Home » Car Reviews » Volvo » 2004 » 2004 Volvo S40 Compact Near Luxury Sedan
2004 Volvo S40 Compact Near Luxury Sedan
Car Review Of The 2004 Volvo S40 Compact Near Luxury Sedan
Base MSRP Range: $24,190 - $28,845
Base Invoice Range: $22,846 - $27,147
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MSRP As Tested: Not Available
Versions: 2.4i, T5, LSE
Vehicle Category: Compact Near Luxury Sedan
Engine Location: Front Engine
Drive Wheels: <Front Wheel Drive
Engine As Tested 2.4i: 2.4-liter, Dual Overhead Cam, 24-valves, I-5 cylinder, 168-horsepower at 5,000rpm and 166 lb-ft torque at between 1,500 â€' 4,800 rpm.
Engine As Tested T5: 2.5-liter, Dual Overhead Cam, 24-valves, I-5 cylinder, 218-horsepower at 5,000rpm and 236 lb-ft torque at between 1,500 â€' 4,800 rpm.
Transmission As Tested: 2.4I 5-speed automatic, 5-speed manual, T5 5-speed automatic, 6-speed manual. .
Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 20/29
Standard Safety Features: Driver and front passenger airbags, power-assisted disc brakes, Antilock Braking System (ABS).
Competition: Infiniti I35, Infiniti G35, Acura TSX, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Passat, BMW 325I, Audi A4 1.8T, Lexus IS 300, Lexus GS300.
Review
Some of the staff at Volvo will laugh when they read our first comment on the S40 because it has been the focus of some spirited dinner conversations over the years: it’s high-time Volvo applied Swedish furniture design to their own vehicles. We’re glad to see them begin to do it. What could be more elegant and comfortable than the flowing lines and quality materials produced by Swedish furniture artisans. The vertical dash panel in the S40 is the height of cool â€' they iMaced it. You’ll see what we mean in a minute.
The success of the S40 is in rooted in design, quality and “sweet” factor. The design is closer to perfect than it has ever been. The build and material quality has been vastly improved. The S40 is a premium compact car built on the same platform as the Mazda 3 economy compact. Within the segment, Volvo appears to have done a better job removing the “economy” feel from the equation, than Saab has up-scaling the Subaru WRX into the 9-2x.
