(First Posted Sept. 8, 2013) Above is the last picture I ever took of this car; in fact, it was taken after I turned it off for the last time on the day we turned in the car, sometime in 2005, right before we dropped off the keys. Four years and 49-something thousand miles earlier, we had taken possession of it to replace our Explorer. To date, it’s still the only car we’ve ever leased that we managed to keep for the entire lease term…
Rewind to 1996; we were traveling around Europe and saw this new small Volvo, called the V40, all over the place. Nice looking car, we thought–too bad they don’t have them in the States. Then, a couple of years later at the Detroit Auto Show, I saw one on the stand! I asked the lady if they were now for sale over here, and she told me that Volvo was just trying to see if there was sufficient interest in the car to bring it over. I gave her my thoughts and carried on. Two years later, it came here as a 2000 model, and once we saw a TV spot advertising a “sign and drive” lease for the 2001 model year, we started to seriously think about it.
One day we were near the Pleasanton, CA, Volvo dealer and decided to pull in. Before getting out of our car, we discussed between ourselves that we would only be interested in a silver one with the dark interior, and if there were any games being played relative to the advertised special we would walk away. Well, they had one left, the color was what we wanted, and it was as advertised–basically, you signed your name and paid the California registration fee while Volvo picked up the security deposit, first month’s payment, sales tax on said payment, and any other costs that would be charged normally.
The term was 48 months, 12,000 miles/year, and the total payment including tax was well under $400 per month. California does leasing differently than some other states; here you pay sales tax only on your monthly payment at the time you make it, and not on the total value of the car up front, which makes leasing quite attractive. However, on the flip side–when you actually own a car and trade it in for a new one–you do NOT get a sales tax credit back for the value of the trade-in.
Back to the car: So, it’s silver with a charcoal interior–what else? And according to the sticker (pictured above), these came standard with side-curtain airbags (among a plethora of others), ABS, four-wheel discs, power windows and locks, folding rear seat, floor mats, keyless entry and various other items. Being a Volvo, the first column of standard features unsurprisingly lists all safety stuff. The MSRP of it all, sans options, was $24,550.
Beyond that equipment, the options included metallic paint at $400 (it’s amazing the Europeans can get away with that); leather-faced seating surfaces at $1,300; and finally, the Sunroof/Audio Package comprising a sunroof, trip computer, in-dash CD player with changer control, premium speakers, and 10-spoke alloys, all wrapped up in a $1,900 special value-package price. Then comes a $27 charge for the CD pre-wiring (which you’d think would be included in the aforementioned package), and a $150 Wood Interior Package, which gets you very fake-looking “Simulated Wood Trim” on the shift knob and other various trim pieces.
After the $650 destination charge, the grand total MSRP was $28,952. Entry-level luxury, indeed. Given a choice, we probably would have swapped the fake wood and the sunroof for a set of roof rails in order to mount our roof box when needed (I ended up adding them myself for a couple of hundred dollars by ordering them online from a Volvo dealer located across the country). I just realized the black-and-white picture below shows our car without the roof rails, while the top pictures show it with them.
2001 was an interesting year for these; there were changes made after the 2000 model year (probably since they’d already been sold for several years outside the U.S.) Consequently, the first-year models look a wee bit different, although it’s unlikely the differences would be noticeable to the casual observer. The small side skirts on the 2000s are black and not body color, and thus don’t look as integrated; also, the dashboard and center console are arranged differently. Mechanically, all of these (S40 sedans and V40 wagons) had the 160-HP, 1.9-liter four-cylinder with an intercooled, light-pressure turbo and DOHC Variable Valve Timing, but only 2001 and later cars had the five-speed automatic.
The engine put out 160 HP at 5,100 RPM, and 170 lb.-ft. of torque between 1,800-4,500 RPM–which wasn’t bad at all, as the car drove very nicely and pulled strongly. Light-pressure turbos have a way of making an engine feel larger without a big kick of boost; there was very little (if any) lag, and the automatic helped to mask any actual lag there might have been.
Gas mileage (per the sticker) was 22/32, which we found to be realistic as long as we did not totally hoon it. The automatic was a great gearbox with very smooth shifts that were almost imperceptible. I believe this was a fairly early use of a five-speed automatic. According to the rev counter, it did seem to shift quite often but it did a good job–as I noted, it was very smooth in operation.
