Dear all,

I have a confession to make: I don't have a Volvo.
I do plan on buying one, so I hope you'll still welcome me here with some advice :-)

I'm looking to buy a 2004-2009 Volvo S40 (< 100,000km), diesel.

I'm mainly interested in Volvo's safety, comfort and premium status. The last generation of S40's seems to be very affordable, which is something I'm looking for as I do not need my car all that much. Performance (bhp, racing dynamics, …) is not something I am looking for.

Which engine should I get (with reliability in mind) and what else should I watch out for?

I have heard not to buy turbo engines second hand, but I am not sure if any non-turbo Diesels were ever sold in Belgium (can't find any listed). Any guidelines on that?

Are there particular upgrades, vulnerabilities or anything else I should look out for?

I have bought second-hand cars before and I take my precautions (take them to my dealer for a quick checkup before buying, stories that don't match…), so I'm really looking for advice and tips specific to this car.

Thank you very much!
Jonas