The Detroit News's view

2004.5 Volvo S40 is a joy to drive

As the former owners of two Volvos, we tend to look at new offerings from Ford’s Swedish subsidiary with a little extra scrutiny.

The redesigned 2004.5 S40 sedan recently fell under our personal microscope, and we came away impressed — with some reservations. We tested a nicely equipped S40 T5 priced at $29,745.

She: Before we start to get into this, I’d like to remind you about that T-shirt I recently saw that said, If a man speaks in the forest and there’s no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong?”

He: I think the bigger question here is, if there were no women around, would the man even need to speak?

She: Now that we’ve got that straightened out, I’d like to succinctly state my argument for the new S40. Volvo nuts and wannabes will love it. It gets you into the desirable premium brand at a relatively affordable price. It looks so much more like a Volvo than the Dutch-built car that preceded it. It’s got a Scandinavian minimalist personality inside the cabin that lets the S40 stand out from its competitors. And the attention to safety is top drawer, as you’d expect from Volvo. So you’re right — there’s absolutely no need for you to speak.

He: This ain’t no forest, but let me help you see the trees. The S40 starts at around $25,000, which is about $7,000 more than a Volkswagen Jetta — one of the benchmark sedans in the compact class — and nearly twice as much as a base Mazda3, with which the S40 shares a number of components and structural features. The T5 model that we tested has a sticker of nearly $30,000. For that kind of money, I can get a pretty nice BMW 3-series or an Infiniti G35. And if you’re really into ultra-performance, get a Subaru WRX STi.

She: You’re totally missing the point. All of those brands are good, but they lack that indescribable cachet of a Volvo. The S40 doesn’t LOOK like the Mazda3. It has higher-quality materials in the cabin. It has a bigger, more powerful engine, and more upscale features.

He: The T5 engine is pretty sweet, I agree. It’s Volvo’s turbocharged, twin-cam 2.5-liter five-cylinder, mated to a new six-speed manual gearbox. It makes 218 horsepower and 236 pounds-feet of torque, and is a hot little powerplant. The chassis dynamics are also pretty special, but remember that the basic chassis design is shared with Mazda and Ford of Europe. Volvo has tuned the S40 to provide a very controlled ride, with nimble handling, so the T5 is a delight to drive.

She: You interrupted me. I was starting to say that the T5 has some super standard upgrades over the base 2.4i model, including a leather gearshift knob, foglamps, electronic climate control, a trip computer and a power driver’s seat. And the standard safety features are not to be believed. They include antilock brakes, stability and traction control, side air bags for front occupants and side-curtain air bags for fro nt and rear seats, anti-whiplash headrests and daytime running lights.

He: You mentioned the minimalist cabin earlier. One of my favorite design touches on the S40 and its station wagon companion, the V50, is the thin center stack, which you can order in wood or metal. I prefer the metallic look, which seems to fit the T5’s personality to, well, a T.

She: I just think the value of the S40 is revealed in small details like the beautiful light-gray topstitching on the charcoal leather seats. It’s something you’d expect to see on a finely tailored European suit, and it just exudes class in a very quiet way. But the seats aren’t perfect. The rear compartment is cramped. And while the rear passengers get map pockets, a 12-volt outlet, two cupholders and center overhead reading lights, they don’t get basic stuff like vents or audio controls. And while they are a great safety feature, the rear headrests tend to block the driver’s vision.

He: I think that’s th real story on this car. Volvo has made some great strides in redesigning the S40 and turning it into more of a real Volvo, as far as looks and performance are concerned. But it didn’t finish the job. There are still too many flaws, and the car is grossly overpriced against some very strong competition. I’m sorry, but if it’s my 30 grand, the S40 is no competition for a 325i.