Our car was built in Born, Netherlands in the NedCar joint assembly plant shared with Mitsubishi (a Mitsubishi product called the Carisma was being built there at the same time. I believe this plant has since closed). So, like our previous Volvo, this one had not been built in Sweden. The sticker breaks out the parts content as 22% Swedish, 20% Netherlands and 0.2% US/Canadian (what could that be?). I have no idea where the other 57.8% came from. It does say the engine parts are from Sweden and the transmission parts hail from Japan (not broken out, though) which still presumably leaves plenty of other items…
Space-wise, these are probably a hair bigger than a Jetta; refinement-wise, they’re probably more like a Passat. The cabin was a comfortable place to be. The seats were not quite as good as those in our old 740 Turbo, but still were very comfortable and better than most others in this size class. I recall that under-thigh support was not so good–the seats just seemed “shorter”. Instruments were clear and legible, the trip computer was a nice traveling companion, and I liked having an in-dash CD player. The dashboard had a nice leather-grain look, and all the switches and dials worked well and felt good.
I do recall the standard Continental Eco-Contact tires being horrible. They gripped well enough, but seemed to be quite soft and very puncture-prone. I’ve had about six flat tires in my life, and three of them were with this car, on the original tires, within the first 18 months. Once I’d pretty much worn them out, I replaced them with a set of Sumitomos, which were cheap but durable, grippy and quiet. They were still on the car when we turned it in.
This is also the car that carried our first child, Piper, home from the hospital after she was born. That first trip went well, and after that the stroller pretty much became a permanent fixture in the trunk. The hatch was a nice shape, it opened deep between the taillights, and the lid opened up high. Very easy to get stuff in and out.
It was even easier right after we moved from Oakland to Lafayette and my wife, while in our new driveway, somehow managed to back directly into a tree with a curved trunk. The rear glass was smashed, but there was no damage whatsoever to any metal or plastic pieces. I guess it ended as cheaply as it possibly could have, but it still cost several hundred dollars for a mobile glass guy to come out and repair.
I do not recall anything ever going wrong with the car. It had a 48 month/50,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, and we just took it in for service as dictated by the little “maintenance minder”. It was fairly cheap to service at the dealership. In fact, everything in that regard was quite unmemorable, which I take to mean fine and without issue.
A short while after we moved, I started a new job in Belmont, on the SF Peninsula, 42 miles from my front door. The commute involved traversing either the San Francisco Bay Bridge or the San Mateo Bridge. It was a miserable commute that could take up to two hours each way if there was bad weather (which always caused accidents). While we had other cars (all of them acquired after this one), since we were in our third year of ownership and still well under our mileage allotment I used this one for about nine months of commuting. Overall, it was a pleasant way to get there: quick, comfortable, economical and nimble were all attributes that come to mind.
A couple of weeks before the lease was up, a gentleman working for Volvo set up an appointment and looked the car over while I was at work. He determined that it was in good condition, the wear it showed was within Volvo’s spec, and even the small dent in the fender, caused by a second contact with the aforementioned driveway tree, was OK with him. He told me I could drop it off at any Volvo dealer.
Volvo did call me to ask if I wanted to buy the car. I told them I did not want to pay the residual on the car but did offer a couple of thousand less. They declined, so on the way home on the designated day, I dropped it off at the dealer where I usually serviced it, snapped a few pictures, handed over the keys and took BART the rest of the way home. A few weeks later, Volvo invoiced me for around a thousand miles I’d driven beyond the allotment, and that was that. Overall, this was a nice car that was a pleasure to own, and it never did us wrong. I still see many of them around, and I’d buy one all over again, given the same circumstances and knowing what I know now.
I liked these from the moment they started showing up here in the midwest. Confidently styled, compact. I could easily imagine myself driving one.
Not a bad little wagon. There were a few times I wished I had one of these.
The NedCar plant in Born you mention was doomed. But then the VDL-Group from Eindhoven (also the hometown of DAF) came to the rescue. It’s now VDL NedCar and from next year onwards they will make the BMW Mini.
Originally it was a DAF plant, a production facility for the small DAF cars. Volvo took over DAF’s car production in 1975.
