Item: Used Volvo V40 2012-2019
Rating: 3
Author: What Car? Team

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/a3/hatchback/used-review/n17405">Audi A3 Sportback </a>is one of the best cars in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/volvo">Volvo</a> V40's class;&nbsp;it provides strong yet efficient engines, a beautifully finished interior, and a great blend of ride and handling. The&nbsp;rather firm ride of S Line models on sports suspension is the&nbsp;only major downside.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/1-series/hatchback/used-review/n798">BMW 1 Series</a>, meanwhile, is the driver’s choice, offering rear-wheel drive balance and sharp handling. But that’s not all it can offer – good performance, low running costs and a best-in-class infotainment system are further highlights. However, the large hump in its floor does rob some space in the rear seats, while its boot space is also compromised.

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If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/volvo/v40?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;postCode=tw1%203sp">used V40,</a> or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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<h3>Potential engine fire</h3>

Volvo is presently in the process of recalling around 70,000 cars in the UK fitted with a 2.0-litre diesel engine, over potential engine fires. There isn't a fix at the moment, so owners are being told to pay attention to any unusual smells coming into the interior,&nbsp;if the engine warning light illuminates, or if the&nbsp;engine hesitates under acceleration. <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/volvo-recalls-70000-uk-cars-over-fire-fears/n19820">Read our news story on this for further information</a> or contact Volvo directly on&nbsp;01628 854 210.

<h3>Cracked fuel hose</h3>

A&nbsp;fuel hose fitted to some models has been&nbsp;found to&nbsp;crack&nbsp;up from the inside, which could lead to a fuel leak if not fixed. This applies to cars built between 11 April 2015 and 30 March 2016, and a Volvo dealer will be able to tell you if your car is affected or not.

<h3>Airbags might not deploy correctly in an accident</h3>

There have been a few recalls regarding airbags&nbsp;that might&nbsp;not deploy correctly in a collision. The first is for the driver's airbag on V40s made between 25 April 2016 and 15 May 2016, while the second affects&nbsp;examples built between 25 August 2016 and 5 October 2016. Contact your local Volvo dealer to make sure your car has had the relevant remedial work carried out.

<h3>Rear light may stop working</h3>

An issue with some software on cars built between 25 November 2013 and 10 March 2014 may result in the left (nearside) rear tail light failing. The driver should see a warning light appear in the instrument cluster informing them of the problem if it occurs.&nbsp;

<h3>Coolant leak</h3>

It has been identified that there could be a coolant leak during the warm-up process of some V40s built between 6 February 2012 and 21 April 2015&nbsp;that could result in an engine fire in extreme circumstances. Check with a Volvo dealer to make sure your car isn't affected by this.

Volvo as a manufacturer&nbsp;finished in 16th place out of 31 other brands in our latest survey, while the V40 has been steadily improving, getting 7th place out of the class of 24&nbsp;family cars.

If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042"> What Car? Reliability Survey</a> pages for more information.

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Hatchback

Volvo is now a true rival to the likes of Audi, BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz, offering an alternative take on premium executive cars to a rapidly growing fanbase.

After a string of strong launches – notably with the Mk2 XC90 and XC60 SUVs – it struck gold in early 2018 when it launched its smallest SUV, the XC40. When our testers compared the car with its rivals, they concluded that it was the best launch of the previous 12 months, earning it our coveted overall Car of the Year Award.

The good news is that, like many car makers, Volvo now uses the same structure underneath most of its cars – so if they get it right on one model, it usually bodes well for the rest. That’s the case here, with Volvo’s subsequent saloon and estate launches complementing the SUVs and making for a generally extremely appealing line-up.

VOLVO

Not the best in its class to drive, but the Volvo V40 still has a fine interior and lots of safety kit

Used Volvo V40 2012-2019

<h3>MPG</h3>

In terms of fuel costs, the V40 shouldn't&nbsp;trouble your bank balance and will be&nbsp;on par with its rivals. The D2 is the most efficient model – its fuel consumption figure is an impressive 78.5mpg. The five-cylinder D3 and D4 of the period both had figures of 65.7mpg, although&nbsp;the later 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel that replaced all variants&nbsp;still provided&nbsp;decent economy at 74.3mpg.

If you’d rather a petrol V40,&nbsp;an early&nbsp;1.6-litre T3 and T4 have similar economy and emissions figures (53.3mpg for the T3 and 51.4mpg and&nbsp;for the T4). The five-cylinder T5 is the most expensive model to run with a purse-busting figure&nbsp;of 34.9mpg. This&nbsp;is probably why it was replaced, along with the other petrol models, with a more efficient 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that has a figure&nbsp;of 47.9mpg&nbsp;in 242bhp T5 form. The 1.5-litre petrol auto turns in a respectable figure&nbsp;of 50.4mpg.

