1997 Volvo S40 2.0i 16v

Summary:

Brilliant, most reliable car ever owned

Faults:

Only wear and tear items, tyres and brakes.

General Comments:

Seriously reliable. Plugs and oil change once a year. Engine has not been touched, and never broke down or not started once!

Very comfortable, especially long journeys.

Only down side is it is little bit boring to drive, but on the plus side it never stops, it just keeps going without any problems!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd October, 2009

1997 Volvo S40 CD 2.0 petrol

Summary:

Cheap comfort and luxury

Faults:

Nothing so far.

General Comments:

Very comfortable, heated leather nice.

Air con ice cold.

Genuine feeling you're in a safe and well-built car.

3-series quality on the cheap.

Carries 5 adults in relative comfort.

Top notch brakes.

Big boot and good size entrance for a saloon.

Good quality stereo as standard.

Cruise-control works at silly speeds (not like the 100kmh limit on import preludes) :)

I bought this car after having owned 3 Prelude 2.2 vtecs, so obviously the performance is far from comparable, although I was pleasantly surprised by the little touches.

The standard stereo is very good and plenty bassy enough.

The bonnet used hydraulic supports for holding it up, no fishing about for the bonnet rod thing in the dark!!!

The performance isn't too bad though considering the weight of the thing. It will accelerate quickly enough and will do 130mph (on a private test track of course!), and the brakes are excellent. Only the handling lets it down, can feel scary if a corner appears tighter than you expected it on those 60mph B roads... My car does have the 15" steelies on though, so perhaps some nice low-profile 17's and a shocker upgrade would help...

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th July, 2006

2nd Jul 2011, 12:17

I have just bid farewell to a S40CD auto (petrol) 1997. She was getting VERY warm when stationary on anything above mildly warm days (98c!!) Worth nothing, of course (£500) p/x, nevertheless she was a great car, having covered 25000 in 3 years with me - trips to Northumberland (grandson) Helston, Cornwall (life long mate) + others from Midlands to N.West, to Somerset, to East Anglia - all from Kent. Quite a few squeaks and rattles, but was 100% reliable on a run. You cannot ask more.

All leather, decent stereo, comfortable and had a decent boot (two suitcases and 2 flight bags for holidays - NOT a problem!) Asda? Not a problem - you get the idea. Amazingly, she would also 'GO' (as did the petrol) on the few occasions she was asked to.

Now approaching 70, with 50+ years driving behind me, she will be a car I look back on with a smile. If I could buy a brand new one today? Yes, I think I would have one. With today's bells and whistles, of course.

Replacement? Peugeot 407 SW Diesel. Another animal altogether, and she does 'go' a bit too!

1997 Volvo S40 2.0

Summary:

The best car in its class..

Faults:

Nothing...But suspension needs some attention due to wearing...

General Comments:

This is one of the best cars you can get for approx 4000 euro.

It is the safest car in its class (comparing to other cars that were made in late 90's)

The 2.0 litre petrol engine preforms very well @ low RPM, but it becomes a beast when you go over 4000 mark on the rev counter...

Comfort in this car beats all Japanese imports for sure, only really expensive cars like Jaguar Or Mercedes have better level of comfort... The seats are good for long distances, but it is a bit cramped at the back if you are over 6 foot tall...

This car can last a long time if it is being looked after... and nothing can beat the safety of Volvo...

If you want to be safe... go out there and buy your Volvo.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st June, 2005

13th Jul 2010, 22:34

I was a Ford mechanic, and for a long time only had Fords. Then I had Peugeot which were also quite good. I then bought a 17 year old Volvo 850 which was a brilliant car, kept that 2 years. I am now hooked on Volvo. I bought a S40 yesterday, which is not disappointing. I agree these are great cars. One thing I have noticed is some of the cars I viewed had rust around wheel arches. Yet the 850 after 17 years didn't have any. I don't think the metal is quite the same as previous Volvos.