[Closed] Apologies for this ... Volvo V40. Opinions on 2nd hand

I assume you mean the old V40 (Mitsubishi NedCar built model)?
the one that stopped being built in 2003?

Dull but functional is perhaps one way to describe it....

The successor (V50) was a much better car if you can stretch the budget

Not much oomph unless you get one of the bigger engines, apparently. Heated seats are nice.

I had a T4 for 8 years, pretty good really, a harsh ride & not massive for an estate but big enough for me (with wife & two kids), it did everything it said on the tin, didnt break down, felt as solid with 150k on the clock as it did when I got it with 80k on the clock & a lot better than many cars only a year old.

Mine was thirsty & did use tyres but that would be the T4 bit rather than the V40, should go on for ages & be pretty cheap to run & feel safe & solid.

Yep, one of the pre 2003 ones as I'm working on Bangernomics.

I was wondering if they are typically bomb proof tough Volvos.

Dull is okay. Hopefully dull means cheap to insure?

all I can say was that despite the turbo etc mine was. Basic body shell & internals was fine & comfortable. I didnt bother about changing it because it did everything.

Eventually I had to put new tyres on it & there was a turbo issue that meant it was going to be about £1200 in bills & it was worth about £1k. I PX'd it as I couldnt be bothered with the work myself ... its still local & somebody has obviously done the work, I still see it around (sob) every couple of months.

No rust at 150k miles either

Oh yes, handling was dull but not exactly the type of car for trackdays anyway .. lots of understeer ... but then its a volvo estate

Im assuming you want something quirky? I had a W reg S40 2.0 petrol. I wont say anything negative about the car- nothing positive to say either TBH. There are better cars out there for the money.

Not fussed about quirky. I thought it might be good value...

I'm looking at Mondeos as well, but will happily consider anything really.

I need space and for it to be cheap to buy and run.

I just thought something like a V40 might be a good bet - particularly at auction?

I dunno. Just trying to figure bangernomics out 🙂

I have a '98 1.8 version. Its boot is tiny for an estate, handling is rubbish, it does a max of 32 to the gallon driven like a vicar and is by far the slowest car I have ever driven. The mechanic at the last mot said it had loads of life left in it at 120k, no rust and always starts. Pays your money and takes your choice.

I was warned off Volvos due to potentially high parts prices.

I got a Mondeo instead and it's way better to drive than the V40 (which was a bit boring and underpowered in basic petrol form - I had a 1.8 for a week when new), though if you're doing proper Bangernomics (sub £1k) you'll probably be looking at the older model Mondeo.

They have a great reputation though, and Ford servicing and parts is always dirt cheap.

menothim- look for an annually oil-changed one owner (or two) any model car from the likes of Ford, Toyota or VW. Parts a plenty from every angle etc and if an engine has had its fluids changed on the dot you wont go far wrong. Like blood, fluids keep a car alive.

Happy to look at an older Mondeo for sure.

Is bangernomics a false economy, or do people on here make it work for themselves?

In honesty I am unlikely to get my hands dirty under the hood...

I used to be a firm devotee of Bangernomics, though always insisting on perfect service record like Hora says.

Never came totally unstuck, though I did have a Nissan QX that I had to write off after 9 months with a net loss of £500 (a fair bit of cash to me at the time).

Now I spend a little bit more on my cars, but still try to get low mileage and FSH.

If you're not bothered about driving a modern car, just buy according to budget but make sure you get a good one.

If you can afford £2k or more, the more modern Mondeo is a superb car and feels totally up to date.

Old-style Nissan Primera makes a lot of sense in Bangernomics terms too.

I've got a 2002 Volvo V40 diesel. Not a track day car but fine for normal use and cruising up and down motorways. Enough space in the back for bikes - but maybe not as much as you might expect - Mondeo estates are much larger. Parts prices are expensive, and sevicing at main dealers just stupid prices but overall i like mine and its been reliable and trustworthy (after 120,000 miles and still runs like a newish car)

menothim for bangeronimics to work for you you need to have already been through a sort of initiation/been bitten before, before you can make it work for you. A good head for mechanics, cynism, strong-dose of common sense as well.

Go for the V70 with the diesel engine. 35mpg.
Good for a big car.
Apparently its an Audi engine ?
Will be my next car anyway.

(Ex-Volvo V40 owner here). Steer clear of phase 1 models (built before mid-way through 2000), go for a 1.8 or larger (2.0 LPT is what I had and its without doubt the best of the bunch) and avoid at all costs the GDI engined models as they are service hungry, need a de-coke after a shockingly short amount of time and they have a whole raft of well-documented (at least on Volvo owner forum) problems. The ride is firmer than most Volvo's but they aren't bad cars if you keep away from iffy ones.

The GDI-engineered ones are the Mitsubishi units arent they? If they arent decoked they can go bang from as little as 60k miles

Yes thats right Hora.

Hmm, everything does point to a mk 3 Mondeo. Will need to hunt down the back of the sofa for more loose change...

My parents in law have one. Dreadful car - garage bills are frequent and enormous.

I have a phase I, 1998 V40 2.0 CD.
I have had it for 6 years and have driven it for 98000 of its 151000 miles.
Absolutely the best car I have ever had.
The sports suspension is overly firm, but the quality of the build is better than any ford I have owned.
The car does about 30mpg typically, but does 35mpg on a run.
I would not go for less than a 2.0 engine, as my cousin had the 1.6 and got less MPG and it was dog slow.
I do a lot of my own work on the car, and they are well put together.
The suspension is getting a bit tired on mine now (top mounts need replacing after 10 years), but the exhaust is still original, and the door seals and other plastic/rubber bits are showing no signs of aging.
If buying again I would get a 2002/2003 car with as many extras as possible. They are an under-rated car in my opinion. Owning this has made me want a volvo as my next car. Either a V70 or XC90, funds permitting.
First though I need to wear out the V40, and it is showing no signs of packing up!

V40 2.0i petrol here, T reg 100k cost me £1500 about 8 months ago 😀

Full leather,loads of goodys, goes well on the Sport button...Rubbish on juice :(... but i like to do my thing for Esso's annual tun over.

Get 3 bikes in and riders dosen't matter when you scratch it etc.

Like mine but may change for a diesel one

Drove around in a 2.0 litre phase 1 now and again.
Echo dull drive, poor consumption.
And not a lot of space.
But well screwed together - would consider if you found a really good one with good history at a nice price.

We have V70 and my advice would be avoid main dealers like the plague their servicing costs are truly astronomical, they seem to work on the principal of work out how much the job costs then double it and if you enter wearing a suit treble it! ( I took ours for its first service and I thought she was having a laugh when she told me the price no...........really). However find yourself a good independent garage and your laughing.

My mate has a version with the same engine as my Pug 406 (1.9 TD). Clunky, no go uphill, cheap to run. You pays your money...

"look for an annually oil-changed "

On a side note, in the US, the standard recommendation for oil changes is 3 months/3,000 miles - often on the same cars we drive here!

Still got p reg v40 1.8. currebtly on mothers drive, no mot.
Had a while and it done 200 mile round trip to see other half at uni with no bother.
only ever bought 2 new tyres and a battery. Solid car.