2005 Volvo S40 Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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There are no significant changes to the S40 in 2005. The T5 is now available in a second trim level, which includes all-wheel drive and a sport-tuned suspension. Second generation models were introduced during 2004, sold along side the first generation LSE and 1.9T, but were differentiated by a longer wheelbase, shorter overall length and color-keyed exterior trim.
The 2004 S40 was available in four variants, with the new 2.4i and T5 labeled as 2004.5 models. This year, the 2.4i and T5 return, along with the T5 AWD.
The 2.4i and the T5 both house 2.5 liter inline five cylinder engines. The 2.4i's naturally aspirated power plant provides 168 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque. This engine is paired with a five-speed manual transmission, while a five-speed automatic with a manual shift feature is optional. Fuel economy is estimated at 22/29 mpg with the manual and 22/30 mpg with the automatic. The T5's turbocharged mill makes 218 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. The T5 upgrades to a six-speed manual transmission, but the five-speed automatic is still optional. The six-speed offers the strongest S40 fuel economy, at 22/31 mpg.
The new S40 has received positive reviews with respect to build quality, handling, and cabin comfort. Test drivers warn that the sport suspension, found on the AWD T5 and with the Sport Package, has a very intrusive road feel. The S40 is sure-footed, but its limitations are more apparent when driven aggressively. The steering is responsive, but reviewers adds that it could feel more natural.
The interior offers adequate quietness, but the 17-inch tires produce a steady hum on most surfaces. The S40's ergonomics are functional, but some controls are hard to manage on the go. The cabin has a modern look with new higher quality build materials. The second generation models offer a bit more interior room, due to a longer wheelbase.
Published Aug 8, 2022 by CarGurus Editorial Team
User reviews for 2005 Volvo S40
Write a reviewUser rating:
by Kenneth F
Mar 10, 2022
sporty yet 4 doors. agile love the power it hasMar 10, 2022
by Anonymous
Apr 20, 2021
Features, features and more features. Solid car with lots of pep. Love it even as a used sedan. Roomier than expected. More power than expected. Everything is more than expected. Apr 20, 2021
by Jade E
Dec 23, 2020
Extremely Safe! I expect it to last me a long time despite the age!Dec 23, 2020
User rating:
by Kenneth F
Mar 10, 2022
sporty yet 4 doors. agile love the power it hasMar 10, 2022
by Anonymous
Apr 20, 2021
Features, features and more features. Solid car with lots of pep. Love it even as a used sedan. Roomier than expected. More power than expected. Everything is more than expected. Apr 20, 2021
by Jade E
Dec 23, 2020
Extremely Safe! I expect it to last me a long time despite the age!Dec 23, 2020
by Hal M
Oct 13, 2020
Overpriced kbb says listed over average price still looking Oct 13, 2020
by Anonymous
May 10, 2015
loved this car. Safe, yet sporty! Very reliable and enjoyable to own. Good gas mileage for class. Great amenities, leather, wood paneling, sunroof, seat warmers, etc. comfortable for long trips as well as for scooting about town. Small enough to fit tight parking spaces and large enough to not feel like you would be crushed like an aluminum can if you were ever be involved in an accident. May 10, 2015
by Anonymous
Jun 20, 2014
For a borderline compact car, it feels wonderfully spacious on the inside. The back seat can comfortable fit two tall persons, and the front seats have plenty of room to spare. Trunk is large as well, and can carry far more cargo than you think it should.
