I've finally got round to having a test drive of a Volvo V40, middle of the range SE specification.
It’s inevitable that I’ll make comparisons with my trusty 2003 Focus Ghia.
The seats weren't too bad but certainly not as comfortable as those in my Focus. Also the seat material felt hard and abrasive compared with the soft velvet of my Focus. The manual seat height adjustment felt strange as it made the angle of the seat cushion and the fore-and-aft position alter as it went up and down ~ the electrical adjustment in my Focus just goes straight up and down. Even with the steering wheel adjusted as far forward as possible I couldn't get as far away from the steering wheel as I would have liked.
Headroom was restricted, and my head touched the top of the door frame as I got in and out ~ and I’m not tall. The interior felt cramped and somewhat claustrophobic ~ I’ll have to take ‘er indoors to sit in one because she suffers from claustrophobia.
The clutch and gear change actions were smooth ~ and there was a totally unnecessary indicator on the right of the fascia to tell you when to change up and down!
The start/stop function worked OK. When we came to a stop at traffic lights I put the car into neutral, applied the handbrake, and released the clutch. The engine quickly restarted when I pushed the clutch pedal down again. The accompanying salesgirl said it wasn’t necessary to apply the handbrake at traffic lights ~ is this the way people are taught nowadays? The salesgirl said that the start/stop function could be permanently disabled but I’m not sure I believe that. I think it’s more likely that it would need disabling before the start of every journey.
The handbrake was on the left of the gear lever (not behind), and my forearm touched the centre armrest when I applied the handbrake.
There was room for the optional spare wheel in the well of the boot provided that you removed the jack and wheel brace, and the standard leak sealant equipment.
The salesgirl said that if you hit a pedestrian, the pedestrian airbag (which comes out at the rear of the bonnet and covers the windscreen) could just be rolled up and put back into its container. I'd believe that when I saw it!
After eight years of owning a car which has self-adhesive balance weights out of sight on the inside of the alloy wheel I was surprised to see that the V40 has clip-on balance weights on the outside of the wheel. Surely they must leave a mark on the allow wheel when they’re removed? I hope that the wheel balance isn’t so critical that weights on the outside (as well as on the inside) are absolutely vital.
I didn’t have time during the test drive to try out all the fascia-controlled toys
.
As far as buying one, at the moment I’m undecided because of the could-be-better seat comfort and the restricted headroom.
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why do you want, or have the need to change your trusty 2003 focus?
No car is going to be the same as that.
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>> why do you want, or have the need to change your trusty 2003 focus?
(a) It's starting to rust, both the paintwork and underneath, and just generally starting to show its age.
(b) It's out of date ~ it doesn't have as many toys as modern cars.
(c) I want something more powerful.
(d) It doesn't pull the birds like it used to.
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>> >> why do you want, or have the need to change your trusty 2003 focus?
>>
>> (a) It's starting to rust, both the paintwork and underneath, and just generally starting to
>> show its age.
Thats the problem with keeping it int he garage. Makes them rust. Now you know you dont have to fit it in the garage that should widen your choice somewhat.
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>> >> (a) It's starting to rust, both the paintwork and underneath, and just generally starting
>> to
>> >> show its age.
>>
>> Thats the problem with keeping it int he garage. Makes them rust. Now you know
>> you dont have to fit it in the garage that should widen your choice somewhat.
>>
I don't think it makes them rust. I have a dehumidifier in the garage and I bet my car dries out quicker and more completely than it would if parked outside. I would always keep my car in my garage. I like to be able to sleep soundly at night without wondering whether my car's going to be stolen or vandalised.
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Nice review.
>>and there was a totally unnecessary indicator on the right of the fascia to tell you when to change up and down!
It's supposed to help you drive economically. It is interesting that is wants you to change up long before you would normally do so.
The only thing I would say about this indicator is that it doesn't take into account how loaded the car is. If you tow, it still asks you to change at the same rev points even if that would strain the engine.
There is a setting to turn it off - buried within the over-complicated central console.
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>> There is a setting to turn it off - buried within the over-complicated central console.
