Volvo V40
Just enough, everywhere |
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By Richard J. Newman
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NITS: Only the driver's side window has an auto-down button. In this price range, it should be auto-up as well. And how about putting one on the passenger side, too.
G-FORCES: There's just enough juice in the 170-horsepower four-cylinder engine to give the V40 a sporting feel. Handling is stable on the highway and grippy on the curves, a nice complement to the perky power plant.
GIZMOLOGY: The dashboard is simple in a stately way, and one of my favorite Volvo features. The three climate dials are cleanly, almost elegantly, designed. Two "multifunction" knobs on the radio take the place of the usual dozen buttons for station presets and radio settings. And the instrument panel is canted slightly toward the driver to make the controls more accessible.
KID MARKS: The smallish interior was
an advantage on a long trip, since it made it easier to reach my kids' juice boxes and other necessities from the front seat. Two cup holders in the back seat's center armrest and a variety of storage nooks helped keep our gear organized. Only one complaint: The door hinges were very stiff and difficult for my kids to close on their own.
ENVIROMETER: Rates 6 out of 10 on the Environmental Protection Agency's emissions/air pollution scale. Mileage ranges from 22 mpg city to 30 mpg highway. Details: http://www.epa.gov/autoemissions/
E-VOLVO-V40-03.htm
CRASH COURSE: Not crash-tested by the
government or by private testing organizations.
HOT OR NOT: Hot. A tapered hood and roofline create a cute, flirty look.
PRICE POINTS: Base price is $26,135.
Price as tested: $28,710. (All prices include delivery fees.)
MORE INFO: http://www.volvocars.us/Showroom/
V40/
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Model year tested: 2003
If skyrocketing gas prices start to give suv lovers second thoughts, buy stock in the Volvo V40. The quasi-luxury wagon is practical even in its refinements, which provide added degrees of comfort or functionality but never go overboard. The basic upholstery is a tasteful, plush form of polyester. The molded seats tilt in a number of directions–but you have to muscle the various levers by hand. And the peppy engine is thrifty too, getting 30 miles per gallon on the highway. The car is so conscientious it's almost hard to enjoy.
At first, in fact, I was underwhelmed by the baby Volvo. It's relatively small, for one thing–there's less headroom and luggage space than in a Ford Focus. And it seemed insubstantial for a Volvo: The doors are fairly light, and the front-wheel drive produces occasional understeer
that makes the car feel a tad wobbly.
But the $28,000 wagon quickly demonstrated that it has substance where it counts. The 1.9-liter four-cylinder engine is puny, and when you hit the gas it feels that way for a second–until the turbocharger kicks in and the V40 hurries forward. On a 16-hour round-trip highway ride, the V40 was so stable I forgot about that little understeer annoyance. When 18-wheelers would blast by, they'd barely disrupt the quiet in the cabin (at least when my kids were sleeping). And confident handling on the corners was a final reminder that this is more than a dolled-up econobox.
A road trip also makes you appreciate a car's finer attributes–or agonize over its crudeness. Lucky for us, the V40 turned out to be well bred and thoughtful. The cargo shelf behind the rear seat, for instance, was a great convenience, a handy place for my kids to stow and retrieve their various amusements. I was also thankful for the perfectly designed
handhold on the underside of the rear liftgate, which allowed me to close the trunk (over and over and over) without lathering my hands in highway grime. And virtually every one of the cleverly placed storage compartments ended up holding some portion of our junk by the end of the trip. Those kinds of features actually made our trip more pleasant.
And the polyester more tolerable.
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