Acceleration is a little timid, but all in all a very fun car to drive, it handles very well on dry or wet pavement, ice or snow. I have had a great experience with this car, and would highly recommend Volvo to anyone looking for a new car.Jun 20, 2014
by Ryan Q
May 28, 2014
Love the car, love the handling and the acceleration, surprising. Would liek it better if it was bigger. Larger families won't fit. Nice little car for the right price, as I mentioned above my wife can't drive in the snow, she was able to get the kids around town without any problems. I can drive anything in the snow but this was like I had 4 wheel driveMay 28, 2014
by Anonymous
Dec 17, 2013
I really like this car but I am wanting something a little bigger and faster. I bought this car as a summer commuter car, I have a pickup but it gets about 17-19 MPG's average. I average about 32-34 MPG's in the summer with A/C on. Road trips 35-36 MPG's with A/C on. Winter driving I haven't really kept track but its about 25-27 MPG over about 4 tanks due to letting it warm up for 15 minutes 2 times a day to drive.Dec 17, 2013
by Anonymous
Jul 03, 2012
The appearance of this car is sporty and very cute!! I got so many complements on it!! It was very comfortable. Gas mileage was good. 22 City, 30 Highway. i crqacked my oik pan twice because I have a very rough, dirt driveway in the mountains. The oil pan is made of aluminum so it cracked very easily. Maintenance and parts were not cheap! On the other hand, I felt very safe and this car is a blast to drive!Jul 03, 2012
by James G
Feb 22, 2011
Love this car. Looks good rides great and remote is awesome. Volvo's
Winter transmission mode makes it easy to drive in wet or snowy weather.
Car is very fun to drive with the sunroof open.
Car gets great gas mileage 25 - 30 mpgFeb 22, 2011
by Tevin K
Jul 22, 2010
it's a all around good car it's safe good looks and reliable the build makes it very stredy no roll over nice traction on the road heated seats. It's fun to drive smooth the gas isn't to touchy but can be.Jul 22, 2010
by Luke S
Jun 10, 2009
Probably a volvo classic someday. Really fun to drive and great handling and ride. It isn't a high performance car but it def feels like it. Car is solid and reliable. Fun to drive..reliable...classy? Yep it's a volvo! :)Jun 10, 2009
by Jonathon B
May 27, 2009
I LOVE IT.. it's sporty and sophisticated.. and EUROPEAN.. the only thing i don't like is that i can't use my ipod in it .. It has nice aerodynamics.. good get up and go and lots more room than my last car :)May 27, 2009
by Gareth H
Mar 07, 2009
This car has all the hallmarks of Volvo's new design DNA. It takes it's styling cues from it's larger brothers, the S60 and S80 while setting new standards for Volvo design in other areas.
The performance is excellent with a full range of fabulous engines available from the frugal 1.6D through to the punchy T5. Volvo have also refined the software for the automatic gearbox control so it's function has been vastly improved.
It has been well built and most items in the car are made from recycled materials and not to mention that the vehicle itself is almost 80% recylable at the end of it's life.
It is not the most frugal vehicle in the world and the smaller diesels do need a new particle filter every 80k miles or so which does cost a few pennies.
Overall, it's a lively vehicle, very fun to live with and is a really good all-rounder. I don't think I'd ever have anything else for my first car by choice than a Volvo.
They're really easy to live with and deliver whatevery I want.Mar 07, 2009
by Rafi A
Dec 29, 2008
Overall, the Volvo S40 is a good car with a high level of build quality and performance is above average with good response. My car has not had any major issues, but the check engine light can go on frequently. In summary, the Volvo S40 is a fun car to drive and my only complaint is that the car can be noisy (especially at high speeds).Dec 29, 2008
by Arron A
Jun 22, 2008
I bought it new in early 2006, and it's been a great car. Handles well, accelerates well with the T5 turbo and manual 6-speed, and is easily as much car as the BMW 3-series for a much more reasonable price tag.Jun 22, 2008
by Becca A
Jun 13, 2008
Heated seats...Jun 13, 2008
by P-A N
Jun 12, 2008
Rullar framåtJun 12, 2008
by Jonathan H
Jun 11, 2008
Like itJun 11, 2008
by Neill M
Jun 08, 2008
I have the automatic version of the car but you only really need to put it into automanual if you decide you want to have some fun on windy roads. I heard the manual version also gets going from a start faster, there is slight throttle delay from a stop. Even though the car is small, intelligent interior design lead to a comfortable back seat with enough leg room for people under 6'2. I have what I guess is a loaded version of the car, leather feels great and wears slowly, the six CD changer is easy to use and sounds great played through the upgraded sound system. Other nice features include one-touch up/down windows and one-touch open/close sun roof and there is even a button on the remote that turns on all interior and exterior lights for 30 seconds to help you find your car in a parking lot at night. The car is a great alternative for someone who is looking for performance and safety found in a car like a subaru wrx but wants something more mature and doesn't want "another 3 series".Jun 08, 2008
by Jonathan W
Jun 06, 2008