I wish there was in the works Transit Connect. Have just about got used to it and ignore it now, but I wonder if I'll miss any other warning lights located nearby as well?
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>> There is a setting to turn it off - buried within the over-complicated central console.
>>
If I bought a V40, I'd find the setting!
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The central console is my V50 number one hate.
Too many buttons, and too fiddly to get to anything. Very distracting if you try to do anything with it whilst driving.
If Apple had designed it there would be no buttons at all. There must be a happy medium though.
Bluetooth pairing of your phone also works well. I just get in the car and the phone pairs by itself, syncing automatically. If you take a call in the car, you can also carry on without interruption when leaving the car by switching the phone back to handset.
The only thing that sometimes happens is that the bluetooth just drops connection and, get this, the only way to reset it is to stop the car, turn it off and restart! Not very practical if you are on the motorway!
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>> Nice review.
>>
>> >>and there was a totally unnecessary indicator on the right of the fascia to tell
>> you when to change up and down!
>>
>> It's supposed to help you drive economically. It is interesting that is wants you to
>> change up long before you would normally do so.
>> The only thing I would say about this indicator is that it doesn't take into
>> account how loaded the car is. If you tow, it still asks you to change
>> at the same rev points even if that would strain the engine.
>> There is a setting to turn it off - buried within the over-complicated central console.
No way to turn it off on the V60, and it tres to make you change up slightly to early. This can result in you just dropping below the turbo spooling up, so you get a surge of power - change - flat spot - surge - change etc
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>> the start/stop function could be permanently disabled but I’m not sure I believe that. I think it’s more likely that it would need disabling before the start of every journey.
There should be an econ button in front of the gear stick behind the cup holder which stops the start/stop function completely.
The start / stop sometimes feels completely stupid when one stops at lights for a second or so causing the engine to stop and restart almost straight away. One then gets into the (probably bad) habit of simply leaving a foot on the clutch to prevent it stopping the engine, and only putting it into neutral when you think you are going to be stopped any length of time.
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>> There should be an econ button in front of the gear stick behind the cup
>> holder which stops the start/stop function completely.
I saw the button but, I didn't believe that it would disable the start/stop function for ever and a day. Perhaps it does. I would certainly disable it as much as possible. I'm not a tree hugger and I would expect the extra starting would be deleterious to the starter motor and the flywheel gear ring.
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Yes that button completely disables it.
Apparently there is an additional battery in the car to cope with the increased start/stop cycling. After a while one notices when it doesn't do its start/stop thing - i.e. when the battery is too low. It also reduces the aircon while stopped to preserve charge.
Sometimes it will also just start from neutral on its own because the battery has entered low charge.
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The last new car I test drove was a Citroen C3 and they let me and the missus have it all morning without a salesperson accompanying us.
You can't evaluate a jamjar with a half hour drive and a salesbod sitting next to you.
If I was intending to buy a new car, then I'd want to make sure it suited me, and the only way I could do that would be by having the critter for at least a whole morning/aft'noon.
When I bought a new VW Transporter down the ole kent rd. back in the 80's, they let me try one for a whole day and me and the bruv took it to Hastings :)
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>> You can't evaluate a jamjar with a half hour drive and a salesbod sitting next
>> to you.
I agree, and if ever a V40 got to be near the top of my wish list I would want to have a long test drive. I'm thinking of changing my car next year and I always do a lot of prior research into the options available. The drive I had was primarily to get an assessment of the seat comfort.
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Which version did you try ? We have the RDesign with the Art Deco looking leather seats. Very good seats.
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>> Which version did you try ?
SE with D2 engine.
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>> I agree, and if ever a V40 got to be near the top of my
>> wish list I would want to have a long test drive.
Hire one for the day maybe?
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If its the same system as I have on the V60, and I imagine it is, then there is no way to turn off the stop/start permanently. The DRIVe button only turns it off for that journey, and upon starting again it defaults back to on.
The cars Co2 is reduced due to the system, so I wonder if there is some legislation preventing it from being permanently turned off?