<h3>CO2 emissions</h3>

Go for the D2 diesel for the lowest&nbsp;CO2 emissions&nbsp;of&nbsp;just 94g/km, although the 2.0-litre, four-cylinder used in the later D3 and D4 models managed to emit only 99g/km. Earlier (pre-2015) D3 and D4 models use a larger five-cylinder engine that puts out more CO2, at 114g/km.

As long as you avoid the five-cylinder T5 in early examples of V40 (it spits out 189g/km), then the petrols are reasonable for road tax. As with the diesel models, the petrol engine range was revised in 2015 to use smaller four-cylinder engines, which is why a later T5 only emits 137g/km in T5 form. Both the regular manual T4 and automatic-equipped T2 and T3 petrols produce&nbsp;129g/km. The T3 has the lowest CO2 figure for a petrol V40 at 124g/km.

<h3>Road tax</h3>

If your V40 was registered before 1 April 2017, then it'll be charged for yearly road tax under&nbsp;the older system that was based on CO2 emissions, whereas those registered after this point will pay a flat rate fee under the current system.&nbsp;To find out more about the current <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153">road tax costs, click here</a> for further information.

<h3>Servicing costs</h3>

Servicing however won’t be quite so cheap, as Volvo dealers do not provide fixed price servicing.

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Not the best in its class to drive, but the Volvo V40 still has a fine interior and lots of safety kit

High-mileage early <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/volvo">Volvo</a> V40s can be found for £4000, but it is better to budget for at least £6000: this&nbsp;gets you a 1.6-litre D2 SE manual with average mileage and a decent service history. Petrol-powered models with an&nbsp;average number of miles as a full-service&nbsp;history, meanwhile, start at around £7500.

The V40 was given a mild facelift in 2016; if you want one of these cars, you’ll need to stump up at least £8500. A last-of-the-line V40 from a Volvo main dealer will start from around £12,000 for a T2 Momentum model.

Check the value of a used Volvo V40&nbsp;with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/valuations/">What Car? Valuations</a>

<h3>Engine</h3>

Depending upon how you intend to use your car, we would suggest you look for a 1.6 D2 diesel as the best all-round engine choice for earlier cars and the 2.0 D2 for post-2015 models. Both&nbsp;manage&nbsp;to motivate the V40 with adequate pace, although it’s not quite as effortlessly as those of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/a3/hatchback/used-review/n17405">Audi A3</a> or <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/hatchback/used-review/n776">Volkswagen Golf</a>. The D3 and D4 make the V40 surprisingly fast, but they start becoming a bit too expensive to buy and run when compared with the D2.

If you only intend to do shorter journeys, though, you should consider the T3 petrol to avoid issues with the DPF. The T3 engine is smooth and happy to rev when you need a bit more power to perform an overtaking manoeuvre, and it should be quite economical, even if it is unlikely to match the diesel model.

<h3>Specification</h3>

SE-spec <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/volvo">Volvo</a> V40s get plenty of equipment and there are enough of them around&nbsp;to make it our pick of the range. That being said, if you like the more aggressive styling of the R-Design model, then you can go for that model safe in the knowledge that you won't have to put up with a jarring ride since it doesn't come with firmer, sports suspension, unlike many of its rivals. And it does have fabulously comfortable sports seats.

Our favourite Volvo V40:&nbsp;2.0-litre D2 R-Design

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plenty of practical space </li> <li>Low running costs </li> <li>A comfortable ride </li> <li>A healthy equipment list </li> <li>Quality materials and thoughtful touches inside </li> <li>Rock-solid reliability</li></ul>

Family cars arguably have the toughest brief of all: they have to be good at pretty much everything. They’re used as the daily drive, on the school run or work commute (often both), and have to be able to cope with a family’s clutter on weekends and holidays.

The Skoda Scala is a relative newcomer, but it's&nbsp;already carved out a name for itself in this segment.&nbsp;If you're looking for a moderately priced car that combines a supple ride, neat handling, a spacious interior and a capacious boot&nbsp;it's well worth a look.&nbsp;Alternatively, if you're looking for entertaining handling then the&nbsp;BMW 1 Series may well be for you. It's great to drive, rides well&nbsp;and also comes with a top-notch interior, featuring one of our very favourite infotainment systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Toyota Corolla&nbsp;is another great choice. This latest version of one of the world's best-selling cars of all time can be had with a choice of two different petrol-electric hybrid engines, both of which should mean&nbsp;potentially lower fuel bills. It's comfortable, well equipped and should be very reliable, too.&nbsp;

Family

When you go to view a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/volvo">Volvo</a> V40, you should check that all the door locks work as they should&nbsp;because, according to the What Car? Reliability Survey there have been a number of owners reporting failures. If they fail, it could become an expensive fix once the three-year/60,000 mile warranty has expired.

Owners have also commented upon issues with bodywork and trim, so make sure that all the panels fit as they should. When you test-drive the car, make sure you try out all the electrical items to make sure they all work properly and keep an eye on the driver information screen in the middle of the speedometer for any error messages that may pop up.

