There used to be a distinct gap between premium and non-premium sedans. In recent years, that gap has been filling up with attractively priced four-doors with luxury aspirations. The 2011 Volvo S40 is such a sedan, with more prestige than your run-of-the-mill domestic model, but not quite as much sophistication as the established European competitors. The niche positioning, however, presents some problems.
On the positive side, the Volvo S40 certainly looks the part of a European sport sedan. Even though this latest generation has been in production for seven years now, the S40 manages to still look fresh. This is especially true on the inside, where the sleek "floating waterfall" center stack and available two-tone upholstery continue to set this car apart from its more conservative rivals. Under the hood you'll find a standard 227-horsepower turbocharged five-cylinder engine that provides livelier acceleration than you'll find in the typical four-cylinder sedan.
Beyond this, the S40 just doesn't do much else to distinguish itself. Whether you're looking for the latest technology features, sportier performance, higher fuel economy or just a more prestigious image, you'll likely find a better choice. In the S40's price range, models like the sporty Acura TSX V6, the stylish Buick Regal and the well-equipped Volkswagen CC are more appealing. Similarly, the BMW 3 Series and Infiniti G Sedan justify their higher costs through added performance and prestige. Overall, the S40 is a fine car on its own merits, but you'll definitely want to shop around.
The S40 sedan and V50 wagon share essentially that same interior, and it looks great. It's also intuitive, everything works the way you'd expect, and it's easy to get comfortable. When Volvo updated these cars back in 2008, it addressed the few niggling shortcomings in what was otherwise a first-rate cabin. Re-designed dash vents move more air, and storage for small items was improved.
The S40 and V50 are surprisingly roomy given their exterior dimensions, which are very close to a Honda Civic or Ford Focus. Volvo should be credited for creating efficient, intelligent ways to use space. Everything in the S40/V50 cabin is carefully compact, including the strong stubby door handles. They're easy to grab and pull.
The materials and finish are very good. The expanses of plastic and vinyl have a soft, leathery look. The standard trim in base 2.4i models, as well as T5s, is brushed aluminum, not too much and in all the right places, including the whole center stack. Genuine Nordic Light Oak is optional in the 2.4i, and it looks like the finish on fine furniture. T5s come standard with Volvo's R-Design motif, meaning light (Crème) leather seating surfaces strikingly bracketed by black Flextech fabric. Full, monotone leather is optional in all models, in black or off-white (Volvo calls it Quartz) in the 2.4i, but in black only in T5s. In either color the leather is smooth and thick, stretched taut over the seats rather than draped.
The seats are excellent. It's hard to find a better mix of comfort and support for typical driving. The optional sport seats in some luxury brands might ultimately be better, but they are much harder to settle into not to mention they are usually expensive. The fabric that comes standard in the 2.4i resists stains. Dog owners may be better served by the leather, however, because dog hair can get imbedded in the fabric upholstery.
The fold-flat front passenger seat is a valuable feature. Standard on the wagons, the front seatback can fold forward to roughly the same level as the folded rear seat and cargo floor. This adds three feet to the length of items that can be carried within the car. And as far as we could tell, this feature does nothing to diminish the seat's comfort.
Volvo's WHIPS whiplash-limiting seat is designed to reduce the chance of a neck injury in a rear-end collision: During a rear-end impact, the seatbacks move rearward to reduce acceleration forces on the occupant's back and neck, while the headrest pushes forward and upward slightly to meet the neck and head as they are thrust backward. For 2010, the headrests now adjust vertically as well.
The S40/V50 instrument panel is clean, simple and workmanlike, with a big speedometer and tachometer featuring white numbers on a black background with red needles or, keeping with the R-Design theme in the T5, white numbers on blue faces with red needles. Both replicate the look a fine watch. The overall effect of the dashboard is very Scandinavian, yet the coolest part may be the thin-panel center stack.
The S40 and V50 were the first Volvos to use the thin panel in front of the center console. The center stack is barely more than an inch thick, like a flat-screen computer monitor, with open space behind it. It curves gracefully upward from the minimalist shift lever to link the center console with the rest of the instrument panel.
