The automatic transmission, again tested for a split second, did excellent work working through the gears; as do all Volvo autoboxes. The manual transmission shift lever is controlled with short and precise movements, but they are hampered by a very notchy and catchy linkage. As much as I enjoyed driving this car, I could never get around or over this unpleasantness. To add a little insult to injury, the console is very close to the shifter when it is positioned in either 1st, 2nd or 3rd gear. So much so, that on a few occasions I knocked the Auto/Fan speed knob.
I was surprised and disappointed to hear some door panel and window rattles. The chassis is über tight and solid so I never would have expected body creaks when I backed out of my driveway. Isolation from the road is impressive: very few noises make their way into the cabin, and the suspension noises (as opposed to the Mazda 3), are very muffled.
There are but a few engine notes that sound like music to some people(like me and not my mother) and an inline-5 cylinder is certainly one of them. It is up there with VW's VR6, an Alfa Romeo V6 and the Hemi. It is bassy, rumbly and instantly recognizable. With a little turbo whistle added in the mix, I found myself driving around on more than one instance with the windows down.
Safety
The car has standard dual front and curtain air bags, ABS brakes, electronic brake force distribution, stability and traction control, active headrests, seatbelt pre-tensionners... The list goes on and on. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) awarded the car 4 out of 5 stars (a good result) for the driver and 5 out of 5 stars (a perfect result) for the passenger in a frontal impact and 5 out of 5 stars in lateral impacts. The Insurance institute rates it a "Best Pick" in its category.
Conclusion
The list of optional equipment seems endless, perfect for a customer looking for a tailor-made car. It is possible to add $10,000 in options to any of the models. Retailing nearly $45,000 without leather, it quickly becomes expensive to own the ultimate compact Volvo. This is the beauty with this car: Spend only $30,000 and you get yourself a nice basic Volvo or dish out $50,000 and get every gadget that the bigger, less manoeuvrable cars get.
The S40 is basically a luxury pocket-rocket. Tough times are ahead of it though. With competitors like the BMW 3-series (all-new one coming soon), the redesigned Audi A4 and the Infiniti G35, the Volvo has to be at least this good.
Long-term reliability is unknown but Volvo does enjoy a reputation of longevity for its products. Their record is quite good, although it has been a little better, particularly during the eighties and early to mid-nineties. If you are in the market for luxury and prestige in a small package, check this one out. If potential entry-level luxury car buyers give the S40 / V50 combo a chance and take them for a spin, Volvo should easily reach and surpass their sales projections.
Good stuff:
Interior style, fit and finish
Sound system
Road manners
Not so good stuff:
Manual shifter
A few too many rattles
Price
I was surprised and disappointed to hear some door panel and window rattles. The chassis is über tight and solid so I never would have expected body creaks when I backed out of my driveway. Isolation from the road is impressive: very few noises make their way into the cabin, and the suspension noises (as opposed to the Mazda 3), are very muffled.
There are but a few engine notes that sound like music to some people(like me and not my mother) and an inline-5 cylinder is certainly one of them. It is up there with VW's VR6, an Alfa Romeo V6 and the Hemi. It is bassy, rumbly and instantly recognizable. With a little turbo whistle added in the mix, I found myself driving around on more than one instance with the windows down.
Safety
The car has standard dual front and curtain air bags, ABS brakes, electronic brake force distribution, stability and traction control, active headrests, seatbelt pre-tensionners... The list goes on and on. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) awarded the car 4 out of 5 stars (a good result) for the driver and 5 out of 5 stars (a perfect result) for the passenger in a frontal impact and 5 out of 5 stars in lateral impacts. The Insurance institute rates it a "Best Pick" in its category.
Conclusion
 |
The S40 is basically a luxury pocket-rocket. Tough times are ahead of it though. With competitors like the BMW 3-series (all-new one coming soon), the redesigned Audi A4 and the Infiniti G35, the Volvo has to be at least this good.
Long-term reliability is unknown but Volvo does enjoy a reputation of longevity for its products. Their record is quite good, although it has been a little better, particularly during the eighties and early to mid-nineties. If you are in the market for luxury and prestige in a small package, check this one out. If potential entry-level luxury car buyers give the S40 / V50 combo a chance and take them for a spin, Volvo should easily reach and surpass their sales projections.
Good stuff:
 |
Interior style, fit and finish
Sound system
Road manners
Not so good stuff:
Manual shifter
A few too many rattles
Price
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