Used Volvo V40 Cars for Sale from £4,777

Looking to buy a used Volvo V40? Get a full car history check

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Used Volvo V40 pros and cons

Impressive safety kit
Dated infotainment
Good interior quality
Average to drive
Handsome styling
Road noise

Is a second-hand Volvo V40 a good car?

The Volvo V40 is essentially a more handsome version of the second-generation Ford Focus, which it shares much of its mechanical makeup with.

Even so, it’s still very much a Volvo, with the Swedes moving lots of stuff around under the bodywork to make it even safer than the Ford it was based on.

A big update in 2016 saw the V40 get sleeker headlights — with the ‘Thor’s Hammer’ LED light signature — and a revised grille, plus some improvements to the cabin and the infotainment system. That infotainment system is, by today’s standards, on a pretty small screen that’s set into the top of a rather gorgeous ‘floating’ centre console.

As ever with a Volvo, the front seats are gloriously comfortable, and there’s a good driving position to be found. Space in the back isn’t overly generous, but it’s about as good as you’ll find in any rival product. At 335 litres the boot is smaller than what you’d get in a VW Golf, but it’s reasonably well sized.

While it was never as sporty as the Golf GTI, nor the BMW 1 Series, the V40 was always a nice car to drive, with excellent comfort as long as you stayed away from large alloy wheel options and didn’t pick the sports suspension.

What to look for when buying a used Volvo V40

Volvo’s central locking systems, especially from the early 2000s onwards, always seem to be a problem and the V40 is no exception. Check to make sure that the car comes with both keys, as they’re a failure point and may not have been replaced. The adaptive cruise control can also have sensor issues, which will send a fault up to the dashboard. Also, the 2.0-litre diesel engine was recalled for a potential fire issue so make sure that work has been done.

The Volvo V40 didn’t turn up in the most recent Driver Power Top 50 Cars To Own list, but the distantly related Volvo XC40 did — in 32nd place — and received good marks for quality and reliability. Volvo as a brand finished in a solid mid-table 16th out of 32 brands in the Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, with 26% of owners reporting faults.

Volvo V40 FAQs

Is the Volvo V40 fuel efficient?

Yes, it is. Petrol versions (the high-powered T5 apart) should easily average around 40mpg, while the diesels will do better than 50mpg on average.

How many miles will a Volvo V40 last?

Volvo has always boasted that where most car makers design their cars around a life of around 200,000 miles, it has always aimed for more like 300,000 miles. Equally, any car designed around Scandi winters should, if properly cared for and serviced, last for ages in the UK. 150,000 miles should be your minimum target.

Is the Volvo V40 expensive to maintain?

It can be - Volvo dealers can charge high prices for servicing and parts, and it’s not necessarily the case that Ford Focus parts will fit a V40. Keeping it serviced at a good independent Volvo specialist is the key to keeping your running costs down.

Is the Volvo V40 engine reliable?

Generally speaking, yes. The later V40s, with the Volvo-designed 2.0-litre engines, seem to be impressively solid in reliability terms. Earlier 1.6 diesel versions need careful maintenance, especially when it comes to using a good quality synthetic oil, and keeping an eye on the fragile plastic water pump.