Volvo V40 Estate (1996-2004) running costs and reliability

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Running costs rating: 3 out of 53.0

Written by Parkers Published: 6 June 2019

Miles per pound (mpp)

Reliable fuel consumption data for comparison purposes is not available for this model.

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Fuel economy

A more stringent standard for fuel economy (WLTP) was introduced from September 2017, and this model was not required to undergo that test. Its fuel economy measured under the previous test system was 27 - 52 mpg. However these figures are less likely to be achievable in real world driving and so should never be compared to another car's mpg which was measured under the newer, more realistic WLTP system.

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Smallest Volvo has the smallest running costs in the range, but still not cheap to own. Resale values are improving now the car is out of production.

V40 performs reasonably on the eco front. With an average of 187 g/km CO2 across the model line-up, its emissions are fairly standard for a medium-sized estate. The range is not particularly economical, averaging 36 mpg.

Some build quality niggles on 1996-97 cars but overall a big improvement on the old 400 series; reliability on newer cars is above average, but look for full Volvo history for peace of mind.