[tony_ack]

Hi all!

We are new V40 owners - my wife and I picked up a 62 plate V40 D2 Lux (1.6 diesel engine) last month.

Here's the thing... the car was totally her choice - we were looking at a second car to go with our campervan. I've had mainly VWs in the past, and was really after a Golf GTD of a similar age (I used to have a Fabia VRS and it was epic!).

As a result, it was always going to be hard for me to love the car, but I'm struggling to 'get it' so far... I want to make it work though, and I'd be really interested to get other owners' perspectives on why they love their V40s, anything to watch out for, and anything to do to improve it?

Impressions so far:

• As economical as the Fabia was
• Decent pull when it gets going, and pulls okay into the mid-upper range
• It does look very nice in red
• Lots of luxuries (not convinced all of them work - I'm looking at you, heated leather seats)
• Ride is okay, but a bit squeaky over the bumps
• Haven't pushed too hard in the corners but seems competent enough
• The controls are really confusing. I mean, I've had cars other than VWs before, but this has to be the most unintuitive
• What is going on with the gearing? Seems to be geared way too high in the lower gears for an engine that has no low-down torque (need to shift down to first when turning into a side street on an uphill)

 

[VeeForty Deetoo]

Look after the engine, only use the correct oil and dont leave it 12 mths between servicing. As you would with a Golf, drop the sump and ensure the strainer is clear, and pay attention to frequent fuel filter changes. Enjoy the cheaper insurance than a Golf, better build inside and no rusty wheel arches. The V40 as a D2 isnt as "fast" but looks better, handles better and should outlast a Golf too

 

[tony_ack]

Thank you, definitely looking forward to the less rusty arches!

The engine does sound a little industrial, I wouldn't be surprised if it's overdue a service

 

[Tony1]

Keep on top of that - it isn't necessarily Volvo's fault as the 1.6D is sourced from Ford, and cracked blocks have been a problem for some owners.

 

[KXL]

I remember when I went from VAG car to the V40 I had (2018 though) the one that confused me the most was the wiper stalk. It was completely opposite! And where as rear wipers was push stalk away on VAG, on the V40 it was clicking the buttons at the top of the stalk. Maybe give it a tank full of Shell/Esso/BP's finest (most expensive) diesel to clean out the engine (aka like descaling the kettle). You might even get more mpg!

 

[MichaelA]

Hi, well I'm with you. Here are some things that I've just found after a few days (we just traded in a VW for a 2016 V40 D4).

• It definitely seems louder than the VW, with smaller widths on the tyres, so probably best to invest in the best, low noise, tyres that you can (I'm gonna!)
• There is an OBD port under the dash on the driver's side. You can get a plug-in for that which has 2 USB ports (and which can be set to stay on 10m, all the time or 24h) and is good to use for a dash cam or other (I have a dash cam plugged into it along with a Q-charger for the phone!). This keeps cables out of the way.
• Running cables along the seals or seams (e.g. again for dash cam) seems much easier. They all went in fine, even running a cable to the rear dash cam.
• If you want to add a USB port to the back seats easily, you can run a plug-in USB port from the 12V in the boot along the liner and tucked in around the seat base because there's actually a bit of space under the seat edge, making it easy (just use an extender cable for USB).
• You're right about all of the bells and whistles. I went and turned things on and off (didn't even know I had to set the indicator from 1 blink to 3 when tapping it...I thought that was always a standard...but there you go).

Some cons...

Well, yeah, road noise is loader than a larger car and even the Golf I suspect.
Why the phone keyboard on a dash? That's far from dated, it's ancient really.
Using the voice to make a call is sssslloooowww. I mean, I really do miss being able to have favourite contacts on the screen as in the VW.
And the electronic parking brake!!! My good god, why is this not standard!! I didn't think any car had a physical hand brake after the year 2000, but there you go. Some people like it.
The loss of the electronic hand brake is also annoying with the auto start/stop. Lift you foot, and on the car turns and off it goes...it was more useful when you could just take your foot off and tap the gas to turn it on.

Again, the cons, I'm sure many would disagree with. I think the pros outweigh the cons, and it's a good size (excluding the boot, where the Golf beats it hand over fist). I think it really comes down to driving it for a while and getting used to the differences. I would have preferred the D2 myself, which is smoother apparently, but the D4 is sporty and my partner likes that aspect of it (roles reversed here, I'm the old man driver and she's the speed-demon).

 

[VeeForty Deetoo]

Had the misfortune to drive a VW id3 today, what a hideous machine! Stupid white led strips everywhere, stupid out of sight "gear" shift, stupid wiper blades that wipe the left side of the screen first, and that stupid noise, louder than my old oil burner! AND the seat belt warning crackled as I went over potholes. wow, worst 2 miles ever. Couldn't wait to get back into the V40

 

[peanut]

Had the misfortune to drive a VW id3 today, what a hideous machine! Stupid white led strips everywhere, stupid out of sight "gear" shift, stupid wiper blades that wipe the left side of the screen first, and that stupid noise, louder than my old oil burner! AND the seat belt warning crackled as I went over potholes. wow, worst 2 miles ever. Couldn't wait to get back into the V40

so, do I take it you won't be placing an order then?

 

[VeeForty Deetoo]

so, do I take it you won't be placing an order then?

If wealthy enough, I'd buy them all. So no one else would need to suffer