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>> If its the same system as I have on the V60, and I imagine it
>> is, then there is no way to turn off the stop/start permanently. The DRIVe button
>> only turns it off for that journey, and upon starting again it defaults back to
>> on.
I could cope with, or accept, that amount of disablement.
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>> The DRIVe button only turns it off for that journey, and upon starting again it defaults >> back to on.
The online Drivers Manual confirms that that is also the case for the V40.
(The 420 page manual is very comprehensive, and puts the 260 page manual for my car to shame.)
Last edited by: L'escargot on Wed 15 Aug 12 at 07:21
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>> You can't evaluate a jamjar with a half hour drive and a salesbod sitting next
>> to you.
Would a test drive of 100 miles (unacompanied) be too much to request?
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>>Would a test drive of 100 miles (unacompanied) be too much to request?<<
Just tell them you would like to 'evaluate' the car over a longer period, if you don't ask, you don't get :)
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Very interesting write-up, L'Escargot: I also had a short run in a V40 a fortnight or so ago. I didn't push for a longer run as I don't need a new car at the moment. When I'm thinking more seriously about it, like you I'll want an hour or more unaccompanied.
Difficult to pin down specifically why I liked the V40, but I did. A combination of quite light, direct steering, a slick gearchange and a good ride/handling compromise made me feel at home instantly. I could have done with more power: I think the D2s are all that are available at present. Interestingly and unusually, the V40 diesels don't appear to be any more expensive than petrol-powered ones with similar BHP.
Seats - supportive enough although with all that's written about Volvo seats I was expecting something more special. Perhaps the seats in my Octavia vRS are already well above average.
The big downside for me was the appalling rear visibility: the fetish for 'kicked'up' styling at the rear sides has hit Volvo with a vengeance, and the view through the back window from inside is like looking through a letter-box.
Overall a very nice car but i think I'll wait and see if they do an estate. There is an XC40 on the way but this is apparently just the same body with more ground clearance.
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>> Overall a very nice car but i think I'll wait and see if they do an estate.
Very funny :-) The Volvo estates are the ones labelled with a V aren't they. I realise this is no more than a hatch really.
I'd expect a car to fill the gap left by the loss of the V50... I assume that's longer. I've not checked but the V50 is bigger I think. Not seen a V40 myself.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Wed 8 Aug 12 at 21:44
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The car to fill that gap (the apparent niche for an estate that's not quite big enough) is already filled by the V60. I don't expect there to be a new V50; if it had plans for one, I suspect Volvo would have named the hatch C40 instead.
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I think you're right about the V60 - it's not a huge car so probably is the next step up from the V40.
Before ordering or even test driving cars I sat in a S60 and V60. I like the outside styling if both but didn't like the inside. And the V60 is a bit small.
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Just noticed that wot I wrote made no sense, so thanks to RTJ for getting some out of it.
}:---)
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S'funny really, when you think about it, Volvo is owned by Geely of China, the new V40 is based on a modified Ford C1 platform, when is a Volvo not a Volvo?
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When is a Volvo not a Volvo?
1. Volvo's under Ford ownership were based on Fords... so not Volvo's. The new V40 is a Focus. The S80 was a Mondeo based car etc.
2. They are now owned by Geely... so now a Geely.
Volvo won't produce a Volvo unless they are independent and that's not going to happen. They'd go the way of Saab surely?
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Oh, that old nonsense. It would be interesting to know the number of common parts between the Focus and the V40, or the Passat CC and the - what, Octavia? I can't imagine anyone mistaking an S80 for a Mondeo, and you have only to look at the used prices of V70 2.0D models (Ford engine) and only slightly newer 2.0 D3s (Volvo engine) to see the perceived value of the Volvo difference.
And that's just the engines; have we mentioned the seats?
};---)
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>> And the V60 is
>> a bit small.
>>
Agree. I'm surprised how Volvo have managed to make the V60 feel so small inside. You do feel quite cocooned though
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>> Not seen a V40 myself.
tinyurl.com/cop985u I think they must have put a light inside when they took this photograph.
