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Thinking of buying a Volvo and don't know where to start? Then I don't recommend the Volvo S40 II as your first Volvo, as it might irreparably spoil your opinion on the brand, just like that girl ruined hers when she asked me if I wanted to come at her place for some tea and I said I only drink beer.

I stick to the idea that the Volvo S40 II is not a relevant car for your Volvo experience. This is because the Volvo S40 II was born during the Ford lordship, when Ford kept Volvo on a shot leash and "borrowed" alot of it's technology. In case you didn't know, Ford bought Volvo in 1999 and passed it on in 2010. Ford borrowed a lot of technology from Volvo and almost sent Volvo to the financial bankrupt, with a stop to bankruptcy application. At least Ford gave them the XC60 as a going away present, which ironically turned out to be one of Volvo's best-selling cars.

So you have a Volvo built with Mazda, Peugeot and Ford parts, but the Volvo S40 II is mostly Volvo. And it seems that alcoholics in Sweden did not project their depression into the looks of the car, because the S40 still looks somewhat modern even in 2025. Yes, it has lagged behind in terms of technology, but the exterior and interior still look good, it looks like a proper Volvo.

Yes, it doesn't have the huge space of a classic Volvo like the V70. Yes, you are no longer 2 meters away from impact regardless of the corner from which you are hit, but the Volvo S40 II remains one of the most beautiful compact saloons in the segment. And I know a lot of people can't get used to that surfboard on board, but that's part of the Swedish charm.

Volvo S40 II Engines

Petrol

• 1.6 B4184S2 and B4164S3 of 100 horsepower – An entry-level petrol that actually does not have enough power to responsibly move the body, especially if you take passengers and/or luggage with you. As for reliability, as long as you change the timing belt on time, you won't have any outstanding issues. Or any kind of issues.
• 1.8 B4184S2 and B4184S11 of 125 horsepower – Another Volvo classic, which is sitting in the middle of the center. Slightly more powerful than the 1.6 but not quite the 2.0, and thirstier than both. I mean, it's not a bad engine if you find it and it's a step up from the 1.6, but if you can find a 2.0 then go for the 2.0.
• 2.0 B4204S3 of 145 horsepower – Another classic in life from Volvo, this 2.0 petrol is another absolutely decent engine that only needs the timing belt changed in time and that's about it. By far the most reliable, even if it is a 3310 of the automotive world.
• 2.4 B5244S5 of 140 and 170 horsepower – Sure, 4 cylinder engines are good, but 5 cylinders are better and much more Volvo appropiate. As with any old-fashioned Volvo, as long as it gets fresh oil on time and you stick to the maintenance, you should have no problems with this 5-cylinder in-line behemoth. It's a naturally aspirated lump so it is abit short on breath on bigger bodies such as the S60 and S80, but for the S40 it's just right.
• 2.5 Turbo B5254T3 and B5254T3 of 220 and 230 horsepower - Used extensively by Volvo and not only (see Ford Kuga or Ford Focus ST), this 2.5 Turbo straight-5 is exactly what you need in your life. Occasionally you will have to change the air flow meter, but in essence this engine is also built from the same materials as the Channel Tunnel. The only real issue with this engine is the poor fuel economy, but the raw power should offset this minor detail.

Diesel

• 1.6 TDCI D4164T and D4162T of 109 and 115 horsepower - You would recognize this engine from the Ford Focus II and Peugeot 307, and you would be right. Dependent on quality oil, just like how a rooftop party is dependent on pills, and if it does not have quality oil, the filter will clog and the turbo will starve. And you will change turbines because you didn't think to change the filter. And there's constant injector failures. This engine is the reason why Volvo has such a bad reputation in Europe, and unfortunately it was the most popular choice and it's the dominant engine on the used car market.
• 2.0 HDi D4204T of 136 horsepower - We continue with the borrowed engines and come with problems with injectors, EGR, compressors, swirl valves and compressors. Of course, you won't have them all at the same time and the engine is generally sturdy and much sturdier than the 1.6D Drive, but there are a few points to take care of.
• 2.0 D5204T of 150 and 177 horsepower - Volvo's straight 5 diesels are probably the most balanced engine choices for the european S40. Labeled D3 and up, these straight 5 engines are generally solid units, althought Euro 4 has brought along DPF and injector failures so be careful with it on cold starts, short trips, city crawls and driving in general. 
• 2.4 D5244T9 of 163 and 180 horsepower - The official chariot for the larger Volvos such as the XC90, XC60, S60, S80 and so on, but this engine was available on the S40. Marginal gains over the sort of light S40 so I don't think that you need to up the ante for the 2.4D on the S40. Especially since it's prone to the same failures as the D3, but it's heavier on the council taxes and insurance.

Volvo S40 II Relaibilituy Issues

• The key can remain stuck in the ignition cylinder and you can remain stranded. This is thanks to a key made at a dubious stall at the local flea market. No papers. Or witnesses. Or warranty. Or questions.
• An absolutely brilliant idea of ​​those from Ford was to throw away the boot locker and rely strictly on a electronic bootlid lock. We know very well that Ford and electrics get along as well as incense and heroin, so you have a very high chance that that lock will fail and the boot can only be opened with special tools from the dealership. But at least it looks good.
• Automatic petrols have poor fuel economy. They are built like a tank, but they certainly don't run like a tank. They run away as if someone had stuffed a nervous ferret in their panties and then hit it with chili in the eyes. Yes, the legend says that somewhere on the Volvo S40 II the miserable PowerShit gearbox from Ford would have crept in, but I forgot exactly on which engine.
• Another gift received from Ford is the ESP system. ESP failures for many cars from 2002-2008 because everyone turned to a supplier where the term quality control only refers to the quality of time spent by employees in the factory. So make friends with the VW Touran and find out how they solved their ESP failures.
• The typical Volvo suspension is a very good idea on absolutely perfect roads. Which creates a problem if you want to drive the car through Germany, Italy or Spain, countries where the roads are full of craters. It's good that in the UK this does not apply, not to our butter smooth roads.

Volvo S40 II Verdict

It still looks good, even 500 years after it was retired. Yes, it's a combination of Volvo with Mazda and Ford, three companies that have very little in common with each other. Basically, it's obvious that Ford bought Volvo (and Mazda) only for technology, and the Volvo S40 II was one of those experiments where parts were stolen from several dumpsters and an attempt was made to create a single car. It remains a fairly anonymous car in automotive history, because the V50 estate version was a real success, being a classic Volvo. But even an S40 remains an elegant car with an interior that does not show its age. 

Which engines do I recommend? Normally, the naturally aspirated 2-liter petrol engine and a manual gearbox are a classic recipe for the Volvo S40 II. But in the real world, by far the most balanced engine is the 2.0 D3 straight-5 Volvo diesel, with 150 or 177 horsepower.