V40 or V60
 

Hi all,

I’ve been absent from the world of Volvos for about 7 years and I’m ready to make another purchase. I’m here for some advice 👋

My wife is ready to start driving again so I’m going to get rid of the manual estate mondeo and get a more friendly sized automatic Volvo.

I think I’m looking at either a V40 or V60. 2012 -2016ish. I’m worried if I go longer she will not be comfortable with it (we live in Cornwall)

Q1. Factory stock sound systems are super important to me. Do either of these models have small subs already built in? And am I right in thinking some have Harmon Kardon systems? Are they easy to spot?

Q2. Is there a particular engine version I should be looking for? I’d like to find a balance between economy, road tax and performance.

Many thanks in advance for your help.

Tom

My good lady now drives an S60 but drove a V60 for the four years up until last autumn, while I drive a V70.

She finds my V70 too big but she also found the V40s that she’s sat in too small.

The V40 would actually also be too small for both of us as it wouldn't have sufficient utilitarian value, either. The V60 was excellent, for instance, at taking our dismantled garden shed to the dump, but the V40 wouldn't have been.

Having driven a 2-litre V40 D2 Geartronic around Tuscany in 2019, I can also say that the V40 feels small from the driver's seat, whereas the V60 doesn't. But, then again, the V60 doesn’t feel as big at the front as the V70 either, which places it in our domestic sweet spot.

Having also driven my good lady’s V60 around Cornwall in 2020, I can say that it was a doddle on those narrow and windy up and down roads, whereas I suspect that my V70 (and your Mondeo) would be slightly more demanding in that respect.

Were we looking for one car to share, then out of your options the V60 would be the one.

Perhaps you now need to sit your good lady in some cars as you also need to know whether or not it’s going to be easy to find a car that works for both of you. She might also need some time to feel her way around this. Her first reaction might not be her final one.

In terms of audio, the spec or any car being sold will declare whether the system is Performance, High Performance, or Premium. We both have High Performance, and it’s good with a highly configurable sound, but no sub. I’d view High Performance as the minimum requirement. Another poster might be able to comment further on sound systems. I can say, however, that the choice of car is arguably more important. You can always add a sub to the right car, but a pre-fitted sub in the wrong car would be useless to you.

In terms of engines, you need to tell us more about what you currently have and what you’re looking for in terms of fuel type and performance expectations. You might also benefit from checking out a load of adverts to get your own head around the various engine options out there and the associated costs before coming back with a shorter list of your own.

Thank you for taking the time to respond.
I think it's fair to say that the V60 will be the best option.
It's a bit smaller than the estate mondeo so more manageable for her whilst also keeping me happy in maintaining a bit of size and space.
I'll miss throwing the surfboards in the back of the mondeo but I think the roof will be fine.

The D4 engine is looking like a good option. It seems like it's cheap on annual road tax whilst also being powerful and economical.

Is the High Performance and Harman Kardon the same or are they different systems? Struggling to get to grips with the options.

Thanks again,

Tom

In the case of the V60 sound systems, the first generation was available with the Dolby Pro logic II which was a option on all trim levels. Standard system was Performance system with 4x20w amp and 6 speakers; or High Performance with 4x40w amp and 8 speakers. About 2014 the facelifted 2nd gen. model was launched and Harmon Kardon was a option to the standard sound systems. (I think the Dolby system was dropped for the facelift). A sub-woofer wasn't standard with Harmon Kardon, but was available as a option. If the car has a Harmon system there is a small badge on the centre speaker on the dash top. To find out if it has a sub you would have to either look in the cargo area to see it physically or delve into the centre screen menu under the sound settings.

Harman Kardon is the Premium system. Others might be able to comment on its merits and its demerits. For car audio, my High Performance system seems adequate, and a sensible upgrade might be simply to replace the speakers with better quality and more efficient units. This would improve sound quality and increase volume. I've been meaning to do it for six years but never did. If I want really good quality sound then I listen at home anyway, where I'm not having to mentally filter out car noise.

The 4-cylinder D4 is a lovely engine in use but some examples prior to engine number 1501327 suffer from very high oil consumption, which can be very, very costly to fix. It's also hard to know whether an example that's for sale has the issue as it isn't something that'll be advertised.

Also, the 4-cylinder D4 can suffer from a blocked EGR cooler. Mine has had two of these during my ownership, and they cost around £800 to replace.

