2006 Volvo S40 Expert Review: Autoblog
Autoblog
We in this country often complain that Europeans get their pick of fun-to-drive, premium compact cars while we’re force fed SUVs and full-size trucks. The Volvo S40 is a rolling rebuttal to that argument. Europeans, however, have become accustomed to paying a premium for small cars that perform, handle and feel like a luxury car. Are North Americans ready to pay for the kind of small car they desire from afar, or is the grass growing in the cracks of the other guy’s parking lot just greener?
Can a potent powerplant, all-wheel drive, Volvo’s reputation for safety and the S40’s attractive styling make a convincing case for a compact car that costs over thirty-thousand clams? Let’s crank the S40’s odd little plastic key and find out…
Click sticker for readable highrez version
The Volvo S40 can be
had in mild mannered 2.4i trim for around $24K, though Volvo sent us a range-topping T5 AWD model that starts at
$28,715. Our tester had every option box short of a moonroof and DVD nav system checked, which revved the price up to
around $33K. (Cough, cough… ahem) That’s thirty-three grand for a sedan built on the same C1 platform as
the $15-$20K Mazda3. The Mazda3 is arguably the best sub-$20K sedan on the market and as much a threat to the S40 as
the Acura TSX and Audi A4 despite their diverging lineage. The Acura and Audi meanwhile are the two most oft mentioned
entry-level luxury sedans whispered in the same breath as our sporting Swede. 
Out of the aforementioned
group of competing sports sedans (see an Edmunds comparison here),
the Volvo S40 T5 AWD stacks up very well producing the superlative output of the bunch with its 218-hp turbocharged 2.5L
inline-five engine with variable valve timing. While the Audi A4 can be had with a 3.2L V6, we instead chose to face off
with the 2.0T model that packs a 200-hp turbocharged four, though we did opt for the Quattro all-wheel drive.
The offset of tenacious traction via AWD is weight, and our Volvo and the Audi A4 are a lot heavier than the Acura TSX
and especially the Mazda3. The Volvo S40 T5 AWD at 3,447 lbs. is certainly a bit husky for its class, but it wears its
weight like a much larger vehicle. The S40 looks like the larger S60 accidentally shrunk in the wash. The leading edge
of the hood and the rear deck are both high off the ground and Volvo’s trademark side “shoulders” are
present here, all of which led to us giving the S40 a new nickname: the Raging Warthog. Just like those wild pigs with ample incisors, the S40 is
small in dimension but big in stature. The design exudes large car confidence from its small body. So despite being no
larger than the Mazda3, the Volvo S40 makes you feel like you’re driving something bigger and better than an
econobox.
Our particular car was also laden with Volvo’s Dynamic Trim package, a $1,895 bundle of
body kit baubles we would normally forego. The add-ons include front and rear spoilers, a lower rear valance, side
sills and lower door edge moldings. The frosting on the cake is a set of 17-inch SCOTIA alloy wheels. These mega
multi-spoke wheels usher the S40 T5 into boy racer territory and fetch more than a few unsolicited glances from
teenagers driving around in ten-year old Hondas. Volvo offers an impressive number of six different wheels design
for the S40, all of which we happen to prefer over the expensive SCOTIA rims. Go figure.
Volvo designers
have made an artform out of successfully reinventing the box and this iteration of the S40 is perhaps our most favorite
until the new S80 arrives later this year. The protruding Volvo grille with its flat front flanked by a pair of deeply
offset headlamp clusters containing projector lamp low beams is much more distinctive than the Mazda3’s windswept
fascia, but cars don’t sell on looks alone. Stay tuned as we review the content’s of Volvo’s
voluptuous box and flog the Raging Warthog on the paved plains of suburbia.
Some
automakers do things differently just to be different. Volvo is one of those brands, and the interior of the S40 bears
out the company’s antiestablishment ways. From the ultra-slim center console to the Dynamic T-Tec seating
material to the vertically stacked stereo and HVAC controls, it’s clear the interior of the S40 has been
developed by designers who march to the beat of a different drum.
But a vehicle’s interior is a
driver’s domicile, and since more time is spent inside a vehicle staring at gauges, buttons and dials than
taking-in exteriors, it’s of extreme importance that an interior function as well as it looks. After a few days
inhabiting the S40 we’ve come up with some conclusions on whether or not Volvo’s earned a payoff for being
different inside the S40.
