Last March I reviewed the new Volvo S40 in 2.4i and T5 forms. I didn’t much care for those cars, but being able to shift for myself often has a favorable impact on my evaluation. Would it this time? I drove the recently introduced six-speed T5 to find out.

I’ll try to keep this review brief, as those seeking more detail can also read my earlier, more comprehensive review here.

Styling

Volvo might be very proud of the new S40’s looks, but I personally cannot see what the fuss they’re hoping for would be about. Sure, it’s exponentially better looking than the previous S40 but, well, what isn’t? To my eye, the new car’s rounded, oddly pinched ends clash with its tall, slabbish bodysides.

That said, the T5 I drove was the most attractive S40 I’ve yet to lay eyes upon. It was fitted with the $2025 “Dynamic Trim Package,” which includes (along with a sport suspension and wing spoiler) restrained side skirts and clean five-spoke wheels. (A more aggressive body kit is available; it looks cartoonish on this car.) It takes a sharp eye to distinguish the 17-inch alloys from the similarly styled 16s that grace the all-wheel-drive T5. But the extra inch of diameter helps. Once upon a time 16s looked huge on any car. Now we’re to the point when they look undersized even on this compact. Even the 17s look merely appropriate. Thank those bodysides.

Aside from the new wheels, I suspect that the color also improved my evaluation of the car’s styling. Such a stubby body simply looks better in silver than red.

Inside I continue to question the aesthetics of the “T-tec” upholstery (personally I’d want leather in my $30,000+ compact) but otherwise find the interior easily worthy of a premium label. The floating center stack remains a nifty concept; if only it were as evident in person as it is in the publicity photos.

Accommodations

The driver’s seat is moderately comfortable, but not as large and comfy as that in a larger Volvo. It’s fairly firm, so you sit on it more than in it. Lumbar support is manually adjustable. Lateral support is adequate, certainly better than that in, say, a base 9-3, but could be better.

Rear seat legroom is disappointing. Based on the stats there’s even less here than in the Mazda, but they seemed about the same to me. With the front seat set for my 30-inch inseam there’s not much space between the rear seat cushion and front seatback. Luckily the rear seat is high enough off the floor that sitting in back with your shins nearly vertical is actually almost comfortable.

Despite the car’s stubby rear end the trunk is actually large for a compact: 15.5 cubic feet. On top of this, its shape is very even and the trunk hinges are the non-intrusive sort. For even more cargo room the rear seat folds in two sections.

Interior storage isn’t as good. The compartment under the center armrest is tiny. The glove compartment is very deep—I had trouble reaching the back of it.

On the Road

At 3,120 pounds, the S40 T5 is significantly lighter than the German competition. So its 218-horsepower turbo, within a few horses of a 330i or A4 3.0, should be plenty powerful. Yet when I drove the automatic I was underwhelmed. The manual helps, but not much.

Officially the torque peak is at a very low 1500 RPM, but I was just not feeling it there. Blame boost lag. Many turbos technically have low torque peaks, yet they rarely produce a good shove in the back at low engine speeds. The exceptions tend to be the result of short gearing. The gearing in the T5 isn’t short.

Also blame the otherwise commendable quietness of the car. Once boost is up the S40 gains speed quickly, but with no shove in the back and little in the way of wind noise there’s little to provide the sensation of acceleration.

The shifter feels a little ropy, but throws are average in length and effort is light.

My impression of the S40’s handling was unaffected by the transmission. In brief, a very good chassis is undermined by Volvo’s typically quick but numb steering. Once again, “agile” never entered my mind while driving the car.

On the other hand, I was even more impressed this time around by the S40’s high end character. It generally possesses the quietness, smoothness, solidity, and all-around refinement of a luxury car, just in a compact package. All sensation of the road beneath the car and the air around it has the muffled quality I’ve associated with luxury since the advent of Lexus.

On patchy roads the ride sometimes becomes mildly busy, and on rougher roads the car can bound and pitch. But generally the above feel predominates, lending the impression of luxury-class ride quality even with the sport suspension.

Safety

In keeping with Volvo’s traditional emphasis on safety, the S40 offers a large number of safety features for a car in its price range, most of them standard. Impressive.

Volvo S40 Price Comparisons and Pricing

For quick, up-to-date pricing, and especially user-specified price comparisons, check out the website I created: www.truedelta.com. Why yet another vehicle pricing website? Well, I personally lacked the patience to keep using the others. They were too slow and required too much effort, especially when trying to compare prices. So I taught myself some programming and created a site where there is no need to dig through option packages, prerequisites, and the like one by one -- the TrueDelta algorithm figures these out for you in one swift pass.

The S40’s price starts at a very reasonable level but easily becomes not so reasonable as options are plentiful and pricey. The car I drove even without leather listed for $31,000.

Last Words

I’ve tried, but I just cannot get excited about this car. (As a result this review took much longer to write than it should have.) Volvo’s ads gush about its styling and power, but even with a six-speed manual transmission its strengths are a premium feel and a long list of safety features.

That should tell you whether or not the S40 might appeal to you. Want just a little sport but a good healthy dose of luxury in a compact car? Then you could well be happy here, especially if safety features excite you. But if you’re after driving excitement, don’t be fooled by the talk of turbos, body kits, and six-speed manual transmissions. It just isn’t here.

I'm giving the car a slightly higher rating and even mildly recommending it (for some people) this time around. Perhaps because I recently tested the WRX STi and Evo, during this test drive the upscale feel of the small Volvo impressed me more and the flaws in its ride quality bothered me less.

A Note on Volvo S40 Reliability

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.

Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy an S40 rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Volvo S40 reliability comparisons.

Before I can report results, I need reliability data on all cars--not just the S40--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. Non-participants will have to pay an access fee.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.

A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.

Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
Volvo S40 [my initial, more comprehensive review]
Audi A3
Audi A4 2.0T
BMW 3-Series
Infiniti G35
Lexus IS 300
Mazda3
Mercedes C-Class
Saab 9-3
VW Jetta
Volvo S60

Amount Paid (US$): 26000
Model and Options: T5 6-speed with sport and audio packages