USED Volvo S40 Saloon (04 - )

My car

I've had my S40 20D Sport for 3 weeks. In that time I've driven from Stirling,Scotland to Southend, Essex, approx' 900 miles return. I could not believe the mileage,50.5 mpg! I used cruise control at a steady 70 mph, maybe just over! On the Birmingham toll I exceeded 80mph. So I was't strolling along. And the powers there too, a very punchy engine. The only downside was a rather noisey climate control. Good radio,brakes and comfy seats.I could go on!

My car

My previous car was a 318i E30-M40 BMW '88. My first thought was the BMW E90, but the 318i is in fact a 320i with less power. The taxes and the insurance in Greece are calculated according to the capacity of the engine and not the horsepower. The step from 1.8lt to 2.0lt means that the taxes are doubled. So the running costs are high. Finally, to tell the truth, the design of the E90 is not my favourite. So my second choice was the Volvo 1.8 Sedan, Sapphire Black, Summum. I own it for 4 months and my opinion is this:

Cool design of the exterior with strong "personality". The interior is roomy for the driver and I had no complaints from the rear -adult- passengers. The quality is top rated and the leather seats are very comfortable. The interior design is also cool and practical. On the road, the engine is rather marginal for the weight of the car, but the -excellent- 5 speed gearbox helps the engine. In town (bad roads), the suspension filters all the abnormalities without complaints. At the highways it travels quietly until 120kph, hearing mainly the noise from the tyres. Fuel consumption till now (not from the computer) is about 8.7lt/100km. Very good. The cruise control also helps for this. The boot is not huge but it’s OK for my needs. Excellent XENON headlights and CD player (but not MP3). My only complaint till now is the tyres. The speed indicator is W!!!! That means for speeds above 240kph, so I don't know if they work right at speeds till 120kph.

My car

Prior to purchasing this car I owned a V50 20D SE, which was great. However sit behind the wheel of this and drive it like it's supposed to be driven and you'll get everything you expect out of it. On a long jounrey or driving with care I get 42.9 miles to the gallon, but I've only got 15,000 miles on the clock, by the time we're up to 30,000 I expect mid 40's upwards.

It handles well, even when driven at speed. It's a bit firm on the ride, but I'd rather that than wallow all over the road. Performance is very good, OK its no Austin Martin, and you can buy faster cars, but the term used is brisk, and it is.

Equipment levels are some of the best for the price, try getting the same deal on an Audi or BMW. On a slight down side is the heating controls, I agree with my friend above, when he's say's its not safe to adjust them on the move, I agree and the boot entry is a bit small, but I brought it knowing what to expect.

Well designed, good quality interior and stylish (sports alloys do add a bit more than the standard wheels as do the skirts, which add style). handles well and is brisk. Happy customer.

My car

I have owned a number of VW/Audi Group diesel cars including an Audi A4, a VW Golf and Seat models. I wanted something a little different, so I chose Volvo.

I have purchased a one-year-old-car and the 1.6 diesel engine, sourced from Peugeot, does very well and really suits the car. It's not as swift as the 2.0D, which I also tried, but more refined. Hopefully, it'll be the right choice in terms of energy use, too.

The cabin design, quality and equipment levels are excellent, and the ride, handling and refinement are possibly the best in the class. You can see the Volvo touches and emphasis on safe design. The car also looks good in its Barents Blue paint, to my eyes.

My one negative comment at the moment would be about the gearchange, which is surprising for a Ford-sourced manual gearbox.