Volvo S40 petrol?
Discussion
Hunting for a comfy, reliable daily driver for pretty short commutes. Stumbled on this which seems like a bit of an oddball because they show up so infrequently in my search results:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211111...
Are these money pits or something? Other than maybe being a bit drab, what should I look out for?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211111...
Are these money pits or something? Other than maybe being a bit drab, what should I look out for?
2.0 petrol is a Mazda engine and the best petrol 4 pot they came with, chain-driven so no belt to worry about.
I found my C30 D3 (same car different body) to be reliable other than the occasional sensor needing replaced. It does share many parts with the Ford Focus so easy to source and generally cheap to fix.
If you're looking for comfort, look no further, the seats are amazing.
I found my C30 D3 (same car different body) to be reliable other than the occasional sensor needing replaced. It does share many parts with the Ford Focus so easy to source and generally cheap to fix.
If you're looking for comfort, look no further, the seats are amazing.
Mr Mill said:
2.0 petrol is a Mazda engine and the best petrol 4 pot they came with, chain-driven so no belt to worry about.
I found my C30 D3 (same car different body) to be reliable other than the occasional sensor needing replaced. It does share many parts with the Ford Focus so easy to source and generally cheap to fix.
If you're looking for comfort, look no further, the seats are amazing.
What is the name of the engine? Any idea what the most common problems are? I prefer the looks of it to the Focus tbh, although that centre console and green LED dash is a bit oddI found my C30 D3 (same car different body) to be reliable other than the occasional sensor needing replaced. It does share many parts with the Ford Focus so easy to source and generally cheap to fix.
If you're looking for comfort, look no further, the seats are amazing.
Acuity30 said:
What is the name of the engine? Any idea what the most common problems are? I prefer the looks of it to the Focus tbh, although that centre console and green LED dash is a bit odd
It's the B4204S3. Issues specific to the S40 probably apply to older models, a 2012 car was close to the end of production.ajguk said:
Don’t do it. I have one as my shed and can’t wait to get rid.
Slowest car I’ve ever driven and not even economical. Not a fantastic ride. 5 gears which is painful on the motorway.
Seriously, don’t. Seats ARE comfy though!
Must have the 1.6, the 2l has a 9 second 0 to 60, plenty enough for effortless overtakesSlowest car I’ve ever driven and not even economical. Not a fantastic ride. 5 gears which is painful on the motorway.
Seriously, don’t. Seats ARE comfy though!
Acuity30 said:
ajguk said:
Don’t do it. I have one as my shed and can’t wait to get rid.
Slowest car I’ve ever driven and not even economical. Not a fantastic ride. 5 gears which is painful on the motorway.
Seriously, don’t. Seats ARE comfy though!
Must have the 1.6, the 2l has a 9 second 0 to 60, plenty enough for effortless overtakesSlowest car I’ve ever driven and not even economical. Not a fantastic ride. 5 gears which is painful on the motorway.
Seriously, don’t. Seats ARE comfy though!
Acuity30 said:
If you can't perform an overtake in a 2 litre petrol you have a skill issue not a power issue 
In all seriousness I'd recommend you test drive one. It really doesn't feel like a 2L if you ask me...I don't know what I was thinking on the test drive but I needed something at short notice and mine was just round the corner so it was the easy option at the time.Maybe I've just got used to having turbo and 6-cylinder cars over the years, but in my opinion it really is slower than it should be.
ajguk said:
In all seriousness I'd recommend you test drive one. It really doesn't feel like a 2L if you ask me...I don't know what I was thinking on the test drive but I needed something at short notice and mine was just round the corner so it was the easy option at the time.
Maybe I've just got used to having turbo and 6-cylinder cars over the years, but in my opinion it really is slower than it should be.
Sounds like perspective. If you came from something like a 1.6 Astra you'd feel different. The torque figures for the Volvo are more than enough for easy overtakes and mild excitement when driving. And is more powerful than practically every non-sport hatchback on the road today. For a daily driver you can't complain if it's just to get you from A to B. For a 2L NA you have to use the whole rev range to get the most out of it. Maybe I've just got used to having turbo and 6-cylinder cars over the years, but in my opinion it really is slower than it should be.
They're decent enough it's a Focus so reliability is a given, window regulators (but that's the same with most cars these days) can sometimes play up but that's really it.