From the moment you slam the door shut on the S40, your senses are triggered by a different environment than what you
might be used to. The seats, for instance, are upholstered in what Volvo calls Dynamic T-Tec, a material more premium
than cloth that feels a bit like neoprene, the stuff out of which wetsuits are made. It’s a nice diversion from
leather, and in concert with the front seats’ sufficient bolstering does well holding driver and passenger in
place.
Once settled its time to take inventory of the dash and center console, the latter of which bisects the
former with what fellow Autoblogger Chris Paukert called a “free-floating aluminum ribbon” back in a review he did of another S40 T5 (sans AWD) on
The Truth About Cars. The center ribbon breaks away from the dash and leaves a void of space behind itself in which
various sundries can be stowed. We were totally smitten with this design element, as simple as it is. The slot-loading
drive of the CD player is placed high enough on the ribbon to take advantage of the dash’s depth, but the stereo
and HVAC controls, neither of which require a deep recess, seem as if they’ve been playfully stuck to the
aluminum center console like magnets on a fridge. 
If only they were magnets
so we could arrange them in a way that better facilitated their use. As they are the center sliver of buttons and four
large dials take some getting used to. While someone who reads hiragana, katakana and kanji might find their vertical layout
comforting, us non-Japanese speaking folk prefer our order of action to flow from left to right (read: horizontally).
Though it’s odd to see a telephone number pad front and center, the 10-station preset (without the use of
submenus) was much appreciated. The HVAC system is operated via two large knobs that control temperature and fan speed,
while stabbing your finger at a minimalist depiction of the human form will direct the flow of air. Some in the comments
of our first post rightly point out that any aftermarket modification of the stereo is nixed thanks the center
console’s unusual design, which is just another example of how the S40 tends to err on the side of form over
function.
The S40’s big backsize means that trunk space is decent. The back end packs in 12.6
cubic, more than the Mazda3 but less than the Audi and Acura models. We appreciated the trunk’s flush floor,
which hides the spare, though the lack of a dip-down sacrifices a few cubes of grocery room. 
Another niggle
we had with the S40’s insides were the diminutive door handles that only allow two fingers to slip behind their
short bars. While circus folk
and other people with small hands might appreciate their Lilliputian scale, the tiny door handles only serve to
aggravate one’s egress from the vehicle.
Much has also been said in
the comments of our last post about the S40’s interior space and the amount of elbowroom available, specifically
when compared with the volume inside the “larger” Volvo S60. As evident by a side-by-side from Edmunds,
it’s true that the S40 and S60 are extremely close in terms of interior dimensions. The S40 manages its space
much more efficiently than the S60, which is both longer and wider than its little ‘bro. The S40 also feels
bigger inside than it looks outside, but that’s not to say it isn’t snug. One man’s snug, however, is
another’s “just right”, so you’ll have to sit in an S40 to judge for yourself.
So...
does the S40’s interior help the car’s cause or set it back in its pursuit to win the hearts and minds of
small car fans around the world? We give the Swedes credit here for imbuing the S40 with a little style inside,
although it’s clear that Volvo sometimes favors being different for its own sake, rather than for its customers.
Those quirky touches and unique design elements are what build brand identity, however, and Volvo has been
successful at cultivating an image that not only encompasses its heritage of safety, but also its penchant for
beating a new path.
Much
has been made in the comments about how much (or how little) the Volvo S40 and Mazda3 have in common. We think one
particular comment by an Autoblog reader named Mike sums up our feelings on this debate: “Any comparison between
the two must be coming from the unfamiliar.” It’s true, these two cars share a platform and various
components but the job done differentiating them is far from badge reengineering. Their relationship is less Ford Five
Hundred to Mercury Montego than it is Audi A4 to Volkswagen Jetta. We’re talking more than a new grille and
taillamps here.
The C1 chassis certainly cleans up well wearing Volvo’s stubby-yet-strong proportions
and Scandinavian interior, but does the S40’s on-pavement prowess finally settle any qualms created by its
potentially $30k-plus pricetag?
The
core of the S40’s fun factor can be found in its turbocharged 2.5L five-cylinder engine that produces 218
horsepower and 236 ft-lbs. of torque. Going with an odd number of cylinders is again one of those quirky,
dare-to-be-different traits for which Volvo is well known, especially considering such engines in the past had a
reputation for being unbalanced and thrashy. 
