For most people living in urban areas, sport-utility vehicles are a questionable choice. They're often too big and use too much gas. But, what if you require the cargo space and versatility SUVs provide?
The most sensible solution is a wagon, and today's wagons are better than ever before. No longer the equivalent of a boring box on wheels (that stigma has been assumed by the minivan), they are maneuverable in the city, easy to park and consume considerably less gas than most SUVs in stop-and-go city traffic. Also, as wagons are essentially sedans with bigger cargo areas, their ride and performance usually eclipses that of any sport-ute.
In addition, when required, a wagon often holds as much cargo as an SUV and provides nearly equal utility. Not so long ago, however, your choices were largely limited to full-size U.S.-made gas guzzlers such as the Chevrolet Caprice and Buick Roadmaster, or expensive European luxury models from Volvo, BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. If you wanted fuel economy and/or sedan-style luxury but didn't want huge car payments or a huge car, your options were limited to the Ford Taurus and a few Japanese offerings from Subaru, Honda and Toyota.
Nowadays, though, there's a lot more choice. Frugal shoppers and those concerned with fuel consumption but still wanting a degree of style and comfort can chose from a variety of models, including the Volkswagen Jetta 1.8T wagon, the Subaru Legacy and Outback wagons and the Volvo V40. In addition, much cheaper small wagons such as the Subaru Impreza Outback Sport Wagon and the Ford Focus ZTW Wagon offer attractive alternatives.
Introduced in 1998, the Volvo V40 is a small, comfortable, well designed, feature-laden wagon that is a pleasure to drive and good on gas. In addition, it's a product of one of the world's most respected wagon makers and automotive safety leaders. On the downside, compared to the competition, it's underpowered, too small and overpriced.
Four years ago, it was one of the best small wagon offerings on the market, but that was four years ago. It's still a good car, but the competition has caught up as we discovered during a weekend when we used the V40 as transportation for a bicycle trip.
The V40's 1.9-liter four-cylinder turbocharged powerplant had no trouble whisking us down the freeway through rolling hills to our departure point. It's always better to use horsepower (160 in the V40's case) than leg power, and we found the V40 quite sprightly; it never left us wanting more kick.
Our test vehicle was equipped with a standard five-speed automatic tranny, which wrung the most out of the relatively small engine. The V40 does suffer some minor turbo lag during aggressive acceleration, but not enough to be truly bothersome. Besides, with the EPA estimate of a miserly 22 mpg city and 32 mpg highway, we realized it was too much to ask for blistering performance, as well. That said, however, the new Volkswagen Jetta 1.8T Wagon has similar fuel economy (22 mpg city and 29 mpg highway) and offers 20 more horses at 180. It's also about $4,000 less.
Though smaller and lighter than its Volvo brethren, the V40 possesses a European feel. Its power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering is a little too light and the standard 15-inch tires too small to qualify it as sporty, but the rear independent suspension and front MacPherson struts provide solid road feel. Combined with its immediate steering response and solid unibody construction, the V40 surprised us with its comfortable ride, sturdy feel and precise handling.
The pleasant surprises continued inside. The V40's standard equipment includes electronic climate control, remote keyless entry with alarm, cruise control, tilt steering, power windows and locks, power driver seat and heated power mirrors. Our test vehicle was equipped with the $650 Sport package that adds foglamps, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, cloth and leather upholstery, brushed aluminum accents on the dash and doors, and special white-faced instrument gauges.
Our V40 also included the Cold Weather package ($850), which is comprised of heated seats, Volvo's Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) and a headlight washer system. The bun warmers were especially welcome after we were chilled by a cold, autumnal shower.
Our hearts were likewise warmed by the V40's 100-watt seven-speaker single-disc in-dash CD player. An $800 option, it pumped out tunes with high-volume clarity whether we were cruising the city looking for coffee before our bike ride or zipping down the highway, slurping lattes with the sunroof fully open.
Though its level of comfort is pleasing, the VW Jetta 1.8T Wagon offers equal amounts of pampering for less money. And the V40 costs the same as the more luxurious, larger and more powerful VW Passat Wagon. Despite its comfort and fine ride, these are compelling arguments against the Volvo.