The Focus/C30/S40/V50/Mazda3 of this era are the same car so if the S40 doesn't work for you then take a look at it's cousins.
The Focus/C30/S40/V50/Mazda3 of this era are the same car so if the S40 doesn't work for you then take a look at it's cousins.
Well I test drove one today and the 2L just felt like a 2L. It has much longer gears than I'm used to. I was putting my foot down wondering why it wasn't going anywhere then I looked down and realised I was at 1800RPM in 5th doing 40. Once I got up the rev range to 4000+ it took off.
That said, the interior had an annoying rattle behind the floaty dash somewhere. The map light trim felt a bit cheap, push the map light button and the whole trim flexes toward the roof. Had a few age related marks and scuffs nothing major. One of the windows seemed a bit temperamental and the drive belt was noisy when cold. I've read thats £400 for a new aux belt and pulleys. Very expensive considering that's the cost of a cambelt on most cars, which this car doesn't have being the 2L with chain.
So far undecided. It had only done 73k though and an asking price of 3500. It's a MY2011 R-Design. Comfy drive, but I know nothing about Volvo's and the user base seems quite small so getting community advice on common issues might be a problem (which is a big factor for me since i like to do my own repairs).
Can't find much else for that kind of money with similar kit as standard and adequate power (BT music, cruise, climate, auto wipers and lights etc)
That said, the interior had an annoying rattle behind the floaty dash somewhere. The map light trim felt a bit cheap, push the map light button and the whole trim flexes toward the roof. Had a few age related marks and scuffs nothing major. One of the windows seemed a bit temperamental and the drive belt was noisy when cold. I've read thats £400 for a new aux belt and pulleys. Very expensive considering that's the cost of a cambelt on most cars, which this car doesn't have being the 2L with chain.
So far undecided. It had only done 73k though and an asking price of 3500. It's a MY2011 R-Design. Comfy drive, but I know nothing about Volvo's and the user base seems quite small so getting community advice on common issues might be a problem (which is a big factor for me since i like to do my own repairs).
Can't find much else for that kind of money with similar kit as standard and adequate power (BT music, cruise, climate, auto wipers and lights etc)
I'd go for a Honda Accord instead. for a similar price you'll get a 2.0 EX with heated electric Leater seats, cruise and auto lights. Very reliable, not the fastest thing but goes at 3.5k+ rpm so overtaking isnt an issue. Gearbox is a probably the best I've ever used only downside is there's only 5 gears so you'll be doing 3.4k rpm @ 70 which can be quite noisy. I had mine soundproofed though so wasn't that bad
Acuity30 said:
Well I test drove one today and the 2L just felt like a 2L. It has much longer gears than I'm used to. I was putting my foot down wondering why it wasn't going anywhere then I looked down and realised I was at 1800RPM in 5th doing 40. Once I got up the rev range to 4000+ it took off.
That said, the interior had an annoying rattle behind the floaty dash somewhere. The map light trim felt a bit cheap, push the map light button and the whole trim flexes toward the roof. Had a few age related marks and scuffs nothing major. One of the windows seemed a bit temperamental and the drive belt was noisy when cold. I've read thats £400 for a new aux belt and pulleys. Very expensive considering that's the cost of a cambelt on most cars, which this car doesn't have being the 2L with chain.
So far undecided. It had only done 73k though and an asking price of 3500. It's a MY2011 R-Design. Comfy drive, but I know nothing about Volvo's and the user base seems quite small so getting community advice on common issues might be a problem (which is a big factor for me since i like to do my own repairs).
Can't find much else for that kind of money with similar kit as standard and adequate power (BT music, cruise, climate, auto wipers and lights etc)
As far as community goes, I wouldn't worry - Volvo tends to have a pretty decent base of knowledge amongst enthusiasts... More for certain models and engines than others perhaps, but it's there all the same.That said, the interior had an annoying rattle behind the floaty dash somewhere. The map light trim felt a bit cheap, push the map light button and the whole trim flexes toward the roof. Had a few age related marks and scuffs nothing major. One of the windows seemed a bit temperamental and the drive belt was noisy when cold. I've read thats £400 for a new aux belt and pulleys. Very expensive considering that's the cost of a cambelt on most cars, which this car doesn't have being the 2L with chain.