So if you're looking for a D4 and ULEZ doesn't matter, get an earlier 5-cylinder example from, say, 2013 or early 2014 or, if 2013 is too old or ULEZ does matter, then get a much later 2016-onward 4-cylinder example. Redesigned pistons and rings were introduced in mid-2016 on all 4-cylinder VEA engines, i.e. D2, D3, and D4, but it's always worth checking the engine number of any example that's for sale just to be certain. The dealer might ask why but if they want the sale then they'll comply.

Having said all of that, a later example of the 4-cylinder D3 - again check that engine number - would be a good option. Ultimately, it's not quite as powerful as the D4, but with a single turbo, and a 6-speed (instead of 8-speed) automatic with shorter overall gearing, it's actually slightly more responsive at lower speeds than the D4. And it's still no slouch at higher speeds, being able to do 130mph.

Also, the R Design version that my good lady had was a super fun drive, with extra grip, more immediate steering and flatter cornering. Well suited to Cornwall IMO. Also, I believe that the D3 is less prone to EGR cooler issues. My good lady's D3 didn't suffer from that at all in her four years of ownership.

To see how an R Design looks, check out this D5 beauty.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...o=2014&fromsra

Volvo's generally have very good sound systems, but none the less the Premium versions (Dynaudio in earlier models and now HK) are a massive step up from an already good base. Unfortunately they were only ever standard in the high end models of bigger cars (e.g. Executive XC90) so finding one is very hard.

Interesting to see that the speakers from the HK systems fitted to new shape XC90 are selling for circa £2k on e-bay....

We had a 2016 V40 Inscription with the 2.0 Petrol engine. It was the T2 so wasnt high in power but went well. It was a lovely car, but it was too small. at the time we had a family of 3 which was fine, however we then had our second child and the buggy and bag would fit in the back with space for very little more. the opening of the boot on the V40 is the biggest issue. while driving it felt nice in side and not too small to be honest. Im 6ft and never felt to small. However the rear leg room behind me suffered, but i find that the same with most volvos to be honest.

We looked at the V60 when we decided to go larger but the boot wasnt great and the spaec in the back seat wasnt any better either. I found the larger you go with volvo's the back seat space doesnt change, only the boot space. I think the XC90 is the only exception to this.

With regards to sound We had the Harman Kardon but with no sub. It was OK, but i always felt it was lacking somewhat, and could have done with the sub. The car is the one area i tend to get to listen to music so i like it when the sound is exceptional. It is tough when purchasing used to get the perfect spec car which ticks all the boxes. Far too many times i have had to settle on lacking in one or two areas.

A Ford Mondeo to a V40 is a big size difference. I think a V60 would be more suitable for you. The leg room isn't as good in a V60 as a Mondeo though, keep that in mind. Like the person above said, Volvo's don't really have huge rear leg space. The V90 has improved legroom over its predecessor (the V70), but that's not what you're looking at. There's just as much leg room in the back of a Nissan Qashqai as there is in a V70, yet the V70 is a much bigger car... just for example.

As Sotosound said in an early post, the 5 cylinder is really the one you want if ULEZ doesn't play a part in your decision. Fuel economy isn't as good on the 5 cylinder engines, nor is the road tax. However, the engine is much more reliable than the newer stuff.

If ULEZ matters to you and its a Volvo that you want with euro 6 emissions standards, go for a later model like 2017 onwards. The early D4's had lots of problems. Keep in mind though, these newer models are all four cylinder engines. So if you see one that says D5 and its on a 2017 plate, its not a 5 cylinder... its a 4 cylinder with higher bhp than say a D4 or D3. You have to do your research.

If you want to check how many cylinders a car has on Autotrader for example, click on "specification", then "performance" and you can see there. Its a very handy feature.

Wow! This is all so helpful. Thank you

If you go the route of diesel, I would strongly recommend looking at the 5 cylinder diesels.
I tried a v40 T3 or T4 before I got my v60, and felt that in redesign the ride was a little firm, and the power was fine, but I’m glad I went the route of the extra power and torque in the d5 in the end, it sounds good too when you push on. Doesn’t sound so nice when at gentle acceleration or low speeds though, typical for a diesel though.
Definitely worth having the extra space in the v60 over the v40, but beware, the boot floor is relatively high, and the roof slopes down a bit, so the space to take large objects is deceptively small in some ways.
I’ve driven in Cornwall for a few holidays, and never had an issue with the size of the car, even in the tight streets of St Ives. The turning circle on the v60 is pretty poor though.