In terms of utility, the V40 provides 68.1 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded flat, which is marginally less than the Jetta and Subaru Legacy Outback wagon (they offer 70 cu.ft. and 69 cu.ft, respectively). To its credit, Volvo has made the space as functional as possible by adding a tensioning cargo belt — which works well to secure duffel bags and the like snugly and to prevent load-shifting during travel — as well as a cargo net for smaller items.
You could fit a bicycle in the rear, but it wouldn't leave much room for other gear. We used Volvo's optional ($49) roof-top bike rack, which was a snap to install and employ. Because the V40 is only 56 inches tall, it was easy to lift our bikes into place on the rack. And, if even 56 inches is too much for you, Volvo also offers a patented roof-top bike rack that uses a gas strut to lower and lift bikes to and from sidewalk level.
Still, removing cargo from the interior will not make the seating any more commodious. In this regard, the V40 is eclipsed by most of the competition. Though it is 4 inches longer than the Jetta, its head- and legroom are both less generous. It is also beaten by the Subaru Legacy and the Ford Focus wagons. Despite being thumped by the numbers, the V40's supportive seats don't make you want more room. It's equally comfy on short hauls and long jaunts.
The V40's most winning attribute is its long list of standard safety equipment, including dual front airbags; side-impact airbags; inflatable side curtains; anti-submarining seats; whiplash protection seating system (WHIPS); Volvo's patented side-impact protection system (SIPS); ABS; and an energy absorbing passenger cage.
This is one aspect of the V40 that its rivals can't touch. Most offer dual front airbags, side airbags, ABS and some form of traction control (the Subaru, of course, is all-wheel drive), but the Volvo is by far the most safety conscious. Whether or not this is worth its inflated price is up to you. Unfortunately, crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are not yet available to make an empirical comparison.
At nearly $28,000, the V40 is about $4,000 more than the Outback and the Jetta. There's little difference in features and fuel economy, yet the Volvo is a touch smaller and less powerful. The V40 is a nice car but it needs an update if it's going to compete. Until then, we recommend you look elsewhere.
The most sensible solution is a wagon, and today's wagons are better than ever before. No longer the equivalent of a boring box on wheels (that stigma has been assumed by the minivan), they are maneuverable in the city, easy to park and consume considerably less gas than most SUVs in stop-and-go city traffic. Also, as wagons are essentially sedans with bigger cargo areas, their ride and performance usually eclipses that of any sport-ute.
In addition, when required, a wagon often holds as much cargo as an SUV and provides nearly equal utility. Not so long ago, however, your choices were largely limited to full-size U.S.-made gas guzzlers such as the Chevrolet Caprice and Buick Roadmaster, or expensive European luxury models from Volvo, BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. If you wanted fuel economy and/or sedan-style luxury but didn't want huge car payments or a huge car, your options were limited to the Ford Taurus and a few Japanese offerings from Subaru, Honda and Toyota.
Nowadays, though, there's a lot more choice. Frugal shoppers and those concerned with fuel consumption but still wanting a degree of style and comfort can chose from a variety of models, including the Volkswagen Jetta 1.8T wagon, the Subaru Legacy and Outback wagons and the Volvo V40. In addition, much cheaper small wagons such as the Subaru Impreza Outback Sport Wagon and the Ford Focus ZTW Wagon offer attractive alternatives.
Introduced in 1998, the Volvo V40 is a small, comfortable, well designed, feature-laden wagon that is a pleasure to drive and good on gas. In addition, it's a product of one of the world's most respected wagon makers and automotive safety leaders. On the downside, compared to the competition, it's underpowered, too small and overpriced.
Four years ago, it was one of the best small wagon offerings on the market, but that was four years ago. It's still a good car, but the competition has caught up as we discovered during a weekend when we used the V40 as transportation for a bicycle trip.
The V40's 1.9-liter four-cylinder turbocharged powerplant had no trouble whisking us down the freeway through rolling hills to our departure point. It's always better to use horsepower (160 in the V40's case) than leg power, and we found the V40 quite sprightly; it never left us wanting more kick.