Last edited by: L'escargot on Thu 9 Aug 12 at 07:01
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>> Not seen a V40 myself.
>>
Forget "Download a Brochure" in my previous link, it's here. tinyurl.com/ckx3jk7
Last edited by: L'escargot on Thu 9 Aug 12 at 07:11
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>>Forget "Download a Brochure" in my previous link, it's here. tinyurl.com/ckx3jk7<<
It looks Geely good to me L'es.
:}
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One of the attractions of a V40 for me is that there is an optional extra electrically heated windscreen. After having had one since 1999 (in my last two Focuses) I would hate to have a car which didn't have one.
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I keep remembering features.
The V40 has a capless fuel filler and I'm not sure whether it's a good idea or not. You have to press on the flat cover to open and close it and I've no doubt that sooner or later there will be a scratched, or abraded, area where your finger contacts it.
The car has two exhaust outlets. Does this mean that there are two parts of exhaust pipe to deteriorate or is one outlet just a dummy?
Last edited by: L'escargot on Thu 9 Aug 12 at 08:49
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You could wear gloves. :)
I think that on the lower engine options the extra tail pipe will be a dummy, but on the others it won't. I know the V60 D3 has a single tail pipe and the D5 twin pipes so it's just a guess on my part based on that.
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>> You could wear gloves. :)
>>
>> I think that on the lower engine options the extra tail pipe will be a
>> dummy, but on the others it won't. I know the V60 D3 has a single
>> tail pipe and the D5 twin pipes so it's just a guess on my part
>> based on that.
>>
Depends on the specification, not just the engine size. Mine is the 1.6 DRIVe but has twin tail pipes as its the R-Design spec
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You could wear gloves. :)
...or invent a 'flap protector' product to be sold alongside those clip-on door edge protectors, beaded seat covers, tartan travel rugs...
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Our V50 D4 Rdesign (170 odd bhp) has twin exhausts both work.
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>> You could wear gloves. :)
I'd probably stick one of these on at the point of finger-contact. tinyurl.com/bnwlfap ~ red colour to blend with my favourite Passion Red V40 colour.
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>> >> You could wear gloves. :)
>>
>> I'd probably stick one of these on at the point of finger-contact. tinyurl.com/bnwlfap ~ red
>> colour to blend with my favourite Passion Red V40 colour.
>>
Thats the colour of my V60!
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>> to blend with my favourite Passion Red V40 colour.
>>
>> >>
>>
>> Thats the colour of my V60!
>>
You've got good taste. Great minds think alike.
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>>Great minds think alike<<
But fools seldom differ.
:-}
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>> >>Great minds think alike<<
>>
>> But fools seldom differ.
You could have fooled me!
:-D
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Had my first, brief sit in a V40 yesterday when I picked up my S60 from its birthday service. Impressions generally good - this was a manual SE Lux with black leather and full electric adjustment. It feels immediately like a Volvo in that the seat fits and supports in all the right places, the cushion adjusts for tilt as well as height, and the steering wheel is pleasantly chunky and comes back far enough to be comfortably reachable.
There's also space round the pedals for size 13 Loakes, if not quite as good a footrest as my old car has, but better than the new S60 or the manual V70 in that respect. If I have a reservation it's that it's a little snug for headroom, with the door, the visor and the roof (not a glass one in this car) converging a little closer to my head than I would like. And I'm not convinced that there's as much room behind me and in the boot as there is in a Golf, but that may not matter for our purposes.
I'm going to take up the offer of a proper test drive in a couple of weeks and add my impressions to l'Es's after that.
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WillDeBeest, you might like to take a look of these before you have your test drive.
Quick Guide tinyurl.com/8tkcalh
Owners Manual tinyurl.com/8gbjfrl
RTI Guide tinyurl.com/8fqoen7
Infotainment Guide tinyurl.com/9kg6wzg tinyurl.com/9kg6wzg
Last edited by: L'escargot on Wed 17 Oct 12 at 06:44
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A V40 review video here, L'escargot:
tinyurl.com/c927vjj
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Volvo V40 test drive - Zero
