2005 Volvo S40 Review

Specifications

Winning Over the Uninitiated

I had hardly slept the night before I left for Costa del Sol, Spain. It was another all-nighter, writing and editing a raft of news stories and reviews so that they would be ready to go live while I was out of country.

I got a little shuteye on the three long flights, about 15 hours total from the West Coast not including airport connection time, which made me less of danger to surrounding traffic after jumping into the new Volvo S40 that lay waiting for me in Malaga.

Because of my sleep deprivation I didnt mind getting “stuck” with an example featuring the Swedish brands automatic transmission, normally preferring the opportunity to shift gears for myself. Truly, its a superb autobox, shifting from gear to without hesitation and with near seamless precision, while offering adaptive logic (the ability to read driver input levels and modify shifting patterns according to passive or aggressive behavior) when in the “D” position or manual actuation for those frisky moments.

And believe it or not, Spains brisk mountain air, serpentine highway system and overwhelmingly beautiful scenery, combined with a wonderfully refined, tantalizingly quick sport sedan perked me up rather quickly.

But before I delve into driving dynamics Ive got to say a thing or two about the cars wonderful ambience inside. As soon as I sat down in the S40s ergonomically correct drivers seat I noticed a giant leap forward in interior execution when compared to the outgoing car. Sure the 2004 model is pretty good, but the 2005 S40 approaches BMW territory for quality and refinement, and in the case of design layout easily surpasses the aging 3-Series.

I love the innovative door panels, with their substantially sized window sill cum armrest covered in high-quality grained plastic surfacing, squared off slightly at the edges before ebbing inward just below to make room for the arm when driving. Stylistically the curvaceous lower door panel is a wonderful contrast to the sharper corners found just above, just one small part of a very cohesive design.

While my test car featured authentic aluminum trim surrounding the inside door grips, power window switch surrounds and center stack, I was able to get a close look at the faux woodgrain and unique clear gray plastic Volvo dubs Iced-Aqua which is also available. Both look great, and appeal to entirely different ends of the style spectrum. The former gives the car a traditional luxury appearance, especially well suited to upscale leather seats and trim. The latter is funkier, an industrial art project put into real-life application that looks stunning when accompanied by the cars T-Tec upholstery. It features contrasting stitching in three expressive colors plus seems like it will be very durable in the long run.

I mentioned the center stack just a minute ago, and have to admit to falling head over heals for its design. Im a big-time stereo buff, having owned amps made by Bryston, Carver, Marantz, McIntosh, and Onkyo, tape decks by Akai, Denon and Nakamichi, speaker systems by Boston Acoustics, Mordaunt-Short, Tannoy, and turntables by Dual, Linn, Oracle, Technics, and yes, Bang & Olufson. While the B&O table was nowhere near the equal to the others when it came to sound quality, its styling was far superior when compared to all but the Oracle for stunning houseguests.

The S40s B&O inspired floating center stack not only looks sensational, but integrates every needful thing into a well thought out, user friendly interface that looks ready to pop out as a removable remote. It doesnt release, something Im quite sure of after spending more than enough time looking for a likely button, which is probably a good thing considering my ability keeping remotes within striking distance of my home audiovisual system. Besides, Volvo includes steering wheel mounted controls.

With audio in mind, Volvo regularly pulls together some of the industrys best components resulting in systems superior to those found in the majority of its rivals. The young-at-heart S40 is no exception. A multi-disc changer came with my test car, delivering stellar sound reproduction.

But here I am talking audio when I really should be sharing more about the S40s driving dynamics. First and foremost the little Volvo is quick off the line in either base or top-line trim. The starter motor is a zippy 2.4-liter inline 5-cylinder producing a healthy 168-hp and 166 lb-ft of torque. While this doesnt sound like much compared to some of the V6s currently available in middle-of-the-road Asian sedans, its a lot of power for a car that weighs in at just 3,082 pounds, automatic transmission included.

But the autobox T5s slightly heftier 3,126 pound curb weight is hardly a price to pay for the increase in engine output. The turbocharged 2.5-liter 5-cylinder unit makes a substantial 218-hp and 236 lb-ft of torque, making it the power to weight equal of its German counterparts.

Ive already mentioned how impressive its Geartronic 5-speed automatic is, but Id take mine with the optional 6-speed manual. This is an extremely slick shifter, notching from gear to gear with short throws and precise increments. The clutch is nicely weighted too, not too heavy and not too light, its just right.

Power gets down to the road either via a front-wheel drivetrain or an electronically controlled Haldex all-wheel drive power transfer system. I tried both, and would opt for the latter if money was no object.

As previously mentioned, the roads that overlook Gibraltar and the Mediterranean in between are as curvaceous as any Ive ever seen. The S40 is ideal for Europes narrow lanes, which should make it even easier to negotiate around our local streets and parking lots.

The S40s steering system is nothing out of the ordinary, a conventional power assisted rack and pinion type. The way it is tuned is special however, light for parking and slightly weighted when tracking at high-speed. I found the car especially easy for quick lane changes, due as much to its light weight and compact dimensions as to its sophisticated multi-link fully independent suspension system.

Theres much more S40 information that I could allow myself to get into, but its probably best for you to read over the previously released preview available in the archives of this site rather than rehash all the details here. Suffice it to say Volvos smallest sedan comes very well equipped, enough so that only size separates it from its midsize siblings.

The new model is actually good enough to be compared with the benchmarks in the compact luxury sector, the first being BMWs 3-Series and runner up being Audis A4. I cant say I would have subjected the old car to such stiff competition. While it doesnt feel quite as solid as the BMW for instance, its probably easier to drive on a daily basis and will cost thousands less when it becomes available.

And truly the S40 holds its own when compared to these class leaders. Its styling is superb inside and out, quality first rate and driving dynamics very enjoyable. It features top-tier safety equipment and a solid, stiff structure to back it all up. Whats more, Volvo is now seen as a premium brand with better than average resale values. Personally I like where the sport/luxury marque is going, and could even see myself laying down hard cash for something like the S40 in the not too distant future - probably the V50 Sportswagon would better suit my needs. I would never have said that about the old Volvo. If Im any indication, the future looks very bright in Sweden.