Volvo V40 (1996 - 2004) 2.0 SE 5d Auto Owner Review

IN HOC SIGNO VINCES. 1996 V40 MkI 2.0L 140hp LPG (aftermarket fitting), leather interior- won’t let me put correct year in as not British registered. Bought second hand with 60,000km. This is the kind of car you can conduct a World Campaign in, not just a North African one. Dutch-made to Swedish conditions with German parts: Could take rough treatment like a tank, and still do 240kmh (150mph) indicated (low drag coefficient) and looks good even today (2024). On every surface (grass, gravel, dirt, rock, corrugated tracks, snow, ice, cities, towns, dodgy backroads, sublime Mediterranean and Alpine craggy switch roads, beautiful surfaced multi-lane speed-limit free motorways) in every temperature (-26°C to 48°C in the shade), everywhere from the Libyan Sea to the North Atlantic and the Baltic, Portugal to Turkey and Poland, Sicily to Scotland, never let me down in 500,000km (yes km) in 10 years. Ok, 20% rising slope in a snowstorm on backroad switchbacks in the Alps on pure ice defeated it (me). Masses of commuting, lived in a couple of countries while owning, many cross-Europe family jaunts. Not a huge car, but swallowed camping gear for a fam, and could (just) sleep 3 horizontal plus one bunched up front, and moved our entire family and all their belongings (and car) over 7 countries/1 ferry/1600km/blow out on the Brussels ringroad/mid winter icicles making the car look like Batman car/single driver/one day. Changed clutch twice, alternator once, started motor reco’d, electric window motor x1, otherwise tyres, oil and fuel. Easy on tyres, LPG made burned cleaner and prolonged engine life. About 28mpg in town, 36mpg on motorway (but at about 40c/L LPG wasn’t an issue). No toys, no special electrics (eg. cruise control, sat nav), but then, easier to maintain and less to go wrong; exception was very useful and problem-free tinted sunroof and heated seats. Plenty enough torque to do some silly driving and overtaking- on thin giddy-high mountain roads or fast motorways, loves a good rev, but just as happy purring low on the motorway. After second car with steering wheel on the right hand side in Britain, other troubles forced me to get rid of this with over 500,000km, motor still going strong. Owned over 40 vehicles (including far more powerful Swedish turbo cousins of this), and driven/ridden/flown many more, but this was my fave car without doubt. Will feature in my memoirs.