Introduced for 2004, the S40 sedan and V50 wagon moved the Volvo brand from the square look toward something much less frumpy. Easy to identify as Volvos, they are distinctive among near-luxury cars. A subtle restyling for 2008 brought the smaller Volvos more into line with the look of the flagship S80 sedan.
The S40 remains subtle and original, but mostly very clean: sophisticated in its simplicity, but certainly not simple. Form follows function in this sedan. Its short overall length aids crisp handling and easy parking.
Rounded front corners (as well as a compact engine package) enable this shortness, and the rear corners are pushed in as well, giving the S40 a tight but still stylish shape. Sparse application of chrome creates a classy look. Lower door, sill and side moldings are color coordinated to match the paint. The doors are slightly convex, with high shoulders that add a sense of security for those sitting inside.
The S40 and V50 are Volvos from any angle, but it's most obvious head on, looking into the dark egg-crate grille with the diagonal Volvo slash through the center. The Volvo badge in the center is large and bold, and the headlights turn down subtly at their inner edges, suggesting teardrops. The air intake under the bumper runs full width on the sedan, but is divided into three segments on the wagon. Wagons also feature prominent silver roof rails.
Viewed in profile, a sharp rear end and softer front end give the S40 direction. The rocker panels are slightly wider in the rear, creating the illusion of forward rake and more motion. More dramatically, the sloping roofline quickly meets an abrupt rear deck. The distance between the bottom of the glass and the back edge of the deck is not much more than a foot. Yet all the lines, including the rear hips, cascade smoothly together. The standard 17-inch Spartacus rims, with their seven pair of elegantly thin spokes, fill the wheel wells nicely and enhance the S40's presence.
Viewed from the rear, the huge red taillights are trademark Volvo. They light with long-lasting LED elements rather than bulbs.
T5 models are distinguished by a unique grille with the R-Design logo offset to the lower left. Aero extensions surround the bottom edge of the car, but they are small, body color, and tastefully subtle. More noticeable than any of these features are the T5's bold, five-spoke Serapis alloy wheels. Optional 18-inch Midir wheels are similarly five-spoked, but with rounder spokes that seem to stand out closer to the wheel's surface. (And they are available only on the front-drive sedan.)
In side view, the V50 wagon is created by 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 all very graceful, though from the rear the wagon's huge taillights add some gawkiness. They extend up the sides all the way to the roof, and we aren't necessarily consoled by the fact that they are nearly impossible for other drivers to miss.
With its smallest sedan and wagon, Volvo tried to provide the same sort of impact protection buyers seek in its larger vehicles. To that end, both the S40 and V50 apply what the company calls the Volvo Intelligent Vehicle Architecture, or VIVA. That means extra-sturdy anti-intrusion beams in the doors, and multiple crumple or deformations zones front and rear, built with different strengths of steel depending on that zone's location and function: conventional, high strength, extra high strength and ultra high strength. The idea is to dissipate or absorb the energy of a collision before it finally reaches the car's cabin, or the people inside it.
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.
The Volvo S40 and V50 are essentially the same car underneath, so when it comes to the driving, what goes for the S40 sedan also goes for V50 wagon. The V50 performs identically to the S40, despite the extra bit of utility that goes with its wagon body style.
These are enjoyable cars to drive, especially on winding roads where they are nimble and lively. The base 2.4i is an excellent choice for drivers who want a safe small car with good driving dynamics and fuel economy. They are a bit soft on power, however. The T5 models offer better acceleration with their turbocharged engines, and livelier handling response.
The S40 2.4i and V50 2.4i offer a nice balance of ride and handling. They're smooth, with enough power for most drivers. Even with the five-speed automatic, the 2.4i delivers decent acceleration and fuel economy: an EPA-estimated 20/31 mpg City/Highway for both the S40 and V50.
With the automatic, we found it takes a hard mash to the gas pedal to get it really go. It's slightly quicker with the manual transmission. The S40 can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds, according to Volvo, vs. 8.4 seconds for the automatic. With the manual transmission, the S40 and V50 a slightly better EPA city estimate at an equally slight expense in highway economy: 21/29 mpg. So, if you're a skilled driver, you can match the fuel economy of the automatic but have a significantly quicker car when you want to go a bit more quickly.
The steering is boosted just right in these cars, with light, distinct and controlled feedback. It feels firm and tight, offering the right amount of resistance. The torque steer often found in front-wheel-drive cars is not apparent in these Volvos, even with the higher-power, turbocharged T5 models.
The T5 version's turbocharged engine is wonderfully smooth, with 227 peak horsepower. Acceleration is quick and linear and the power band is broad, so the engine enthusiastically finds more speed no matter how fast you're already going. At 80 miles per hour it's only loafing along at 2500 rpm, so there's a lot of power to spare and pleasant, quiet cruising to boot. The T5 is comfortable at high speed, very stable and relaxed, which we learned on some wide-open California desert roads. It's stable at 100 mph and doesn't even feel like a front-wheel-drive car. EPA estimates are 21/30 mpg City/Highway.
