Comments: 1-15, 16-24
On certified used Volvo reviews: Some of these reviews really surprise me. I do not think that a headlight problem or brake wear can hardly qualify this vehicle. It is a used car and you expect to replace some items. The manner in which the vehicle is driven is a major factor. I had to request my 120 point inspection report since they did not give it to me. Sometimes the dealers may cut corners so you should check that all has been verified and replaced when buying a certified vehicle. That inspection is part of the warranty.
I have had this car for 19 months. I bought mine with 43,000 miles and I know have 60,000 miles. I have put 17,000 miles on it and have not had any major factory defects. Who cares if I had to replace my cup holder or if Volvo had to adjust my A/C button or if they had to change a bushing; These are not major problems and they paid for fixing them (sometimes you have to insist though). I have changed brake pads once and had regular service at Volvo (I bought the service plan). This car outperforms all the vehicles in its class and still gets 29 MPG highway and 24 city! I have left a lot of BMW 3 series to shame; It does 0-60 in 7.5 seconds! I have put this car several times on alligator alley in Florida at 137 MPH! Beamers can't go over 125 mph before the governor tells them how to drive. It reaches 130 MPH in no time. Acceleration from 90 MPH to 120 MPH has left tailgating racing motorbikes become specs in my mirror.
I paid $14700 all taxes and fees included in 2003 and I could not have bought a better car. I am glad I did not buy an expensive Beamer or a Mercedes C class. The C-240 with 6 cylinders does 0-60 in 8.5 seconds. The A4 takes 8.3 seconds to reach 60 MPH. Inside it has all the luxuries of a Mercedes and under the hood this car has a little monster. It is a fantastic blend of luxury, stability, and power. It is a real sleeper at a great value. To be honest I put this car to extremes on the road and it delivers 100% even at 60,000 miles. I only do the regular maintenance and do the obvious things. I have friends with M3's and Audi's that have all the electrical and mechanical nightmares you can imagine. I will miss this car if I ever sell it. It has raised the bar for all luxury compact cars and it will be difficult to replace.
You must be racing the 3 series BMW's from the 1970's because I have a 330CI that does 0-60 in 6.5 and a top speed of 145. Volvos weigh like 5000 pounds, nice try though.
Please do not compare 2 different engines: if I would have a Volvo with a 3.0 Litre engine in it, I would reach 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. We are talking about a 1935CC unit. My neighbours' 320i takes 11.2 seconds.
A very happy S40 T4 driver.
You have a 330Ci and yet you're reading reviews on S40's...nice! Would you like some milk with your cookies, Father Christmas?
P.S. Correct me if I'm wrong, but 5000 pounds sounds like a slight exaggeration to me. Nice try yourself though. :)
Nothing wrong with reading reviews of what might be deemed as inferior cars or engines to what you drive, We all read them for different reasons?And mind you your neighbours 320i is not turbo charged had it been it would eat your S40 for breakfast. THERES MUCH MORE TO A CAR THAN ITS TOP SPEED OR 0-60...TRY REVVING A COROLLA T-SPORT OR A CIVIC TYPE R... NOW That's A PROPER KICK.
Proud and loyal Volvo owner for years..
Had a civic type r-rubbish, what a guttless bag of nails.t4 is lot quicker on normal roads, OK poss not on race track.
Not sure I could agree with this BMW thing going on. Any S40 T4 could beat a 316/318/320/323 and many 325s. As for putting turbo's on cars, anyone can do that, but then of course the S40 can too be uprated to a very high spec, which I'm sure would "wipe the floor" with a BMW.
We're talking standard cars here, and the fact is, the S40 is pretty rapid compared to most other similarly-priced cars ESPECIALLY BMWs. I have an uprated 460T which can keep up with a 330Ci to about 80-90mph, and it's a 1.7 and also FWD. So like I said, anyone can uprate a car, but as standards go, the S40 T4 is definitely pretty good.
Regards.
Yes, yes, yes. I just bought a used (but still with 5 years warranty) 2004 - 4dr Sedan LSE A SR (1.9 turbo engine) and I am very happy with it.
It is good looks / styling, very luxurious, great on gas while still putting out respectable performance. I have beat A4s, mini cooper s, pontiac g6 and some beamers too.
I think the great performance is due to the good horsepower (170) / torque (177) to weight (2,767 lbs) ratio. It is a very light and nimble Volvo.
Volvo is doing things right, no wonder their stock is going sky high too.
I can't wait to upgrade in a few years to a newer 200+ turbo version with a gear tronic transmission.
Why on earth is a Volvo S40, in any guise, being compared to a 3 series BMW? This Volvo is drab looking, has had 'iffy' build quility and, let's not forget, that its sister car is the Mitsubishi Carisma - hardly star pedigree. The Volvo S60 would provide a more valid 3series comparison.
I have had S40 T4 1998 manual (200 bhp) for over a year and it's been good times.
At first I was pretty sceptical, I was considering of buying Alfa Romeo 156 V6, BMW 528i or 535, Saab...
But now, I believe this car is a keeper.
I have had zero breakdowns. I have found many new friends who have just being astonished by this car's performance.
Oh yes, almost forgot to mention, this car isn't no longer in stock condition. After 2 months I found out superb forum and started tuning.
So, now it's been dynoed @280 fwhp. Of course that took me buying new turbocharger (16T from C70), LSD, Autotech IC, 2,5 inch full exhaust from DP to muffler, no cat, custom ecu tuning, etc. And the mods are not final. Can't get enough.
And previously pretty quick car is now damn quick one.
Last quarter mile figures were 13,4 and 0-62 5,7 sec. Traction is the greatest problem.
Anyway, the car despite being FWD is a lot of fun.
I wouldn't compare it with BMW. It's very different car. But I can kill M3s all day long :)
My wife has a 2000 Volvo s40. She bought it before we started dating. The car has been nothing, but problems. Constant trips to the dealer for repairs. The fact that someone is comparing this s40 to a somewhat modern BMW 3 series makes me laugh. I have owned a 96 328i and I now own a supercharged 95 M3. Both cars were faster than the s40, the M3, when it was stock beat the pants off the s40. The build quality of the BMW is far superior. It's not even a competition. Now, the turbo on the s40 is going. Great fun! Swedish POS!
I own a Volvo s40 LSE, and it has been great. Yeah it's true there's no way I could keep up with a BMW 330I, but I am planing on upgrading the engine soon.I'm in college and this car is perfect for college students.
I am the proud owner of a 2000 volvo s40 turbo and am excited to add upgrades what should I start with?
Incidentally, Volvo is owned by Ford. Mitsubishi still owns the majority of its company. So whoever thinks that an S40 is the sister to a Mitsubishi Carisma doesn't really know all that much.. So don't listen to their reviews for a start.
And everyones comments that say an S40 can't be compared to a 3 Series -- All the professional reviewers like Parkers and What car etc seem to think so, But hey, they only test a few thousand cars a year -- what do they know?!
When I was test driving the 2000 s40 it felt japanese, and later found out, the volvo s40 was a joint venture between mitsu and volvo. built in Holland and in 1990 ford was not part of the picture. the carisma shared the frame and not much else. Far from luxury though, it is a quick car that was made to be nimble, not fast. it is a sleeper though.
No way does a S40 feel Japanese! It hasn't got a crap feel to the dash and materials for a start! You could compare to BMW, etc - but try comparing like for like with price! The S40, especially the 2.0T or T4, is a bargain! Fantastic car for the money.