Having an 06 S40 T5, and reading the forms, it seems a 2.5" free flowing catback exhaust is the way to go. Magnaflow seems to be the top choice.
I asked a Meineke, and they said they could put a Volt muffler (from the company Supreme Performance) in for around $500 (dual of course). I believe it was also free flowing, for you could see right through the whole muffler on the rack. They did say though the muffler was designed for cars with four cylinders, (the s40 is 5) that shouldn't make much of a difference.

So I guess my questions are
1. Does the brand of muffler really matter?
2.How is that $500 price quote?
3. Should a muffler designed for 4 cylynders be ok for a turboed 5 cyn.?
4.Any opions on the company Supreme Performance?

Trying to get some unbiased opionions (:

Many thanks!

Brand is all about the Sound.

Not to sure about the price. Me I do mine myself. I paid $65.00 each for the Flowmasters on my stang and I installed them myself.

But I will bet yours will require welding.

Get a couple of more estimates before getting it done.

I took it to another meneike, and when the guy looked at it he strongly recommended that I didn't do anything to my exhaust, since it was all stainless steel, (and in his opinion a very nice system) and whatever he would put in there would rust away in five years and I would have to replace it again. Is he right or should take my t5 to a more proffesional auto mod place? If an auto mechanic is telling me not to do somthing then that must really mean somthing.

Try another place but not Meneike.

Try another tyoe of exhaust shop.

Try a real LOCAL exhaust shop.

I suggest you get a 3" mandrel bent downpipe to a 2.5" mandrel bent catabck exhaust system with a Magnaflow muffler.