With plenty of power on tap, the electronically controlled five-speed automatic decides quickly which gear it needs and shifts down smoothly when you step on the gas. The upshift from fourth to fifth gear was so smooth that we only knew it occurred because we watched the tachometer needle drop. The automatic features a manual shift mode called Geartronic, and in the manual mode, it actually lets the driver control what gear it's in, without stepping in and overriding his or her wishes.
The T5 turns into corners a little more crisply than the 2.4i. It also leans less to one side or the other as g force builds, but it's hardly stiff. We drove it for a stretch at 30-40 mph over a terrible surface with a lot of big rough patches, and the suspension felt firm but never jarring. We could feel the wheels moving, but the impact didn't travel up through the car's body to our hands or the seat of our pants. The suspension isn't as firm as that of, say, a BMW, so it doesn't respond as crisply when driven very hard. The benefit is the Volvo's smoother ride quality.
The T5 AWD models have the advantage of all-wheel drive for improved all-weather safety and handling. The all-wheel drive helps maximize traction in slick, slushy circumstances by sending power to the wheels with the most friction underneath, doing its utmost to maintain the T5's forward momentum. When driven hard on dry pavement, the all-wheel drive helps balance the T5's handling by shifting power to the rear wheels. That avoids overpowering the front tires.
The all-wheel drive has its drawbacks, to be sure, besides the additional cost at purchase. It adds weight and friction within the T5's drivetrain, so it reduces fuel mileage, even in circumstances when no one needs the all-wheel drive, which for most drivers is most of the time. EPA estimates for the T5 AWD automatic are 19/28 mpg City/Highway, in the S40 and 19/27 mpg in the V50.
The six-speed manual transmission, however, compensates for the effect of the additional weight of AWD on the S40's acceleration: 0-60 mph with the six-speed passes in 6.6 seconds, which is a tenth of a second quicker than the front-drive T5 automatic. EPA estimates for the manual AWD combination are 20/27 mpg for the S40 and 20/26 mpg for the V50. And while the front-wheel-drive sedan can handle foul weather, AWD makes the car more stable and easier to drive in wintry conditions, whether it's ice or snow or inconsistent.
We found the brakes strong, smooth and true. The disc brakes are plenty big for the size of the car (at 11.8 inches front and 11.0 inches rear). We performed a panic stop at 75 mph, and the anti-lock brake system dragged the car to a stop in a direct, confidence-inspiring manner, without a hint of skidding when we moved the steering wheel to the left or right.
The 2010 Volvo S40 2.4i ($26,200) and V50 2.4i ($28,700) come with cloth upholstery, Electronic Climate Control with pollen filter; aluminum-inlay interior trim; power windows and door locks with remote locking; cruise control; tilt-telescoping leather steering wheel with audio controls; 160-watt, eight-speaker audio with AM/FM/CD, MP3 capability, USB connection; Bluetooth; fog lights front and rear; power driver's seat; and 17-inch alloy wheels with 205/50R17 tires. Options include Nordic Oak interior trim ($150), Sirius Satellite Radio ($400). A five-speed manual transmission is standard in the sedan; Volvo's Geartronic five-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift feature is optional ($1,250) in the sedan and standard in the wagon.
The S40 T5 ($31,150) upgrades with sport-tuned suspension, memory for the driver's seat and an auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass and special trim. Optional 18-inch Midir diamond cut alloy wheels with 215/45R18 tires are available ($750). The T5 Multimedia Package ($1,000) bundles Sirius Satellite Radio with a 12-speaker, two-amp Dynaudio sound system featuring Dolby Pro Logic II Surround Sound.
The S40 T5 AWD sedan ($31,350) and V50 T5 AWD wagon ($33,050) add Volvo's full-time variable all-wheel-drive system and a six-speed manual transmission. The five-speed automatic is optional ($1,250).
The Climate Package ($900), available on all models, adds heated front seats, headlight washers, rain-sensing wipers and an Interior Air Quality System (IAQS) with humidity sensor. The Preferred Package ($1,250) combines a power glass sunroof with a power passenger seat and Keyless Drive. Other options include HDD navigation ($1,800), full leather seating ($1,200), and metallic paint ($550).
Safety features include front-impact airbags, torso-protecting side-impact airbags for front passengers, and head-protecting curtains for all outboard passengers. All models come with antilock brakes and Volvo's Dynamic Stability Traction Control, which senses and then tries to correct a potential skid. Volvo's Whiplash Protection Seating System, or WHIPS, uses specially designed seats to minimize potential for neck injuries in a rear-end impact. Volvo's Automatic Hazard Warning starts the emergency flashers in the event of a collision. A tire pressure monitor is standard.
Optional safety features include Volvo's Blind Spot Information System, or BLIS ($700), which warns the driver of nearby vehicles that might not be visible in the mirrors. Active Bi-Xenon headlights ($800) point into curves and remain level over bumpy surfaces. Built-in, height-adjustable child booster seats ($300) are available in the wagons.