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2000 - 2003 Volvo S40 and V40 Pre-Owned

Long known for building some of the safest cars on the road, Volvo found itself getting left behind in the late '90s by its Europeancompetitors. Still offering the same high safety benefits as always, Volvo's would-be buyers continued to turn to more sporting,aggressively styled alternatives, such as Audi's A4 and, to some extent, Acura's TL. To remedy the situation, Volvo unleashed what they'd hoped would be their secret weapon in 2000: the S40 sedan and V40 wagon.

The new entry-level Volvos, these diminutive Dutch-built haulers sported a refreshing departure from the staid Volvo design direction. The smallest car in the near-luxury segment, the S/V40 sported a wheelbase of only 100.4 inches when it debuted in 2000; shorter even than Toyota's little Corolla. That small frame was wrapped in curvy sheetmetal, with wrap-around tail and headlights plus an almost BMW-like front end that sported a very stylish version of the traditional Volvo square grille.

Only one year later, Volvo restyled the S/V40, stretching the wheelbase by half an inch and wrapping it in a new, albeit very similar, skin. The front bumper got an integrated chin spoiler while the fenders were massaged for a slightly more aggressive look. Finally, opting for 2002's Sport model further increased the assertiveness of the already nimble-looking Volvo, adding foglights, a spoiler, and Galactica alloy wheels for that final Euro touch. Unfortunately, the Sport model was sporting in looks and name alone, with no engine or suspension modifications.

Inside,the smallest Volvo reeked of quality construction. Coincidentally, the cheapest near-luxury import, the S40/V40 carried a price tag that hovered around the $24,000 mark at its inception ($24,525 excluding transport and PDI to be exact), placing it squarely between its European competitors and the mainstream sedan offerings from across the Pacific Ocean. With such luxuries as leather, heated seats and a power moonroof available, the 2001 Volvo's interior is one area where it stood out from its competitors, especially when fitted with the Touring Package that added leather seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, wood trim, and a wooden shift knob. So equipped, the Volvo stood apart from its Japanese rivals as more luxurious, and distinguished itself from its European competitors by offering a higher standard of comfort for less money; with soft supple seats displacing the common hard and bench-like

Understated and comfy, the driver's seat was the place to be, although moving the seat too far back made getting in and out a pain. (Photo: Volvo Cars of America)

chairs of its German competitors.

Theseating position was good, with all the controls easily coming to hand, although moving either of the front seats any more than halfway aft made getting inand out an exercise in B-pillar avoidance. Furthermore, the large (but safe) headrests have an uncanny ability to render all but the most energetic shoulder checks completely useless. But, such standard features as electronic climate control, tilt steering, and large, easily legible luminescent gauges made being in the driver's seat a treat.

The back seat, however, was another story. As the smallest car in its class, the baby Volvo also offered the least room, and the rear seats are pretty much for children only; putting a full-size human back there could constitute some sort of bizarre and painful punishment. Opting for the wagon V40 did little to remedy the problem; however, it at least offered excellent cargo capacity for its size, topping out at 61.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down; far more even than the much larger Volkswagen Passat!


As mentioned though, the V40 and S40 never aspired to match their competitors in outright speed. Fitted with only one available engine, a turbocharged 1.9L four-cylinder, the little Volvo couldn't keep up with either its Japanese or European rivals; most of which had available V6s. Cranking out 160 horsepower from 2000 to 2002 (upped to 170 in 2003), the little turbo mill offered what was best described as "brisk" acceleration with decent passing power, but it lacked the top-end speed that the larger V6s offered. Backed by a relatively smooth five-speed automatic as the only available transmission, the Volvo definitely wasn't a speed demon.

The upshot of these non-performance aspirations, however, was that the suspension was tuned for comfort and safety, meaning that it was both compliant and confidence inspiring. Capable of soaking up larger bumps than its short wheelbase belied, both the S40 and V40 were surefooted, with only moderate body lean around corners. Both sedan and wagon benefit from excellent ABS brakes that also utilized Electronic Brake Force Distribution to maintain control during panic

With available leather seats and wood trim, the little Volvo was the picture of quality, although rear seat room was at a premium. (Photo: Volvo Cars of America)

stops. That said, the wagon's added weight over the rear end makes the tail step ever so slightly out during quick stops and hard cornering.

