2003 Volvo V40 Review
Price Estimate: $1,298 - $2,026





+36
Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Strong complement of safety features, affordable base price, upscale interior.
Cons
- No manual transmission offered, lacks sporting intentions, pricing can quickly escalate with optional equipment installed.
What’s new
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.
Edmunds says
Though loaded with safety equipment, the V40 is hampered by its small size and aging architecture.
For sale nearby
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2003 Volvo V40 4dr Wagon (1.9L 4cyl Turbo 5A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.74 per gallon for premium unleaded in Virginia.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia
$207/mo for V40 Base
V40 Base
vs
$153/mo
Avg. Compact Car
See Edmunds pricing data
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Volvo V40 Reviews
Owner Reviews
5(63%)
4(24%)
3(13%)
2(0%)
1(0%)
Most Helpful Owner Reviews
Trending topics
Very Good Car
3.88 out of 5 starsJay Bee, 11/07/2010
2002 Volvo V40 4dr Wagon (1.9L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
Had my V40 for 8 years, 120K miles. It is a great sport wagon. Excellent cargo room, comfortable for my family of 4. Handles well and was my 50 miles a day commuter averaging 26 mpg mixed driving. Expensive to service but there were no major problems in 8 years. Burns through headlights and bulbs. Don't know why. All over the internet but dealers claim ignorance. My 16 year old just … inherited it. Safe, runs great, expect another few good years from it. Over all a good purchase new, and if taken care of, worth the blue book value used. Maybe even undervalued in blue book if clean and taken care of. Just keep after those damn bulb changes.
Fine used car
5 out of 5 starsgordon, 06/27/2010
2003 Volvo V40 4dr Wagon (1.9L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
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.
Why Europeans tend to get it right
4.25 out of 5 starsAdam Lausch, 05/21/2010
2003 Volvo V40 4dr Wagon (1.9L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
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
Very happy Volvo owner
5 out of 5 starsjk, 11/22/2008
2002 Volvo V40 4dr Wagon (1.9L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
This is my first Volvo, and I bought it used two years ago. It replaced a Honda Civic. So that's the car to which I compare my V40. As noted, I bought the car two years ago. I haven't replaced a headlight yet. The windshield does need to be replaced, but living in Wyoming means high winds and sanded roads will affect a windshield negatively. I wish the fuel economy were better, but who … doesn't? The cargo room is just about perfect. The seats are comfortable, and the ride is very quiet. (Perhaps it's my tires.) In fact, given the choice between taking our newer Subaru or the Volvo on a 2,000 mile round trip road trip, we decided on the Volvo. This won't be my last Volvo!
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2003 Volvo V40, so we've included reviews for other years of the V40 since its last redesign.
2003 V40 Highlights
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $24,900 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 22 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $207/month |
Seating | 5 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 33.5 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Warranty | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
Safety
Key safety features on the V40 include:
- Alarm
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