2011 Volvo S40 T5 R-Design
MSRP $31,150
At face value, the Volvo S40 sounds like a bargain. It is a European luxury sport sedan that is in the low $30,000 range, even with extras. With its reputation as one of the safest cars on the market, it almost sounds too good to be true. Can Volvo deliver luxury, sport, and safety, all rolled into a package that costs less than most entry-level European luxury sedans?
The 2011 Volvo S40 T5 R-Design is the higher of two trim levels. It has a 2.5 liter, turbocharged inline-5 cylinder engine that produces 227 horsepower. It has 17-inch alloy wheels, front-wheel drive, and a 5-speed automatic transmission. It is rated at 21 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway.
The T5 R-Design comes with a tilt-telescope sport steering wheel, an 8-way adjustable driver’s seat with memory function, T-tec upholstery, cruise control, a 60-40 split folding rear seat, heated outside mirrors, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, foglights, standard air conditioning, watch-style gauges, and aluminum pedals. The audio system has 8 speakers, HD AM/FM radio, a CD/MP3 player, an audio jack, and a USB/iPod input.
The S40 has anti-lock brakes, stability control, traction control, side front airbags, side curtain airbags, and active front head restraints. In government tests under 2010 standards, the S40 got 4 stars for driver protection in a frontal crash, and a perfect 5 stars in every other test. It also got perfect scores of “good” in every test from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Conclusions and driver feedback:
The interior is quite unique. The dash uses a very modern-lookng center stack design, with controls that are easy to reach and understand. While it is unique, modern, and practical, it doesn’t quite say “understated luxury” as most European luxury sedans do. The upholstery is in a two-tone color scheme which is also different than what most Euro luxury makers are doing.
The cabin is very comfortable, though. There is plenty of headroom and legroom in both the front and rear seats. The seats themselves are some of the most well-engineered car seats you will find. They are very comfortable while providing plenty of non-intrusive lumbar support. You will find them equally suitable for short commutes or long trips. The cargo space is a bit small, though, with a 12.6 cubic foot trunk.
The handling is decent, but not quite as sporty as you might expect, given its trappings. While the front and rear spoilers provide downforce, the handling isn’t really anything special. The steering is responsive and accurate, but the suspension is tuned more for comfort. This provides a consistent response, but not quite the road feel you would expect from a sport sedan. The ride is very nice, but not quite luxury. The seats compensate for it, though, and the overall ride is fine.
The verdict: this “luxury sport” sedan is neither luxury nor sport. If you can get past that, though, it’s worth a test drive.
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