2009 Volvo S40

*Est. $28,550 to $33,800

Reviewed

April 2009

Pros

Available all-wheel drive
Secure handling and braking
Comfortable seats
Good looks
Upscale features

Cons

Pricier than most family sedans
Not as athletic as a true sports sedan
Mediocre crash-test scores
Reliability is average or worse
Impaired rear visibility
Stiff ride
Cramped rear seat

Our Analysis

Reviews say the Volvo S40 is an in-between car: It's too pricey for many family-sedan buyers, but it's not sporty enough to qualify as a luxury sports sedan. Although they like its sleek Swedish style, experts don't often recommend the S40.

Two trim levels are available. The Volvo S40 2.4i (*est. $28,550) includes a 168-horsepower, 2.4-liter five-cylinder engine and five-speed automatic transmission. Reviewers say acceleration with this engine is adequate -- Edmunds.com says "tepid" -- and fuel economy is mediocre, at 23 mpg in mixed driving (20 mpg city/28 mpg highway) according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The sportier Volvo S40 T5 R-Design (*est. $32,350) turbocharges its 2.5-liter five-cylinder to get 227 horsepower without hurting fuel economy. (Optional all-wheel drive does bring fuel economy down to 18 mpg city/26 mpg highway/21 mpg combined, EPA says.) ConsumerGuide.com extensively tests this powertrain combo and finds it "snappy … smooth and responsive," although their S40 fell short of the EPA-estimated fuel-economy rating, delivering only 20.6 mpg.

With inferior fuel economy, a higher price, a smaller back seat, poorer reliability and lower crash-test scores than many family sedans, critics say the Volvo S40 isn't as good a choice for value-conscious buyers as a top-rated sedan like the Honda Accord (*est. $20,905 to $28,955) or Hyundai Sonata (*est. $18,700 to $26,550). For a good balance between family-friendly and fun, critics point to the sporty new Mazda6 (*est. $18,550 to $28,465).

Even in its T5 R-Design incarnation, the Volvo S40 can't compete with premium sports sedans like the BMW 3-Series, experts say. "It's pleasing rather than exciting, with decent steering and willing engines, but no manual (transmission) makes it even less fun," Car and Driver says of the S40.

Standard features are fairly abundant, reviewers say, including Bluetooth, a sunroof and a satellite/six-disc stereo. The Volvo S40 T5 R-Design trim adds a few additional niceties, such as heated front seats and automatic climate control, and it makes a navigation system available as an option. All-wheel drive costs $1,450 extra. As usual with Volvo, you can outfit your S40 with dozens of extra-cost accessories like booster seats, rear sun shades, a trailer hitch (the S40 can tow 2,000 pounds), an electric heated-and-cooled food and drink box for the trunk, a table for the backseat, a variety racks for bikes, skis and kayaks, plus more. Volvo covers the S40 with a four-year/50,000-mile basic warranty.

Consumer Reports provides the most comprehensive look at the Volvo S40: Its editors test the S40 thoroughly, rate it against its peers and provide a narrative write-up describing the car's good and bad points. Reviews at Edmunds.com, ConsumerGuide.com and Car and Driver are also based on expert tests, but each write-up is less detailed than the last. Government and nonprofit websites -- the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and EPA -- are the best sources for hard data on safety and fuel economy. J.D. Power and Associates uses owner surveys to rank cars' initial quality and appeal, but we find this site's dependability rankings to be the most valuable.

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Our Sources

1. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe

The editors of Consumer Reports test the Volvo S40 along with virtually every other family sedan available. Consumer Reports provides one-of-a-kind reliability predictions, which are based on past-model-year data from owner surveys.

Review: Volvo S40, Editors of ConsumerReports.org

2. Edmunds.com

Testers at Edmunds.com conclude that the base-engine Volvo S40 is an affordable alternative to sports sedans like the BMW 3 Series, but the more expensive turbocharged S40 takes away the "affordable" part and can't compete otherwise.

Review: 2009 Volvo S40 Review, Editors of Edmunds.com

3. ConsumerGuide.com

ConsumerGuide.com tests only the turbocharged Volvo S40 T5 R-Design, not the more basic 2.4i trim. Editors judge it in 11 categories (such as fuel economy and value). They conclude that the Volvo is "pricey and not quite sporty enough" to compete with other premium sedans like the BMW 3 Series.

Review: 2009 Volvo S40: Road Test, Editors of ConsumerGuide.com

4. Car and Driver Details/Subscribe

Car and Driver offers a neat summary of the Volvo S40 in this brief capsule review. Editors also assign scores measuring the Volvo S40's appeal: It scores a five out of 10 for consumer appeal, but only two out of 10 for enthusiast appeal.

Review: 2009 Volvo S40, Editors of Car and Driver

5. SaferCar.gov

The Volvo S40's federal crash-test ratings are high, although it's not among the best-rated family sedans. The S40 earns perfect NHTSA five-star ratings in side crash tests, but it loses a star for driver protection in a frontal crash and for rollover potential.

Review: 5-Star Safety Ratings, Editors of SaferCar.gov

6. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Despite standard electronic stability control and mostly good scores in crash tests here, the Volvo S40 doesn't crack into this site's Top Safety Picks. The S40 earns only an "acceptable" rating for side-crash protection.

Review: Midsize Moderately Priced Cars, Editors of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

7. FuelEconomy.gov

This website shows EPA fuel-economy estimates for each version of the 2009 Volvo S40. The EPA rates most cars on the market at this website.

Review: 2009 Vehicles by Volvo, Editors of FuelEconomy.gov

8. J.D. Power & Associates

The Volvo S40 is one of the least dependable entry-premium cars, according to J.D. Power and Associates' most recent owner survey. The S40 gets average scores for powertrain and body/interior dependability, but it falls below average on features/accessories dependability and overall.

Review: 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study -- Entry Premium Vehicle, Editors of J.D. Power and Associates

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