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By New Car Test Drive
Safe and superb sedans and sport wagons.
Introduction
The Volvo S40 continues to enhance Volvo's reputation as a maker of superb sports sedans. The S40 looks and acts like a sports sedan. The Volvo V50 is the wagon version and our impressions carry over here. The V50 looks like a sport wagon and drives like one, which is to say it drives just like the sedan.
Volvo is a leader in safety engineering and it's clear the company put a lot of effort into building a structure designed to protect its occupants. The S40 and V50 models come loaded with active and passive safety features to help drivers avoid accidents, then protect them if there is a crash. This may be the safest car in this size class. Smaller than most luxury sedans, the S40 is much easier to park in tight spaces and it's easier to maneuver on narrow roads.
On the open road, the S40 and V50 are stable and relaxed. They can easily run with the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class, even at high speeds.
The S40 T5 comes with a turbocharged engine that's wonderfully smooth, offering quick but linear acceleration performance. The entry-level 2.4i engine feels nearly as quick and is just as smooth. The five-speed automatic is smooth and responsive. The suspension is firm but not jarring, offering an ideal balance of ride and handling, and the brakes are excellent.
The design is clean and elegant, Scandinavian simplicity. Inside, the S40 represents a sharp departure from previous Volvo designs, but above all is comfortable and full of convenience features.
New for 2007: Dynamic Stability Traction Control comes standard on all models. All 2007 models get a new overhead console. Volvo V50 and S40 T5 models come standard with the five-speed automatic Geartronic engine. Options packages have been revised.
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