Most controls are located in the thin panel, with audio above climate and a text display at the top, arranged in a neat, symmetrical pattern. The four primary knobs are placed at the corners, big and raised substantially from the surface so they're easy to find. One of those knobs is a menu control that easily accesses more detailed functions displayed on the information screen. The airflow buttons are fashioned in an icon shaped like a seated person, so there's absolutely no confusion about directing air toward the face, feet or windshield.
It's all quite clean, effective and pleasing. Most significantly, measured by function and ease of operation, various controls in the S40 and V50 are simpler, better, than most other luxury brands. Particularly German brands, which still insist on layering more menus (and buttons) in their interfaces. One problem we had with the thin panel, however, is that during hard cornering, of which these cars are eminently capable, our right knee rode hard against the panel edge, and it hurt. But we'll deal with the rubbing and take the thin-panel center stack. Behind the thin panel is a small storage bin, though you have to reach around the back to gain access.
Our biggest complaint about these cars is their lack of interior cubby storage for small items. It was expanded slightly for 2008, but there's still little room for stuff. The latest versions offer some room in the center console, perhaps enough for a small handbag, and have a rack that holds 10 CDs.
Trunk space in the sedan is good. The chopped-off rear end makes the trunk opening smaller than that on some comparably sized cars, but it leads into a deep forward well, with 12.6 cubic feet of luggage space. That's average in this size class, but it's only the beginning, The rear seat splits 60/40, and the seatbacks open up to the trunk when dropped. Fold both sides of the rear seat and the S40 offers an impressively large open floor, with 38.4 cubic feet of space to carry cargo inside the car. That's a lot for a small sedan, and it can be reached through the side doors as well as the trunk lid.
Cargo space in the V50 wagon expands storage further. We think it's a great choice for people who routinely transport their dogs. It offers 27.4 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats upright, and a substantial 62.6 cubic feet with the rear seats and the front passenger seat folded down. That compares favorably to the cargo space in compact SUVs.
The premium audio system in the T5 Dynaudio Package delivers superb sound and it costs less than the high-end upgrades offered by many luxury brands, with dual amplifiers, subwoofers and advanced Dolby processing. The standard stereo is a 160-watt system that includes an in-dash CD/MP3 player, HD radio technology, and a USB port.
The navigation system is easy to operate and we liked it. The screen pops up vertically from the center of the dash, though it's canted forward at an angle that can make it harder to see from some driving positions. The driver surfs through menus and makes choices with buttons on the back of the right steering wheel spoke, almost where you'd expect paddle shifters for an automatic transmission. The menus are no more difficult to learn than those on other navigation systems, and they're managed without taking hands from the steering wheel and fishing for the controls. Passengers can control the system with a remote. It was upgraded for 2009.
Little has changed on the outside since the 2009 redesign, but Volvo says the 2011 models will get a larger Volvo logo on the grille. Exterior features include:
- Standard integrated turn signals
- Standard fog lights
- Standard power-operated and heated side mirrors
- Standard 17-inch wheels
- Optional power glass moonroof
- Optional 18-inch wheels
- Optional bi-xenon headlights with articulating headlamps
With the cancellation of last year's base engine, the S40 is now offered solely with a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-5 that pumps out 227 hp and 236 pound-feet of torque. A standard five-speed automatic routes power to the front wheels -- all-wheel drive is no longer available. Zero to 60 mph is reached in 6.7 seconds. The EPA estimates fuel economy at 21 mpg city/30 mpg highway and 24 mpg in combined driving.
Summary
The Volvo S40 sedan and V50 wagon are premium, safe cars in a small package. They offer essential active safety systems, such as advanced ABS and skid-control electronics, and a high level of impact protection. Their interiors are nice.NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Sam Moses filed this report from California; with Mitch McCullough reporting from Charlottesville, Virginia, and J.P. Vettraino in Detroit.
source:www.edmunds.com,www.cars.com,autos.aol.com
