2008 Volvo S40 1.8 Petrol....

who_ru

Hi folks,

i'm considering changing the car, i have a 10 year old passat 1.6 petrol at the mo. the volvo in the link is over my budget but along the lines of what i'd be interested in.

i do quite low mileage really, approx 8km a year.

just wondering what yer highly sought after thoughts are on this here motor....

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3701122

Cheers

dibs101

who_ru wrote: »

Hi folks,

i'm considering changing the car, i have a 10 year old passat 1.6 petrol at the mo. the volvo in the link is over my budget but along the lines of what i'd be interested in.

i do quite low mileage really, approx 8km a year.

just wondering what yer highly sought after thoughts are on this here motor....

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3701122

Cheers

Hi,

I own a 2008 s40. It's my second one. The spec on the car is better than anything in that field. Absolutely love it. It's well built and I know that the kids are as safe as they can be in any medium family saloon. The leg room in the back is poor and the boot opening is poor and even though I service it regularly it is fairly heavy on petrol. But the positives outweigh the negatives I feel and I'll prob buy another one after this.

JohnFalstaff

dibs101 wrote: »

Hi,

The leg room in the back is poor and the boot opening is poor...

You could consider a V50 if your family are starting to need more space. I changed from an S40 to a V50 when my second child arrived and the extra boot space makes a big difference.

bazz26

The S40 1.8 litre of that vintage most likely has the FFV engine which can run on biethanol as well as regular unleaded. As nobody in the Republic sells biethanol anymore you will be stuck filling it with unleaded and they are heavy on juice. Even though you do small mileage it is something to be aware of.

Regarding the S40 itself, I had a diesel for 2 years. They are well built and well specced for the money but they are not without their issues. Electrics can be iffy in them, common failures on them are the ABS/traction control unit can fail throwing up anti-skid warnings on the dash and the stereo can pack in which costs a fortune to replace. Suspension is also weak on them especially on poor Irish roads. They are based on the Ford Focus so space is restrictive and share alot of common parts, however some of the parts are not shared and these can be expensive to replace. Also main Volvo dealers are expensive.

Tabnabs

I had a 1.8 petrol S40 for five years and the two problems I had were alternator needed replacing and the clutch slave cylinder went too. Both are known issues and I would be interested to see if there is any paperwork for repairs carried out on the car. http://www.volvoforums.org.uk is a wealth of information.

If possible, try and get the SE LUX model, it was the most pleasant place to be and would always put a smile on my face when sitting into the car.

Edit: if you can afford the tax, this one would be a hoot. http://www.firstchoiceautos.ie/viewanad.php?ad_id=815595&r=%26z%3D-7

who_ru

Thanks for the replies there lads, certainly food for thought.

the fact that the S40 is heavy on petrol is not in it's favour as petrol won't be getting much cheaper in the medium to long term. the spec does seem very good though.

i wonder if the mazda 6 of a similar age is a good alternative?

bazz26

The Mazda 6 would be more spacious, more reliable, better on fuel and nicer to drive but you will struggle to find one with a similar spec to the S40. Mazda 6 seats would not be as comfy as the S40's either. I suggest getting an extensive test drive in both before deciding.