Those S40 and V40 Mk1 models were popular and practical no-nonsense cars. The S40 T4 was fun !
These were great little wagons! One of the few examples of a car where the wagon is more attractive than the sedan. For some reason I always like the shape of the headlights on this generation V40/S40. The clear-lensed turn signals look very Euro-spec. The whole shape of the car is quite elegant. When the V40 was redesigned, it lost most of its elegance and uniqueness in exchange for a “mini-me” V70 look.
I actually knew a good number of people who owned this generation V40/S40/C70. When I was in first grade, my friend’s mom purchased one of the earliest V40 wagons. I remember her telling me it was the first V40 the dealer sold.
What platform was this based on?
I believe it was a new one co-developed with Mitsubishi, apparently some suspension components from the Evo 3 fit. The body was Peter Horbury’s first Volvo design.
Shared with the Mitsubishi Carisma. A co-development between both companies.
Here’s the Mitsubishi Carisma. It shared its platform with the S40-V40 Mk1 and they were both made in the same NedCar plant in the Netherlands. From 1997 onwards this Mitsubishi was also available with a 1.8 ltr. gasoline engine with direct injection. In the same year it also got a 1.9 ltr. turbo diesel from Renault.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mitsubishi_Carisma_Hatchback_1998.jpg
Now that the Chinese have their hands on Volvo we’ll see what happens…
Nice write-up. I liked these as soon as they came out and was hungry to get one as a replacement for my first gen Infiniti G20, as I didn’t care for the generic Japanese styling of the second gen G20. The little Volvo looked like a better evolution of the small, tasteful 4-door sedan. But when I took the Volvo for a test drive I was thoroughly disappointed. I can’t recall exactly what turned me off, but I remember it feeling dowdy, slow, and not driver-centered. It might have been the short thigh supports, too, which will turn me off any car. I soldiered on with the G20 a few more years before opting for a Jetta. But these still catch my eye, they remain for me one of the most likeable looking small sedans out there.
Having had a first-gen G20 I can relate to what you’re saying, at least if you’re comparing a stickshift G20 to an automatic S/V40. The G20 did have a zing and directness that the Volvo didn’t. While it drove nice, it was a bit softer. After seeing our wagon, my in-laws ended up buying an S40 sedan..which they started to dislike soon after. The wagon people in general seem to like theirs, the sedan folks not so much (as a very sweeping generalization of course).
I’m pretty sure that in most states you pay sales tax on the lease payment since it really is just a long term rental.
As to those US sourced parts it is most likely emissions control components like for the EVAP system most likely sourced from GM’s Rochester Products division, though AC components from the Harrison division are also likely.
Yeah mitsubishi helped create Volvo’s FWD platform, three diamond stuff shows up in the most unlikely places but Volvo did a good job creating these cars and a lot of their stuff is still in the Ford parts bin.
My family had one of these as a rental in 2004, when our then-new Mercedes was in for warranty work. I wasn’t old enough to drive it, but I remember being pleasantly surprised at the seat comfort (nearly as comfortable as larger Volvos) and overall refinement. My parents enjoyed driving it, calling it “peppy”. Dare I say it – it seemed just as luxurious as the W203 C-Class loaners we also got.
Come to think of it, my parents had actually considered buying one when shopping for said Mercedes, but thought the Volvo was overpriced.
I was in college when these came out, driving a black-over-saddle tan ’91 940SE, and the local Volvo dealer and his wife were friends of my parents. So naturally, Mike was happy to let me try out a new S40 sedan. It was the first one they got in, and it was, believe it or not, purple. I remember it as a nice car, if not really exciting. Keep in mind I was driving a mint 940 with the turbo redblock engine, so I was a bit biased 🙂
I remember it felt very narrow compared to the 940 too, but all in all, not bad. The wagon was much sharper; I remember seeing one in bright red and it looked really nice; the blackout trim on the tailgate contrasted nicely.
I have the successor to this car, a 2006 V50. I specifically wanted the wagon, not because I needed one, but because the then-current S40 had a chopped off tail that made it look like the last foot of trunk had been taken off by a chainsaw. I have to disagree with Brendan on the styling–I prefer the V50. It has such a cohesive look, and the D-pillar and roofline remind me of Mom’s ’73 1800ES. Actually, the V40 reminded me a bit of the ES too!
