| Long Term Test | Volvo S40 DRIVe |
| Arrival date: | | August 2009 |
| Price: | | £20,245 (including £900 of options) |
| Current mileage: | | 5,350 miles |
| Average economy: | | 45.9mpg |
| Relevant links: | |
Euro NCAP results for Volvo S40
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Been anywhere interesting?
The DRIVe is has been a workhorse of a car for us, never once called upon to do anything other than be solid family transport. It had its flaws, all of which we've gone through more than once during these updates (in a nutshell: boot, pace and consumption) but it's been completely rattle free, always comfortable, and cheap to run - despite never matching the promise of its lofty combined mpg figure.
Anything stand out...?
Nope. No point lying, is there? We did, however, find in the end that the Volvo was remarkably adept at secreting all kinds of rubbish while staying tidy looking in the cabin. We found that out when the delivery driver came to collect it; it took two trips from car to office to de-clutter a car we genuinely believed was free from crap. Clutter is a pet hate. But hey, I've found two lost CDs, £2.45, my daughter's pink woolly hat, my son's toddler harness and some money-off vouchers for WHSmith, expiry date December 2009. Brilliant.
...and for the wrong reasons?
Ah, the big fat wrong reason that perpetually reared its head during the Volvo's stay with us - economy. It seems prudent, what with this being a self-proclaimed eco-car, to announce its overall consumption during the time we've had it. So, out came the calculator and the receipts. Unfortunately, Christmas madness prevented us from keeping quite on top of the fuel bills around that time, so we'll disregard everything from late December onwards.
So, between early August and late December we spent £329.30 on diesel, which bought the 63.88 gallons needed to travel 2,935 miles. The economy, then, was 45.9mpg. Its official combined figure is 72.4mpg.
Where next?
Nowhere. Wherever we go for the next few months will be in
Car Enthusiast's long-term test MINI Clubman JCW. It's the Volvo's opposite in almost every way, and we're looking forward to seeing how it copes with the rigours of two children and a double buggy. Personally I'd always sacrifice space, comfort, convenience, visibility and peace to drive something this much fun, but I'm not sure everyone else in the household will agree. We'll find out.
Back to the S40, it's been a comfortable and cost-effective tenure, which will be appealing enough for plenty of people, especially combined with the Volvo's quality and slightly left-field reputation. We often found ourselves wishing it was a bit quicker, and had a better stereo, and was a V50. But otherwise, plenty to like.
