Used Volvo S40 saloon 2004 - 2012 review

As a replacement for the original Volvo S40, the 2004 version was very much more modern, abandoning that car’s dated platform (which was shared with Mitsubishi) in favour of the one from the contemporary Ford Focus.

The S40 isn’t quite as sharp to drive as the Ford, but it still handles well and the ride is firm but controlled.

Perhaps the best thing about the S40, though, is its ‘floating’ dashboard. This takes its name from the slim centre console, which is attached at the top and bottom, but is otherwise free standing, a design that has barely aged to this day.

The front seats are very comfortable, too, but the S40 is quite cramped; to improve crash protection, Volvo decided to move the front firewall back compared with its position in the Focus, and thereby compromised leg room. However, the S40 is one of the safest cars of its kind as a result.

Early S40s can be had for as little as £1000, but beware – these will probably need the expensive diesel particulate filter service, or will have either the un-loved 1.8 Flexi-Fuel engine or the underpowered 1.6 petrol.

Better quality diesels start at £2500, while a 2008 2.0-litre diesel with the desirable R-Design body kit will set you back closer to £3000. Late-model 2012 1.6 D2 DRIVe cars still command close to £7000.

Thanks to its Focus origins, the Volvo S40 can be run quite cheaply, as long as you avoid the higher prices for servicing and parts charged by main dealers.

A 1.6 D2 DRIVe diesel should cost barely any more in daily expenses than a more modern model, and even the 2.0-litre diesel is decently frugal.

Both diesel engines require a cambelt change at 96,000 miles, but it’s worth having them inspected well before that, especially in the case of the 1.6, which can leak oil onto its cambelt from the oil pump.

More serious is the requirement for a diesel particulate filter service at 72,000 miles, which can cost as much as £1,000.

It’s also worth pointing out that cars fitted with the larger 18in alloy wheels will tend to go through their tyres more quickly, with changes needed as soon as 15,000 miles in some cases.

You’re best off buying a late-model, post-2007 facelift car. Not only did that bring with it some interesting interior finishes (including an attractive ‘unfinished’ wood trim), it also tidied up the exterior styling and saw falls in CO2 emissions and fuel consumption.

Those buying with economy in mind should seek out a 1.6-litre D2 diesel in DRIVe trim, which added engine stop-start technology and some aerodynamic tweaks to score sub-120g/km emissions and the potential for 60mpg.

The best overall version, though, is the 147bhp 2.0-litre, five-cylinder D3 150hp diesel, which has impressive performance and still-reasonable emissions and consumption. On top of which, this Volvo-designed engine is generally more reliable than the Ford-sourced 1.6.

Our favourite used Volvo S40: 2.0 D3 SE Lux

In terms of size, the S40 competed with the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series, neither of which were available as four-door saloons (and conversely, the S40 was never made available as a five-door hatchback). You could make the case that the Volvo’s four-door body is more desirable, but the Audi and BMW are both more practical

Theoretically, the second-generation Ford Focus, which uses the same mechanicals (and which borrowed the sporty T5 S40’s 2.5-litre 212bhp turbo engine for the ST model) could be thought of as a more affordable competitor, but it’s less ‘premium’ in look and feel.

Saab’s 9-3 saloon was always slightly bigger than the S40, but was priced at a comparable level at the time, and offers a similar safety-led Scandinavian approach. It wasn’t available with a 1.6-litre diesel engine, though, and is more expensive to run.

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