Those characteristics cannot be applied to
Volvo’s five-pot powerplant, which exhibits little harshness in its operation. In fact, for a sporty sedan the
S40 T5 is remarkably quiet with engine noise a distant hum until WOT is applied. Volvo’s addition of a
light-pressure turbo makes this powerplant feel like a torquey V6 under your toes with all of its 236 ft-lbs. of torque
available at a low 1500 rpm. There’s a whisper of turbo lag but the turbine’s relatively small size ensures
there’s no whiplash when it comes online. 
Our tester’s fuel mileage is rated at 20
city/29 highway, which isn’t bad considering the extra 130 lbs. added by the all-wheel drive system and various
other gravity-challenged safety and luxury amenities. Total tonnage is up to 3,447 lbs. for the T5 AWD model, about 169
lbs. more than FWD T5. 
Speaking of that AWD system, it’s a bit
of a misnomer as the majority of time power is being routed almost entirely to the front wheels. During our dry week
with the S40 T5 AWD the car exhibited all the normal FWD tendencies with understeer occurring when the car was pushed
in corners. The AWD system is not a performance feature of the S40 T5, but rather a safety feature meant for sure
footing in inclement weather. Though the 130 lb. penalty for its presence isn’t severe, those seeking the fastest
S40 should opt for the non-AWD model with the six-speed manual.
Our S40 came with said six-speed manual
transmission, an inclusion about which we were a bit conflicted. Given the choice we’ll always go standard, but
the S40’s clutch was either instant-on or instant-off, which made enjoying the slick shifting six-speed a rarity.
With practice the clutch can be mastered, but if you break concentration before the light turns green expect a jolt when
leaving the line. 
Once underway the tractable engine offers up
power in a wide swath and shifting around 4,000 rpm under WOT generates a satisfying surge into the next gear. The S40
T5 AWD gets a tighter suspension than the 2.4i model with anti-roll bars front and aft that control the car well enough
in the curves. The speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering is accurate as well, though at around-town speeds the power
assist disconnects the driver too much from the road.
Though we’ve dialed back any
expectations of the S40 T5 AWD being a thoroughbred sports sedan, it excelled in another area we weren’t
expecting. On the highway at cruising speed (or above) the T5 AWD behaves like a car with a much longer wheelbase. The
small sedan tracts straight and true while hardly flinching at crosswinds, and the suspension’s ability to soak
up broken pavement was a surprise. 
All this still begs the question whether or
not the essence of an S40 could be found in a Mazda3 for $10k less. We think not, as the Volvo’s 2.5T
five-cylinder, all-wheel drive capability, and suspension tuning cannot be had in Mazda’s take on the C1
platform. But wait, here comes the MazdaSpeed3 with a 250-hp 2.3T four-cylinder, six-speed stick from the MazdaSpeed6
and a price tag that will likely fall between $23k and $25k. Though the MazdaSpeed3 lacks all-wheel drive, the Volvo
system didn’t convince us that it was worth the extra outlay anyway. In any case, with the advent of the
MazdaSpeed3 we’re thinking Volvo's best move would be to create an S40R in the low $30k range that offers a
similar or better level of performance as its sport compact sibling from Mazda with more safety, luxury and technology.
We've found the range-topping S40 T5 AWD to be a good car for its price, but it'd be even better if the sticker stayed
below $30k.
New Car Test Drive
Improvements for superb sedan and wagon.
Introduction
The Volvo S40 returns for its sophomore year with a number of minor changes to the three-model lineup, which continues to be loaded with features at competitive prices.
Safety is a top priority at Volvo, and all S40 sedan and V50 wagon models come with side curtain and side-impact airbags, projector-type headlamps, a rear fog light, and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution.
When Volvo re-engineered the S40 for 2004, the primary goal was to stuff the same levels of safety found in the flagship S80 luxury sedan into the S40's small package. To that end it was designed using something called VIVA, for Volvo Intelligent Vehicle Architecture. What appears to be an unprecedented amount of time, research, testing and detail went into the construction of the chassis and body in the interest of crash protection. There are several zones of deformation upon impact, built with different strengths of steel depending on that zone's function: conventional, high strength, extra high strength and ultra high strength steel.
The S40 looks like a sports sedan, particularly when fitted with the newly designed optional 17-inch alloy wheels. The V50 is a straightforward wagon extension of that look. The design is clean and elegant, Scandinavian simplicity. Inside, the S40 represents a sharp departure from previous Volvo designs, but above all is comfortable and full of convenience features.
