2012 V40 R-Design D3/D4......

[P44YNE]

Hi everyone,

Considering getting one of these to knock about in mainly back and forth to work.

I definetly want the R-Design and I definitely want either a D3 or D4.

I’d like a minimum of heated seats, the larger sat nav display, xenon(?) headlights and the premium sound.

Are there any other options I should look out for? Like I’ve heard that some have a heated windscreen and since I’m using a Ford right now, the heated windscreen is something I’d love to keep but didn’t know Volvo even offered it? Is the BLIS system worth having? Radar cruise over regular cruise? Etc.

Is the premium sound system worth holding out for? I do enjoy a well rounded, rich sound. But maybe the standard setup is good enough?

Manual or automatic? Which suits the car/engine best? I have no real preference whether it’s me or the car that chooses the cogs since it’s mainly a work hack.

Colour recommendations? I usually prefer dark colours, especially grey but the bright blue looks quite nice on photos but is it too much in person? Does it stand out or attract attention too much?

Anything to look out for? Any common problems with the car/engine? (I’ve been led to believe that the D3 and D4 are identical under the bonnet apart from the ECU mapping?)

I was originally going for a 2015> Focus 1.5TDCI Zetec but stumbled across one of these V40’s and really liked it! Plus the extra kit, good looks and basically same underpinnings for similar money is well worth going back a couple of years for!

I’ve watched and read pretty much all the reviews I can find but they are massively conflicting from journalist to journalist I’ve found.

Any info or opinions from owners would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance for anything useful or helpful!!

Craig.

[P44YNE]

Thanks for the reply, very detailed and much appreciated. I haven’t made a purchase yet as I’ve not found a V40 with the correct engine, colour and spec that I want but I’m patient and aren’t in any rush to buy. I have however test driven a Focus 1.5 Zetec, simply because a dealership I drive past regularly had one on the forecourt. It drove extremely well, not fast but felt like it had enough urgency torque-wise. The main thing that impressed me was the steering and suspension. The steering is excellent, well weighted (just) and as direct as they come for this segment of car. The suspension was equally as impressive over rough and broken roads, the car seemed to flow along without any vibration or noise. Very impressed with it to be honest! I’m patient but if one of these pops up for the right money in the right colour and spec, I may just be tempted into one over the V40!

[P44YNE]

Thanks for the reply, very detailed and much appreciated. I haven’t made a purchase yet as I’ve not found a V40 with the correct engine, colour and spec that I want but I’m patient and aren’t in any rush to buy. I have however test driven a Focus 1.5 Zetec, simply because a dealership I drive past regularly had one on the forecourt. It drove extremely well, not fast but felt like it had enough urgency torque-wise. The main thing that impressed me was the steering and suspension. The steering is excellent, well weighted (just) and as direct as they come for this segment of car. The suspension was equally as impressive over rough and broken roads, the car seemed to flow along without any vibration or noise. Very impressed with it to be honest! I’m patient but if one of these pops up for the right money in the right colour and spec, I may just be tempted into one over the V40!