The S40′s design is appropriately quirky for the upscale market, and its safety features and scores are outstanding — something that has become trademark to Volvos. However, the sedan is missing the fancy footwork and abundant power of the class’ high scorers.
“One of those cars that might not get an enthusiast’s pulse racing but is still well worth considering. It has a crisp and sporting feel, excellent steering, good looks, a reputation for safety, and it brings the Volvo brand to a younger, less affluent (and probably hipper) customer.” — Car and Driver
According to our analysis, the Volvo S40 doesn’t woo drivers with sporty performance, utility or flashy design. But it does have enticing and elegant bodylines, cutting-edge safety features in line with Volvo’s reputation, and a secure and solid feel on the road. On the heels of an extensive refresh, the 2009 S40 has fewer powertrain options (although popular with reviewers, the poor-selling manual transmission is now gone), more standard features, and a new T5 R-Design trim package with a modified exterior and interior design.
Newer reviews seem just as pleased as the previous ones with the S40′s strong attributes, and just as forgiving of the car’s weaker traits. But if you’re looking for a more out of a luxury car, there are several cars with qualities the S40 lacks. For example, the new BMW 1-Series delivers one of the most satisfying drives of the class, and a smooth manual transmission for those who prefer to shift their own gears. If you need more storage options than the S40 provides, the award-winning Volkswagen GTI’s abundant space might serve you better.
Motor Trend Writes, “The S40 and V50 may not sell themselves to enthusiast drivers based solely on the way they carve corners and dust the quarter mile; but neither should their dynamics deter the hip, IKEA-loyal, young prospective buyers lured by their now even better-looking exterior styling and unmistakably Scandinavian interiors.”
The 2009 Volvo S40′s performance is competent, but not sporty. As such, many test drivers report the base trim should be sufficient. Car and Driver writes that the S40 is “pleasing rather than exciting, with decent steering and willing engines, but no manual makes it even less fun.” The biggest change for the 2009 model is the discontinuation of the manual transmission in favor of just the five-speed Geartronic automatic.
Test drivers say the S40′s base five-cylinder engine with 168 horsepower and 170 pound feet of torque will be sufficient for most, although the T5′s turbocharged engine has more personality. One thing the base model and T5 now share is Volvo’s smooth five-speed Geartronic automatic transmission, now that the previously offered manual transmission has been done away with. According to the EPA, the S40 should achieve 20/28 mpg city/highway with the automatic transmission. T5′s all-wheel drive depletes the expected fuel economy to 18/26 mpg city/highway.
