2008 Volvo S40 Consumer Reviews
Most Helpful Reviews
Positive Review
This car is shorter than a Honda Civic, yet somehow much roomier inside, making it a breeze to parallel park in the city while still maintaining a reasonable comfort level. Everyone will think you paid much more for this car than you did due to its styling cues lining up with the larger s60. At the end of the day, this car acts like everything you wish a Ford Focus or a Mazda 3 (they share a chassis, after all) could be. When the rare repair is needed, parts are no more expensive than those others, though labor charges will be higher from a Volvo specialist. Save some money by using a good, non-import specialist mechanic, as these cars are simple enough to be serviced by a non-proprietary mechanic. Usually. There are a handful of things like key fobs and software updates that will mandate getting skinned alive by a dealer, but those things are few and far between.
VS
Critical Review
Things happen to these cars that don't happen to Toyotas and Honda's. Wheel bearing going out at 90,000 miles, leaking AC drain that caused two inches of water in the car twice a year, sunroof motor shot at 75000 miles. Headliner fell apart at 80,000 miles. Interior light console fell off at 90,000 miles. I won't buy a Volvo again.
2008 S40 Reviews
Showing 8 of 295 reviews.
Easy to drive, park, maneuver in city.
It is a bit tight with limited back seat.
I bought the car with 29000 miles on the odometer. In 4.7 years and 58,000 miles it hasn't let me down once.
agile, speedy
kinda tight fit
This is a great car with great power and handling. Looks good and feels good. very sporty but 4 doors. big trunk area. 28mpg I am moving to Mexico and cannot take it with me. they will not allow it. Sadly, I must sell it.
Rapid response
Road noise,feels more like a Pace car vs dailydriv
This car is very impressive, rapid response on acceleration at any speed. Awd allows easy correction in high speed hydroplaine. 160 + mph and handles it very well.
GREAT DRIVING EXPERIENCE
GOOD CAR BOUGHT FROM VOLVO OF TUCSON. VOLVO HAS GREAT REPUTATION WITH EAST AFRICAN SAFARY. LOTS OF POWER, TRAFIC AND RUGGED ROADS.
Looks like Beamer, interior, sturdy safe road feel
Check engine light frequency
I bought a 2006 Volvo s40 used for $5400 from a used car dealership, with 86k miles. Navy exterior color, sleek body, sunroof, light interior, it felt like a BMW. Average pickup and cruising speed. Had to spend $1600 to get timing belt replaced at dealership. Then starting getting dashboard warning lights constantly. “Door open” it wasn’t. Check engine, it was running fine. Then got it fixed for a engine pump line or something. Eventually it was just a dashboard check engine light constant annoyance, so my auto shop suggested I sell it. I happily did at 100k miles and 2 years of ownership for $3800. I really wish it would have held up better, but as a commuter basic daily city driver it was just not economical or reliable. I wanted to love my Volvo car ownership experience , but nope
Fun to drive, comfortable and reliable
FWD limitations, small car can feel cramped
The Volvo S40 is rather undeniable in its own quirky way. It isn’t particularly fast (at least not in the 2.4 configuration that I own) but it is very nimble and fun to drive. Keep the power band between 3000-5000rpm and the car has good torque with the 5 cylinder producing around 170hp. The steering is precise and the car feels well planted; albeit a front wheel drive car and the limitations that naturally come with. I haven’t had a single issue in the 8 months of ownership and I’m very pleased with the car. Would definitely recommend. My car also has upgraded rims, spoiler, red calipers and sport package. Very sweet ride to boot.
Stylish, nimble, great value, and reliable
2.4 liter not very sporty, on the small side
I bought this car used from the original owner with about 110,000 miles. I have owned the car for almost 4 years and put about 45,000 miles so far. The car has been a pleasure to own. It's a compact luxury car I paid next to nothing for. It's true it does not hold it's value very well, but that's great news if you buy used like I did! I have taken the car to the mechanic once for a faulty oil sump, which apparently is common on this car. Other than that I have had no issues. Everything else works beautifully. The car is the base model but it still comes standard with a sunroof, Bluetooth phone capabilities, and fully automatic windows, which were uncommon in 2009. The downsides are the car is on the small side with limited storage space. The front seats are fine but the back seats are cramped for adults. I also bought the naturally aspirated 2.4 liter 5 cylinder engine, and while it does sound nice under acceleration, it is definitely not a car that's wants to be pushed to the edge. If you are looking for sport, go for the turbocharged 2.5 liter engine. The car does drive very well, it's nimble and can take corners with no problem. It's small, but drives like a big car on the highway, feeling solid and smooth. Uncommon for small cars. For what I paid for this car, it has been phenomenal and exceeded all expectations. No other car compares with its standard amenities and style for this price point. It may be a small economy car, but it is still just as luxurious and stylish as it's rivals, for way less money on the used market.
Love my car it runs perfect