The V50 has been a good car, and the 2.4L I5, while not a hot rod, has plenty of power for me. Six years, 82K miles and still runs like a top!
Tom,
I forget – is your V50 a T5 or naturally aspirated 2.4i?
I believe the last batch of V50s that came to the U.S. in 2010-11 were all T5s. My friend’s grandmother recently got a low-mileage ’06 V50 2.4i. At 83 years old, she believes it will be her last-ever car.
It’s a 2.4i with 168 hp. I didn’t want another turbo, as I planned on keeping this car a long time and didn’t want headaches down the road. Interesting fact: the ’06 2.4i got the ’05 T5’s 16-inch seven spoke wheels, so mine looks like an ’05 T5 except for the 2.4i badge on the back.
Sounds like your friend’s grandmother got my car’s twin! What color is it? Mine is Ice White with the light gray/dark gray cloth and T-Tec upholstery.
So many of these were purple!!! It might be the second-most purple modern car, after the egg-shaped Voyager/Caravan
Funny, I never saw another purple one around here. Guess it didn’t play in Peoria (which is just an hour and a half away).
I’ve never seen a purple Volvo, however I have seen an egg-shaped Plymouth Voyager trying to disguise itself as a Volvo:
And the Mk3 Jetta!
So the holes for the roof rack were under the strips on the roof or were there caps that you popped off to expose the bolt holes? On my 2009 Vibe to add the optional rack you removed 4 caps. On the 93 Impreza I owned for a few months, the holes were there but you had to remove the whole strip and buy the strips for the roof rack versions(I got the whole setup at the junkyard for $40)
How much was the residual on the car? Would you have kept it if they had dropped the price a few hundred? I have no experience with the FWD Volvo’s so I don’t know how reliable they are
I recall that you’d pop off a center channel in the existing roof strips and then bolted the bars on, pretty simple IIRC.
The residual was 14-something. For a few hundred off I would not have kept it, not because it was a bad car at all, but we were ready for a change and already had the replacement…but for 12-something I probably would have held on to it for a while as an extra car.
It drive me nuts how Euro brands always make you wait for the model refresh to get rid of the black trim.
Personally I always preferred the black trim 🙂
Only V (or S) 40 I’ve ridden in was a diesel 5 speed taxi ride from Edinburgh airport to a hotel in the city. Pretty roomy for 3 big Americans plus luggage; and a noisy rough diesel motor. I don’t recall many purple ones here in California; mostly dark green, red, or silver.
Great write up on what is a good car. Lots of Volvodom was on these cars but like all who worship at the alter of Volvo, they were not cheap. The price of these things for what you got was by definition going to limit sales in this market, where Bigger is Better.
These cars were very popular with Asian immigrants in this area when they were available. There are lots driving around as first cars as the parents correctly see the Volvo as safe and stolid and they have all the good safety gear.
They sure hold their value in these parts:
http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/ctd/4046663837.html
The problem I have with these multi-brand “platform” cars is that I never thought of these as Volvo’s, just re-branded Mitsubishi Galants. Ditto with the follow-on version of the S40/V50 (rebranded Focus) and even the Jaguar X-Type (rebranded Mondeo). Possibly incorrect, probably unfair. OTOH, the Dodge Charger seems like a pretty inexpensive way to get an MB E-class 🙂
I have one of these. Only I have the in Denmark more common 1.8 N/A version. Mine is a 2001 in dark red metallic and it currently has 159,000 miles on it. It has complete service files and in Denmark cars are inspected every two years so for the year I have owned it, it has been issue free.
It is also the car that carried my first and so far only child ome from the hospital.
I tested a T4 (1.9 200bhp turbo) back in the ninetes on a wet road and it was a handful. This one is purchased from an economical standpoint and as such it is very recommendable but it is not much fun with this engine (122 bhp). It does not like to rev. The car handles decently, but it is more of a comfy highway car than a nifty backroads rocket.
I realy do like it though. It’s very honest and has enough room and comfort for my family.
These were fine little Volvo’s – very safe and with great seats, My only criticism is the width of the Mitsubishi designed chassis – it was fairly narrow to comply with JDM requirements. And I agree that the V50 is a beautifully designed car – it has Peter Horbury’s signature throughout.
