have made it a hatchback for practicality. If there's more to life than a German badge, then this is a car to seriously consider.

My car

Whilst the drive and handling is very good, the engine sounds like a load of nuts and bolts.

The fuel economy is also very bad. On a 700-mile trip on motorways and A-roads, I struggled to get 50mph. When I drive around my area mixed driving I get 38-39 mile. The looks of this car are superb, but it is let down by the engine. After only 4000 miles, I am considering changing it.