ROAD TEST: VOLVO S40

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By Tara Weingarten

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Who says luxury doesn't come cheap? Certainly not Volvo. The new $25,000 S40 is urbane, with exterior design cues yanked from the company's top-tier S80, and sleek interior aluminum accents. Darting through freeway traffic, I was surprised at how substantial the S40 felt, more solid than similarly priced cars. What a far cry from Volvo's previous S40, which struck me as budget not only in design but also in performance. As for safety, Volvo owns the category, with loads of crumple zones to help absorb crash energy and ample use of high-strength steel, for high-speed collisions. There's also an army of airbags, front, back and side.

Inside the cabin is roomier and taller, and I love the modern upholstery fabric on seating inspired by sportswear and high-performance luggage. Forget leather, Volvo's so-called T-Tec fabric did a great job keeping me warm on chilly mornings and cool as the day warmed up. My test car's optional heated seats worked quickly and were as cozy as an electric blanket. And interior air quality gets a boost from a standard-equipped pollen filter. With so many foul weather accouterments, it's an ideal car for a nasty winter.

Tip: The T5 model's turbocharger shaves two seconds off the S40's 0-60 time.

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