2003 Volvo V40 Review
Pros & Cons
- Strong complement of safety features, affordable base price, upscale interior.
- No manual transmission offered, lacks sporting intentions, pricing can quickly escalate with optional equipment installed.
Other years
Get More For Your Trade-In
Edmunds shoppers get on average $235 more for their trade-in.
Find out what your car is really worth in minutes.
Edmunds' Expert Review
Though loaded with safety equipment, the V40 is hampered by its small size and aging architecture.
2003 Highlights
Output from the 1.9-liter turbocharged mill is bumped up by 10 to 170 horsepower. A CD player makes its way onto the standard features list, and the front fascia gets a slight freshening thanks to a black egg-crate grille and body-colored side molding and bumpers. Inside you'll find a new three-spoke steering wheel and a four-dial instrument cluster. The sport package adds front and rear spoilers, blackout headlamp surrounds and 16-inch wheels, and the premium package now includes a leather-wrapped hand brake handle and gearshift lever.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the 2003 Volvo V40.
Most helpful consumer reviews
gordon,06/27/2010
We purchased this in 2009 with 38,000 miles on it. Have put 2 2,000 mile trips on it and averaged 39 mpg. Around town it gets around 22 mpg. Car has plenty of zip and handles well. Both my wife and I find the seats comfortable. The lumbar support helps. A/C blows cold and have had no work other than regular maintenance done on it. Would recommend as used car.
Adam Lausch,05/21/2010
I must say that this is truly a unique car. I've rated it as unbiased as tough as I can. I simply love to drive it, and I've owned some pretty nice vehicles. I think one of its major downfalls is that Volvo didn't offer a manual transmission, that would be a blast. I love the V50s, but we were able to find a very nice V40 with low miles for $6K. I couldn't pass it up. So far I've have the check engine light come on once, and I think the ignition timing may have been off a bit. So I changed out a set of new high-performance plugs, and it's running superbly. Good performance, not great. It's so comfortable as well. Why buy a SUV for a small family when there are fun and economic wagons like this
Allison,10/12/2002
I purchased my 2003 V-40 about a month
ago and I am VERY HAPPY with everything
about it! The interior is well-
designed, spacious, and fits like a
glove. The exterior is classy and very
cool. Plus- add the eurorails & fog
lights and you get one sporty ride. A
little bit slow to start off with- but
once it passes the 30 MPH mark- you are
flyin'! So far- so good!
DBK,01/24/2005
I really love this car. It handles beautifully. The safety components (that are standard on all Volvos are very rare on other cars. Great heating/ac system and thermostat. Had some problems with the back latch. Other than that, the car has been reliable and very enjoyable to drive.
Features & Specs
MPG
19 city / 27 hwy
Seats 5
5-speed automatic
Gas
170 hp @ 5250 rpm