I absolutely love this car. Its perfectly well behaved when driven around town but has plenty of power when you need it. I'm in high school and its perfect for the driving I have to do, at the sacrifice of a few mpg.Jun 06, 2008
by Tom B
May 29, 2008
Can't really go wrong. Very relaxing car to drive but you can give it the beans.May 29, 2008
by Eric C
Apr 18, 2008
Love the car wish i had the turboApr 18, 2008
by John R
Apr 17, 2008
The manual transmission is the better option for performance and tuning. Easy to work on and fun daily driver. The standard Volvo safety package is always a plus.Apr 17, 2008
by Garrett B
Mar 26, 2008
Great car fun to drive and nice turbo. Has awesome interior and Tech 5 fabric and AWD to keep you on the road. Sporty and different than all the other European cars. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 I give it a 10Mar 26, 2008
by Timme H
Feb 19, 2008
We had the T5 turbo model. Quite a quick car but front wheel drive did not efficiently handle the power. Feb 19, 2008
by Ed C
Feb 18, 2008
I can't believe that I actually survived an entire 3 year lease with this car. Solid handling, very sporty, 6-speed manual. It has a very minimialist Scandinavian interior. Almost too minimalist. I'm returning the car at the end of the lease and am going car-less.Feb 18, 2008
by LauRyn W
Feb 14, 2008
I love its handling and in a manual trans its even great for road fury!Feb 14, 2008
by Vesa J
Jan 25, 2008
Quite poor performance. Jan 25, 2008
What users have asked
why would my 2005 Volvo S40 is overheating
why could it be overheating
32 views
Volvo S40 2005
So a hose broke that was connected from the overflow tank to my engine, we fixed the hose and replaced all fluids but my car isn't right, it stalls when idling and has smoke from my tail pipe. Could this be a head gasket?
31 views
No start
Had a customer who was driving hisncar it got hot and he said he replaced the reservoir but when he tried turning it back on it didnt start. I had a computer on it and i replaced the camshaft sensor to try and get spark but all it is doing is turning over can someone help
42 views
Timing belt on car with "low mileage" for age of car.
I have a 2005 S40 with low mileage (73,000). It was recommended I do the timing belt now since it is over 12 years old instead of waiting on the mileage. Thoughts?
286 views
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2005 Volvo S40 Pricing
Original MSRP
$24,255 to $28,865Price range
N/AAverage price on CG
N/AYoY price change
N/ATrims & specs
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning · Single front air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Front side airbags · Front side curtain airbags
Audio System
Single disc in-Dash CD · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Shift knob trim: leather · Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Center console: front console with storage · Memorized settings: driver seat · Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic · Steering wheel mounted controls: audio
Lights
Headlights: Xenon
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: integrated turn signals · Inside rearview mirror: electrochromic
Rear Seats
Type: bench
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Heated: front seats · Rear seat folding: split · Upholstery: cloth
Suspension
Front Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Spring Type: coil springs
Tires
Type: all season
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy · Wheels: alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning · Dual front air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Front side airbags · Rear side curtain airbags
Audio System
Single disc in-Dash CD · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Center console trim: alloy · Shift knob trim: leather · Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Center console: front console with storage · Memorized settings: driver seat · Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic · Steering wheel mounted controls: audio
Lights
Headlights: Xenon
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power · Inside rearview mirror: electrochromic
Rear Seats
Type: bench
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Heated: front seats · Rear seat folding: split · Upholstery: leather
Suspension
Front Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Spring Type: coil springs
Tires
Type: all season
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning · Dual front air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Front side airbags · Front side curtain airbags
Audio System
Single disc in-Dash CD · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Center console trim: alloy · Shift knob trim: leather · Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Center console: front console with storage · Memorized settings: driver seat · Multi-function remote: keyless entry · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic · Steering wheel mounted controls: audio
Drivetrain
4WD Type: full time · Limited slip differential: center
Lights
Headlights: Auto on/off
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: integrated turn signals · Inside rearview mirror: electrochromic
Rear Seats
Type: bench
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Heated: front seats · Rear seat folding: split · Upholstery: leather
Tires
Type: all season
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: rain sensing