As is indicative of any well-engineered car, wind and road noise at any speed is well managed, and highway cruising in the small Volvo is generally an uninteresting, quiet affair. Finally, should you feel like attacking a given corner, the Volvo rewards with incredibly precise steering and equally predictable grip, and rolling the throttle open results in a booming exhaust note and muted intake growl that sounds absolutely fantastic. It'd just be nice if all that sound and fury came with a little more oomph.

But that's not what Volvo is about. Long known as the world's safest automobile, the brick-like cars earned Volvo a great reputation in their early days as one of the first brands to actively design a car around occupant safety. If Ralph Nader didn't own one, he would have been firmly on the bandwagon. And the V40 isn't any different; even today its level of safety is unequaled in its price range. With passive safety features like side-curtain airbags, side-thorax airbags, and intelligent dual stage front airbags that inflated to one of two pressures depending on the severity of the crash and whether or not the occupant is wearing a seatbelt, this was the car you wanted your teenager driving.

Additionally, the V40 and S40 utilized Volvo's WHIPS system that involved dampened headrests to prevent whiplash in the event of being rear ended, as well as rear seatbacks that were developed to take the brunt of any luggage impacting them in a collision without passing any of that energy along to the rear-seat passengers. On the topic of rear seat safety, the rear seat was also fitted with ISO-FIX attachments for optional Volvo-designed rear-facing child seats. Designing the child seats and such attachments as part of the car was unheard of at the time, and the safety offered by this symbiosis of design is still unmatched. Finally, all the seats came with three-point seatbelts while the two outermost rear seats could also be fitted with integrated booster seats for larger children, making the little Volvo the undisputed safety king amongst entry-level luxury sedans.


But they didn't stop there. Fitting the Volvo with an impressive array of active safety components also helped the little S40 and V40 avoid collisions whenever possible. The aforementioned

Quite a bit curvier than previous Volvos, the S40 was the smallest entry-level luxury car to be had when introduced. (Photo: Volvo Cars of America)

standard ABS and EBD was a big part of that, but Volvo'savailable Dynamic Stability Assurance also helped when traction was at a premium; monitoring wheel speed and cutting back the available torque when wheel slip is sensed. As such, the Swedish car gained a reputation for being surefooted in colder climes saddled with heavy winter snowfalls, and even became the vehicle used to train European police forces in vehicle control.

Lastly, as much as Volvos are expected to be safe, the older cars also gained quite a reputation for being near bulletproof, and the V40 and S40 didn't sully that reputation with only four recalls on the model, two of which were actually serious. The first, affecting 2002 and 2003 models and involving potentially improper welding on the fuel rail's service nipple, couldhave resulted in a gas leak (with the obvious resultant fire hazard), while the second involved improper welding on the brake booster of 2004 models that could cause an air leak to develop, and the brake performance to be reduced. Of note as well, is that only 2,285 units were affected by the first recall, while the second affected only 84 units. Otherwise, two additional recalls were issued for a diode in the climate control system, potentially causing reduced service life, as well as the symbol representing the presence of a universal anchorage system in the rear seat not being reproduced in the owner's manual. Of course, such recalls should have been fixed by Volvo at the time of the recall, so it shouldn't be of concern to you now. Beyond recalls, there are no serious trouble spots with the S40 or V40; the most common complaints being exhaust manifold bolts that loosen (replacing them with bolts with captive washers cures the problem), squeaky seat adjustments (regular lubrication being the solution there), and the standard European appetite for brake pads.

Originally a value-oriented entry-level luxury sedan, time has taken its toll on the Volvo S40 and V40; a good thing for the pre-owned buyer. Prices have dropped well into the realm of affordable, and the only potential problem one could have in owning one is actually finding one to buy. Volvo had initially expected to sell 3,000 per year, but the actual numbers were much lower, making the entry level Volvo also one of the hardest to find. Add to this the fact that many S40 or V40 owners aren't ready to get rid of their steeds, and purchasing one could become a study in patience. But for those looking for an affordable, amazingly well built, very comfortable and above all super-safe car, the wait should be worth it.

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