On the road, both body styles are stable and relaxed. Even at high speeds, the Volvos can easily run with expensive sedans from BMW and Mercedes. The turbocharged T5 engine is wonderfully smooth, with quick but linear acceleration performance. The entry-level 2.4i engine feels nearly as quick and is just as smooth. The five-speed automatic is smooth and responsive. The suspension is firm but not jarring, offering an ideal balance of ride and handling, and the brakes are excellent. The S40 continues to enhance Volvo's reputation as a maker of superb sports sedans.
Lineup
The Volvo S40 2.4i ($23,755) and V50 2.4i ($26,205) use a five-cylinder engine making 168 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque at 4400 rpm, on premium fuel. The 2.4i comes with a choice of five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission called the Geartronic.
Standard equipment includes air conditioning and power windows and door locks, stability traction control, newly designed 16-inch alloy wheels, remote entry, in-dash CD system and theft-deterrent system. New for 2006 are improved cupholders, steering wheel audio controls, new exterior colors and simplified option structures.
The Select option package ($1,950) includes an eight-way power adjustable driver's seat, power tilt/slide sunroof, a premium Dolby Pro-Logic surround sound stereo system with six-disc in-dash CD changer and 12 speakers, a trip computer, and simulated wood inlays. The Sport option package ($875) includes Dynamic suspension, and sport alloy wheels. A Climate package ($675) is available for all models that includes rain-sensor wipers, heated front seats, and headlamp washers. Stand-alone options include a variety of metallic paints, Dynamic Stability and Traction Control ($695), five-speed automatic ($1,200), leather seating surfaces ($1,200), and dual integrated child booster seats ($300).
The S40 T5 ($26,615) and V50 T5 ($27,840) use a slightly larger 2.5-liter turbocharged version of the engine, making 218 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque over the wide range of 1500 to 4800 rpm. The T5 adds as standard equipment fog lights, a power driver's seat, leather gearshift knob, and trip computer. It comes standard with a superb six-speed close-ratio gearbox, but a five-speed automatic is also available. New for 2006 includes those new elements of the base car plus several more, including a pushdown feature to engage reverse with the six-speed manual, newly designed 16-inch alloys and optional 17-inch alloys, a new stand-alone optional IAQS air quality system, and new exterior colors.
Option packages for the T5 begin with the Sport package ($695), comprised of Dynamic suspension and newly designed Sagitta 17-inch alloy wheels. The Climate package ($695) is available for the T5, also. A Premium package ($2,195) offers a power tilt/slide glass sunroof, leather seating surfaces, eight-way power adjustable passenger seat with lumbar support, and memory for the power driver seat. Increasing the dynamics and the dynamic look is the appropriately named Dynamic Trim package ($2,025). Exterior body parts include a front chin spoiler, rear lower valance spoiler, a trunk-mounted spoiler, side skirts and 17-inch Scotia alloy wheels. The Audio package ($895) includes a 325-watt Dolby Pro-Logic II surround sound system with 12 speakers and an in-dash six-disc CD player. A Convenience package ($405) includes a Homelink remote garage door opener, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass and grocery bag holder. Stand-alone options are similar to the base car's except for the notable additions of bi-xenon headlamps ($700), DVD-based navigation system ($2,120), and the IAQS air quality system ($175).
The S40 T5 AWD ($28,390) and V50 T5 AWD ($29,615) feature an electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system and the Dynamic suspension. New to the T5 AWD specifically are newly designed Scotia wheels for the Dynamic package ($2,025). Similar packages to those above are available.
Walkaround
The design of the Volvo S40 is lovely, subtle and original but mostly very clean: Scandinavian simplicity at its artistic best. Clearly, Volvo doesn't do boxes any more with its sedans. From a distance the S40 looks somewhat like an Audi A4, which is its primary competition, but when you look again you appreciate the unique soft snub nose. Form followed function, as short overall length was a primary engineering objective. Sexiness was a styling objective, and the S40 achieves both.
Rounded front corners (but mostly the engine package) enable this shortness, and the rear corners are pushed in as well, giving the S40 an overall stylish shape. The lack of chrome adds class, with the normal bits, from window trim to ding guards, all being black or body colored. The doors are slightly convex, as opposed to the previous concave shape, and high shoulders make occupants feel protected.