V40s that are so-equipped can also suffer from problems with the adaptive cruise control.&nbsp;Look out for warning messages to that effect in the driver’s information display.

True, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/volvo">Volvo</a>&nbsp;V40 does share a lot in common with a contemporary&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/focus/hatchback/used-review/n345">Ford Focus</a>, but that's&nbsp;not a bad&nbsp;base to start from, and&nbsp;you'll find&nbsp;few clues to the V40's mainstream heritage&nbsp;by&nbsp;simply sitting in it. Indeed,&nbsp;there are&nbsp;plenty of brushed metal trims and&nbsp;soft-touch materials&nbsp;to give it enough quality to edge it ahead of its main competitors, with&nbsp;only really&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/a3/hatchback/used-review/n17405">Audi A3</a>&nbsp;having a more premium feel.

The V40 has a large and fairly confusing&nbsp;range of engines, but we'll try to simplify things here.&nbsp;The range opened with an economical 115bhp&nbsp;1.6-litre D2 diesel, followed by two versions of a 2.0-litre five-cylinder diesel: the 148bhp D3 and&nbsp;177bhp D4. These were all&nbsp;replaced in 2015 by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder&nbsp;diesel engine in three flavours: the&nbsp;118bhp D2,&nbsp;148bhp D3 and&nbsp;187bhp D4.

Petrol options begin&nbsp;with a&nbsp;turbocharged 1.6-litre engine in&nbsp;two different states of tune (148bhp T3 and 178bhp T4) and a short-lived 254bhp 2.5-litre five-cylinder T5. These were all replaced in 2015 by a&nbsp;turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine in 120bhp T2, 150bhp T3, 187bhp T4 and 242bhp&nbsp;T5&nbsp;forms.&nbsp;Unless you wanted&nbsp;an automatic, that is, because that came with&nbsp;a 1.5-litre engine in 120bhp T2 and 150bhp T3 guises. Don't ask...&nbsp;&nbsp;

ES trim gets you climate control, electric windows all round, Bluetooth, a CD player and a DAB radio. SE adds cruise control and height adjustment to the driver's seat, while SE Lux has full leather upholstery.&nbsp;R-Design cars are equipped with sports seats, additional ambient lighting inside and a sporty body kit for the exterior. Post-2016 facelifted cars moved to the model naming structure of the XC90 with Momentum, Inscription and R-Design.&nbsp;Entry-level Momentum is essentially the previous ES model under a different name, but&nbsp;benefitted from brighter LED&nbsp;'Thor's hammer' headlights that came as standard across the range. Similarly, Inscription can be thought of as the previous SE Lux, while R-Design carried on as before&nbsp;- although there was a ‘Pro’ version with larger 18in wheels that does nothing for the ride.

On the whole, the V40&nbsp;is a pleasant family car to drive. Mind, that shouldn't come as much of a surprise, considering its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/focus/hatchback/used-review/n345">Focus</a>&nbsp;underpinnings. These were&nbsp;fettled slightly for the Volvo, so it isn't quite as fun as the Ford, but the V40's steering is still&nbsp;well-weighted and precise. Body lean in a corner taken quickly isn't a major concern, either, and if you should start to run out of grip&nbsp;you can deal with this easily by&nbsp;simply lifting off the accelerator. The biggest issue for V40s fitted with a manual gearbox is its numb clutch pedal; this can&nbsp;make&nbsp;finding the biting point tricky. There's no&nbsp;dedicated foot rest, either.&nbsp;

The interior of the V40 is a pleasant place to spend time in, but there are a few too many buttons on the dashboard and they&nbsp;can be confusing to use at a glance. The&nbsp;infotainment system isn't the&nbsp;paragon of intuitiveness it should be, either. Still, at least there's plenty of space up front and adjustment in the seat and steering wheel for anyone to get comfortable. Those in the back who are over six-foot will find their hair brushing the ceiling due to the sloping roofline and three across the bench would be a squeeze. At least leg room is on par with rivals.&nbsp;

The V40's boot isn’t as commodious as its main competition, though. There's&nbsp;a narrow opening that doesn’t help with loading awkward objects, such as a pram, and there's a noticeable step in the floor when the rear seats are&nbsp;folded down. The optional variable-height boot floor&nbsp;improves matters&nbsp;and allows you&nbsp;to&nbsp;secure&nbsp;your shopping bags&nbsp;or hide&nbsp;valuable items beneath it.

Being a Volvo you'll benefit from a whole suite of safety kit, including an airbag that pops out from under the rear edge of the bonnet to protect pedestrians from striking the base of the windscreen. There's also City Safe: a system that has the ability to apply the brakes and even bring the car to a halt if you get too close to the vehicle in front.

If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/volvo/v40?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;postCode=tw1%203sp">used V40,</a> or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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Used Volvo V40 2012-2019 review

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