So far undecided. It had only done 73k though and an asking price of 3500. It's a MY2011 R-Design. Comfy drive, but I know nothing about Volvo's and the user base seems quite small so getting community advice on common issues might be a problem (which is a big factor for me since i like to do my own repairs).
Can't find much else for that kind of money with similar kit as standard and adequate power (BT music, cruise, climate, auto wipers and lights etc)
Personally, though, the real fun and personality of Volvo's in this age bracket comes the 5-cylinder engines (and a lot of the enthusiast base is here rather than with the Ford/Mazda/PSA engines) - the venerable 2.0T 5-cylinder was a belter of an engine, but you'll have to look up to S60's to find it (up to about 2009 IIRC)... Yes, they're bigger cars but they're a much nicer place to be than the P1 S40/C30/V50.
Then again, if what you need is a fairly small and easily manoeuvrable petrol saloon you're going to want the S40, and that means you're either stuck with the Ford/Mazda petrols or you have to bump up to higher displacement to get a Volvo engine in the form of the 5-cylinder 2.4i (NA) or T5... Both of which will cost you more to buy and more in fuel/tax/etc.
Brassblaster said:
As far as community goes, I wouldn't worry - Volvo tends to have a pretty decent base of knowledge amongst enthusiasts... More for certain models and engines than others perhaps, but it's there all the same.
Personally, though, the real fun and personality of Volvo's in this age bracket comes the 5-cylinder engines (and a lot of the enthusiast base is here rather than with the Ford/Mazda/PSA engines) - the venerable 2.0T 5-cylinder was a belter of an engine, but you'll have to look up to S60's to find it (up to about 2009 IIRC)... Yes, they're bigger cars but they're a much nicer place to be than the P1 S40/C30/V50.
Then again, if what you need is a fairly small and easily manoeuvrable petrol saloon you're going to want the S40, and that means you're either stuck with the Ford/Mazda petrols or you have to bump up to higher displacement to get a Volvo engine in the form of the 5-cylinder 2.4i (NA) or T5... Both of which will cost you more to buy and more in fuel/tax/etc.
Where is the community? I joined volvoclub.org but it's a bit of a ghost town as is their FB group. I think the S40 best suits my needs. Can't find an Accord or Civic in my budget without 150k or more miles on it and pretty tatty examples at that.Personally, though, the real fun and personality of Volvo's in this age bracket comes the 5-cylinder engines (and a lot of the enthusiast base is here rather than with the Ford/Mazda/PSA engines) - the venerable 2.0T 5-cylinder was a belter of an engine, but you'll have to look up to S60's to find it (up to about 2009 IIRC)... Yes, they're bigger cars but they're a much nicer place to be than the P1 S40/C30/V50.
Then again, if what you need is a fairly small and easily manoeuvrable petrol saloon you're going to want the S40, and that means you're either stuck with the Ford/Mazda petrols or you have to bump up to higher displacement to get a Volvo engine in the form of the 5-cylinder 2.4i (NA) or T5... Both of which will cost you more to buy and more in fuel/tax/etc.
Acuity30 said:
Where is the community? I joined volvoclub.org but it's a bit of a ghost town as is their FB group. I think the S40 best suits my needs. Can't find an Accord or Civic in my budget without 150k or more miles on it and pretty tatty examples at that.
There's volvoforums although less activity than there used to be.... Numerous Facebook groups (especially the Vida/Vdash group if you want help on diagnostics - Vida is the dealer level software so most people on that group are going to be interested in spannering), not always super lively but when posts come up there's usually a decent number of responses.For cars around this age, there's plenty already out there but there's also plenty of people who answer questions in my experience of Facebook and forums.
Acuity30 said:
That said, the interior had an annoying rattle behind the floaty dash somewhere.
Check the rear view mirror bracket casing. Mine has a rattle that sounds like it’s coming from the glovebox or behind the dash but is actually the casing that’s in two parts, they rattle together and can be quite loud. I found some black electricians tape to hold them together helped 
I test drove a 2.0 diesel S40 and found that the car were pretty good overall. Came with a lot of extras. Had enough poke and were smooth. I only didn't get it as the guy sold it the next day while I were looking around testing others.
I know it's a diesel and you want a petrol but maybe look at the 2.0 diesel as well? Stay away from the 1.6 as they are horrid.
I know it's a diesel and you want a petrol but maybe look at the 2.0 diesel as well? Stay away from the 1.6 as they are horrid.
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