The S40 is a Volvo from any angle, but head-on it's unmistakable with its dark eggcrate grille with the diagonal Volvo slash in center. The headlamps bend horizontally from the sweetly flared fenders toward the grille, with three visible lamps: one rectangular, one round and one trapezoidal. The front air dam is divided by two splitters into three neat sections.
Meanwhile the rear end is sharp, and when viewed in silhouette with the soft snub front end, gives the car direction. The eye is further led along by rocker panels that are slightly wider in the rear, giving the illusion of forward rake and more motion. More dramatically, the sloping roofline quickly meets an abrupt and lipless rear deck; the distance between the bottom of the glass and the 90-degree edge of the deck is not much more than a foot. Yet all the lines, including the rear hips, cascade smoothly together.
The license plate indent is clean, unlike many others. The smooth rear bumper rides over two stainless exhaust tips, pointing conspicuously and curiously down toward the ground; if they point down just to look cool, it works. The huge red taillights are trademark Volvo, each with a clear plastic band containing its backup light.
Last but not least, the new optional alloy wheels are some of the best-looking wheels we've seen in a long time. Volvo hasn't missed a single opportunity to make the S40 look terrific.
The V50 Sportwagon shares the attractive front styling of the S40 sedan. From the side, the wagon body style is achieved by simply extending the roof line and belt line back to the tail, with a slight diagonal angle from the roof down to the beltline. It's only from the rear that the V50 differs from the S40. Volvo has taken the same style of tail light, but then extended it up the side of the wagon all the way to the roof, giving the wagon a slightly awkward look from the rear. The only consolation is that the tall tail lights may help warn drivers behind you when stopping quickly.
Like many new cars nowadays, the Volvo S40/V50 is built on a component-sharing strategy with other car companies partly and jointly owned by a giant one. In this case Ford is that giant company and the S40 shares components with the Mazda3 and a European-market Ford Focus that isn't sold in the U.S. But in the big picture that's a mere footnote, for its lack of importance to the car-buyer or the individuality of the car. This is a Volvo.
Interior
The interior of the S40 and V50 models represents a revolutionary new design for Volvo. And that's a good thing. It looks great and, best of all, it's all intuitive, unlike the top-of-the-line models from Audi, BMW and Mercedes.
The center stack is only about one inch thick, like a computer monitor with a flat screen. Behind it is a storage bin. Simple, clever, practical, handsome, Swedish. You have to reach around the back of the stack to gain access to that shallow storage space, but it's better to have it than to waste it. The stack begins behind the beautifully minimalist shift lever (no goofy shift balls here), and curves gracefully upward to link the console with the instrument panel. The audio, climate and other buttons are arranged vertically and there are four round knobs at the corners. One of those four knobs is a menu control that easily accesses more detailed information and controls. Above the buttons is an information screen.
One problem we had with the thin stack, however, is that during hard cornering, of which the S40 is eminently capable, our right knee rode hard against the edge, and it hurt. A racer's solution would be to patch it with foam and duct tape and be content. Most drivers won't ever notice.
The T5 comes with brushed aluminum interior trim, which is perfect from a style standpoint. Not too much and in all the right places, including the whole center stack. The 2.4i comes with dark wood trim, which isn't nearly as good-looking.
Everything is carefully compact in the interior, including the strong stubby door handles, easy to grab and pull. The console compartment is deep, with two good cupholders forward of it, and the glovebox is decent-sized. The instrument panel is clean and simple and workmanlike, with a big speedometer and tachometer, white numbers on a black background with red needles.
The S40 and V50 are surprisingly roomy given the exterior dimensions, highlighting Volvo's efficient use of space. And Volvo has created intelligent ways to use that space, benefiting from some of the ideas gleaned from designing the XC90 SUV. The rear seat is a 60/40 split and the seatbacks open up to the trunk when dropped. The front seat folds as flat as the rears, creating an unprecedented open floor space and 38.4 cubic feet of cargo space, a lot for a small sedan.
The chopped-off rear end makes the trunk opening small, but it leads into a deep forward well, with 12.6 cubic feet of luggage space, about average for most mainstream sedans. Below the floor of the trunk is a space-saver spare tire and a first aid kit. The trunk lid was cleverly designed to open and close smoothly and easily.
The V50 wagon offers 27.4 cubic feet of luggage space with all seats upright, and a substantial 62.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats and the front passenger seat folded down, which compares favorably to many mid-size wagons by other manufacturers.
Volvo leads the auto industry in environmental awareness, and there's an emphasis on environmentally compatible cabin materials and systems, such as trim materials with low PVC content. A pollen filter comes standard and an optional air-quality system includes an activated carbon filter.
