Volvo S40 Saloon 2004-2007

The S40 is a vast improvement over its predecessor with its neater and more aggressive styling that is still attractive years after its release. The up market interior has been created with care and is a well crafted piece of kit that also has luxurious seats. The handling is a vast improvement as is the reliability and the range of engines available should have something that appeals to every one.

Pros and Cons:

• Equipped with a stylish interior
  Safe and comfortable to drive
  Impressive engines especially the 1.6 DRIVe

• Cramped rear seats
  Alternatives are better to drive
  Firm ride on rough roads

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Exterior and Interior

The S40 is a stylish looking saloon that hasn't lost any of its appeal over the years which is refreshing as the same couldn't be said about its predecessor. The interior is just as stylish and comfortable although getting three adults into the back seats may be a bit of a squeeze. The boot space is smaller than you would expect from a car of this size and there aren't many storage spaces in the cabin either with the door pockets being small and the centre console taking up a lot of room that could have been dedicated to a bigger cubby hole. The centre console is neatly styled and looks lovingly crafted adding to the overall up market feel of the interior.

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Engines

There are eight engines available in the S40 which is made up of five petrol engines and three diesels. The petrol engines start with the entry level 1.6-litre producing 100bhp followed by a 1.8-litre with 125bhp, a 130bhp 2.0-litre, a 2.4-litre with 170bhp and a top of the range 2.5-litre T5 producing 220bhp.

The diesels start with a 1.6-litre engine that comes with Volvo's DRIVe technology, increasing the economy of the car and that produces 109bhp. Another model was added in 2008 with the same engine that comes with a stop/start system to increase the fuel efficiency even further. These are then followed by a 2.0 with 135bhp and a top of the range D5 unit that produces 180bhp.

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Performance and Economy

The entry level 1.6-litre petrol is very economical at 39mpg, but feels underpowered especially when fully loaded. The 1.8-litre proves to be just as economical, but with improved performance it would be difficult to see why you would choose the 1.6-litre. The larger 2.0-litre unit with its 130bhp is only marginally more powerful than the 1.8, but it is over a second faster going from 0-60mph in 9.2 seconds and returns 38mpg. The 2.4-litre was dropped in 2008 mainly because the extra power and speed didn't really balance out the big drop in fuel efficiency, despite being an extremely smooth engine. The top of the range T5 is extremely fast going from a standing start to 60mph in just 6.6 seconds and returns a respectable 32mpg which was only 1mpg behind the 2.4-litre.

The 2.0 diesel engine is fairly fast going from 0-60mph in 9.2 seconds and achieves 48mpg. The top of the range D5 is just under a second and a half quicker doing 0-60mph in 7.9 seconds and just makes it to 40mpg. If its fuel efficiency over speed that you are looking for though then the 1.6 DRIVe engine that you want to go for as it achieves an impressive 62mpg and isn't too slow, going from 0-60mph in 11 seconds flat. The stop/start model introduced in 2008 is even more impressive coming with the same 109bhp and the same 11 seconds from 0-60mph, but the car now achieves 72mpg. The cheapest to insure are the 1.6-litre and 1.8-litre petrol engines falling into group 9 with the T5 proving the most expensive in group 15.

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What it's like to Drive

The S40 handles well when compared to Volvo's of old with it feeling nimble and composed. The steering can feel light on more demanding roads and there is loads of grip from the tyres feeling well planted to the road and enabling it to corner precisely with minimal body roll. It is an excellent motorway cruiser where it feels silky and refined which is only enhanced by the Powershift automatic gearbox that feels as though it was made precisely for this purpose. The driving position is comfortable with good clear views of the road ahead with the dash being well laid out and easy to read.

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Faults and Repairs

The S40 is a much better built car than its predecessor, but it is not completely trouble free. It has suffered from handbrake faults, fuel leaks, faults with the windscreen supports and problems with the electronic plastic key. The fuel leaks and faulty windscreen supports led to recalls so make sure that the vehicle you are interested in has undergone the necessary work. Volvo service and repair costs work out cheaper compared to the likes of BMW and Mercedes, but specialist dealers aren't that much cheaper than the main dealers.

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