We just now have to convince Volvo to ship over the new V40 – it too is beautifully designed and has received glowing reviews in the European press.
I had one of these as a company car around 2000. Only a 1.6 non-turbo petrol engine, but enough go to be fun on the twisty bits and competitive on the motorways. Nothing went wrong in 60k miles in 2 years, but the brakes did need attention at every service, as I recall. You mention the service reminder indicator – I recall it coming o one morning, and within an hour the dealer calling to book a service saying ‘we think you’re about due’!
But my own SAAB 900 had even better seats
A nice, properly-proportioned station wagon – yay! I dislike most SUVs because their tail end is too short and chopped-off looking, and what can you carry in a vehicle with such a short back end? I would take this car any day, but would prefer cloth seats as I hate leather.
I had a 2000 Volvo S40, a 1.8 ( the Volvo engine not Mistubishi) with 5 speed manual, 3 cars ago. When the variable cam was on song it would pull quite nicely
It was a pretty decent car, dead reliable, tough as old boots when I hit a concrete bollard in a petrol station I thought it would have caved the bumper in or at least cracked it, got out and the yellow smear was paint from the bollard, the bumper was fine
I would sum it up as good honest transport, handling was OK, but the latest ones had revised suspension and the sport model felt really planted. They go for about £400 -1000 in the UK now, well worth considering as a cheap car
The following model 2004 -12 of S40/V40 is a dam fine car, especially with black leather interior
I once rode in one of these and thought they were quite narrow – that must have been in 1998 or so. Now, with the cars being all oversized it seems a sensible width after all.
They are known here as the safest cars in their class from their era so I’m thinking of getting one for my family should my Japanese built Toyota Carina wagon ever break down which, even after 24 years, seems as unlikely as ever
Well written and interesting write-up. I missed this the first time around.
I owned a 2000 S40. It was a good but unfortunately in many ways also a disappointing car. It had a lot of minor problems like failed power windows, HVAC issues, multiple stereo speaker failures, and an interior that was on the small side for a growing family. But, it always seemed solid and safe, had very good acceleration from it’s turbo 4, and it looked very nice when clean with it’s black metallic paint.
I owned the car for 10 years, and one of the reasons I traded it was bad timing belt replacement work by the dealer’s service department. Long story, but it was serious enough that we lost confidence in the car.
We owned 2 Volvo’s for a time. The S40 led to a larger 2007 V70, bought from a different dealer, and an excellent car that we still own.
Hear! Hear!
I have a 2007 V70 2.5T. It has been a wonderful car. I look forward to taking it past 250k+ miles.
I also had an 850 Turbowagon, which was also a great car and in some way better than the V70. If it hadn’t been totaled, I would still have it.
The wagon is a particularly fine-looking device for my tastes, but it is a lily – pretty and poisonous.
A friend had one for 10 years and 120k, serviced by the book with Volvo, and costing not less than the original purchase price again in repairs over that time. True story. Proper failures along with the manifold niggly ones too, like engine mount collapse – twice. Worse, for my sensibilities, it was not much of a car. Naturally aspirated auto, raucous and rather slow, a crashy ride, very average steering, and a pervading feeling of cheapness inside. I could never even get the nearly-excellent seats to feel just right.
If had been a cheap car, well, maybe some more latitude, but it wasn’t. My friend was a badge snob, couldn’t admit defeat on her prize, and paid a helluva price for that.
I do trust Volvo that they’re good to crash, which is probably the best thing to do with them.
Car buffs, including the Motor Authority website, say the video clearly shows a new Volvo interior. “The video showcases some typical Volvo interior parts and design, such as the vertical center touchscreen, flowing center stack and signature gear selector,” Motor Authority stated. “And the video eventually pans over the steering wheel and gauge cluster, though we can’t quite make out the Volvo logo on the steering wheel. ” Jo Borras, a blogger who writes for various automotive websites and maintains his own Volvo fansite, said: “The only thing I can guess — and, it should be noted, I’m not alone in making this guess — is that we’re looking at pictures of the all-new 2019 Volvo S60 sedan set to be built in the company’s new South Carolina assembly plant as early as Q4 this year. ” Volvo officials are knocking down the rumors. “The video is pure speculation,” said Volvo spokeswoman Stephanie Mangini.