Driving Impression
It's easy to put the Volvo S40 in a nutshell: It's a smaller version of the S60. The five-cylinder engines in the S40 allow it to be built just like its big brothers, including the S80. And because it was designed on the heels of the sensational S60R high-performance sedan, a lot of what was learned with the S60R was applied to the S40.
The engine used in the 2.4i versions is a modified version of the five-cylinder engines that Volvo uses in its larger sedans, wagons and SUVs. Most of the external components, from alternator to manifolds to air conditioning compressor, have been designed for a compactness that makes the transversely mounted engine package 7.8 inches thinner and 1 inch shorter. This was all done in holistic pursuit of building the frontal deformation zone for crash safety. It's a modern dual-overhead-cam engine with variable camshaft timing.
The turbocharged engine in the T5 is wonderfully smooth. Its acceleration is quick and linear, with a broad power curve allowing it to evenly gain speed throughout the rev range. But it should be good; it's the same size as the S60's engine yet it's not being asked to make as much horsepower. At 80 miles per hour, with the five-speed automatic transmission, it's only loafing along at 2500 rpm, so there's a lot of power to spare.
The T5 is comfortable at high speed, very stable and relaxed, something we learned in the wide-open California desert where we were able to open 'er up. The T5 feels ready and eager for spirited driving. This is one small car that can be a great Autobahn cruiser, able to run with the big boys, the expensive 130-mph BMWs, Mercedes and Audis. It was so stable at high speeds it didn't feel like a front-wheel-drive car at all.
We couldn't have been happier with the electronically controlled five-speed automatic transmission. The upshift from fourth to fifth gear was so smooth that we only knew it was happening by observing the tachometer needle drop. The automatic features a manual shift mode called Geartronic, and in the manual mode, it actually let us control what gear we wanted to be in, without stepping in and overriding our wishes. It's the same transmission that's used in the 300-horsepower S60R, so it's bulletproof in the S40.
The sport sedan and wagon use the same suspension design as the S60 and S80, with geometry that has been calculated for quickness and precision. We drove for a stretch at 30-40 mph over a terrible surface with a lot of big rough patches, and it was clear the suspension was firm but it was never jarring. We could feel the wheels moving, but it wasn't getting to our hands or the seat of or pants, or the body of the car.
We drove up into the mountains over a fast, smooth and winding road, with lots of hard braking and abrupt changing of direction. In that situation the suspension approached its limit and stiffer would have been nice; but that situation was already faster than 95 percent of drivers will take even the T5. The S40 suspension wasn't made for that, as it shouldn't be; if it were, it would have been uncomfortable on the slower and rougher surface. Every suspension has a range, and the S40's range is right on the money. The available Dynamic suspension has slightly stiffer springs and bushings (about 20 percent, according to Volvo).
The steering is electro-hydraulic with light, distinct and controlled feedback. We took those words verbatim out of the S40 press kit. This is something we wouldn't normally ever do, but it's perfectly true. Our own notebook words were: 'firm, tight, the right amount of resistance.' The torque steer normally inherent in front-wheel-drive cars was minimal to the point of insignificance. Years ago it was a problem in Volvos, as it is in many powerful, front-drive cars, but engineers have been whittling away at erasing it with improved halfshafts and universal joints.
We used the brakes a.
Summary
The Volvo S40 is a superior small sedan. If it has weaknesses, especially for the price, we couldn't find them. The body and chassis boasts excellent crashworthiness, and the size is both compact outside and spacious inside. Its smooth exterior lines are distinctive, even unique, and beautiful. There are many good new cars nowadays for $25,000, but if you went down the list comparing features, qualities and components, the Volvo S40 would be difficult to beat. Upgrading to the T5 with its turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine puts you into the same levels of performance as the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class, and Audi A4. The V50 packages all this into a practical sport wagon.
NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Sam Moses filed this report from California.
Model Lineup
Volvo S40 2.4i ($23,755); T5 ($26,615), T5 AWD ($28,390); V50 2.4i ($26,205); T5 ($27,840); T5 AWD ($29,615).
Assembled In
Belgium.
Options As Tested
Sport package ($695) includes Dynamic Sport Suspension, 17-inch Sagitta alloy wheels, 205/50R17 tires.
Model Tested
Volvo S40 T5 ($26,615).
2006 Volvo S40 Information
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