Our test vehicle was equipped with a standard five-speed automatic tranny, which wrung the most out of the relatively small engine. The V40 does suffer some minor turbo lag during aggressive acceleration, but not enough to be truly bothersome. Besides, with the EPA estimate of a miserly 22 mpg city and 32 mpg highway, we realized it was too much to ask for blistering performance, as well. That said, however, the new Volkswagen Jetta 1.8T Wagon has similar fuel economy (22 mpg city and 29 mpg highway) and offers 20 more horses at 180. It's also about $4,000 less.
Though smaller and lighter than its Volvo brethren, the V40 possesses a European feel. Its power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering is a little too light and the standard 15-inch tires too small to qualify it as sporty, but the rear independent suspension and front MacPherson struts provide solid road feel. Combined with its immediate steering response and solid unibody construction, the V40 surprised us with its comfortable ride, sturdy feel and precise handling.
The pleasant surprises continued inside. The V40's standard equipment includes electronic climate control, remote keyless entry with alarm, cruise control, tilt steering, power windows and locks, power driver seat and heated power mirrors. Our test vehicle was equipped with the $650 Sport package that adds foglamps, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, cloth and leather upholstery, brushed aluminum accents on the dash and doors, and special white-faced instrument gauges.
Our V40 also included the Cold Weather package ($850), which is comprised of heated seats, Volvo's Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) and a headlight washer system. The bun warmers were especially welcome after we were chilled by a cold, autumnal shower.
Our hearts were likewise warmed by the V40's 100-watt seven-speaker single-disc in-dash CD player. An $800 option, it pumped out tunes with high-volume clarity whether we were cruising the city looking for coffee before our bike ride or zipping down the highway, slurping lattes with the sunroof fully open.
Though its level of comfort is pleasing, the VW Jetta 1.8T Wagon offers equal amounts of pampering for less money. And the V40 costs the same as the more luxurious, larger and more powerful VW Passat Wagon. Despite its comfort and fine ride, these are compelling arguments against the Volvo.
In terms of utility, the V40 provides 68.1 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded flat, which is marginally less than the Jetta and Subaru Legacy Outback wagon (they offer 70 cu.ft. and 69 cu.ft, respectively). To its credit, Volvo has made the space as functional as possible by adding a tensioning cargo belt — which works well to secure duffel bags and the like snugly and to prevent load-shifting during travel — as well as a cargo net for smaller items.
You could fit a bicycle in the rear, but it wouldn't leave much room for other gear. We used Volvo's optional ($49) roof-top bike rack, which was a snap to install and employ. Because the V40 is only 56 inches tall, it was easy to lift our bikes into place on the rack. And, if even 56 inches is too much for you, Volvo also offers a patented roof-top bike rack that uses a gas strut to lower and lift bikes to and from sidewalk level.
Still, removing cargo from the interior will not make the seating any more commodious. In this regard, the V40 is eclipsed by most of the competition. Though it is 4 inches longer than the Jetta, its head- and legroom are both less generous. It is also beaten by the Subaru Legacy and the Ford Focus wagons. Despite being thumped by the numbers, the V40's supportive seats don't make you want more room. It's equally comfy on short hauls and long jaunts.
The V40's most winning attribute is its long list of standard safety equipment, including dual front airbags; side-impact airbags; inflatable side curtains; anti-submarining seats; whiplash protection seating system (WHIPS); Volvo's patented side-impact protection system (SIPS); ABS; and an energy absorbing passenger cage.
This is one aspect of the V40 that its rivals can't touch. Most offer dual front airbags, side airbags, ABS and some form of traction control (the Subaru, of course, is all-wheel drive), but the Volvo is by far the most safety conscious. Whether or not this is worth its inflated price is up to you. Unfortunately, crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are not yet available to make an empirical comparison.
At nearly $28,000, the V40 is about $4,000 more than the Outback and the Jetta. There's little difference in features and fuel economy, yet the Volvo is a touch smaller and less powerful. The V40 is a nice car but it needs an update if it's going to compete. Until then, we recommend you look elsewhere.
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