See my blinged out AR here:

http://www.mjposner.com/allroad/webshot.jpg

Exactly. It’s really too bad a V70 T6 isn’t available, nor a V70 AWD (anymore). I’ve always preferred the look of the V70 over the XC70 as well as its lower ground clearance. I wanted to get a V70 AWD in 2006, but my wife is about a foot shorter than I am, and liked the height of the XC70, so that’s what we bought.

I’m still not sold on the look of the new V70/XC70. The rear is way too fussy for me: too many different angles and creases. Reminds me of the side of a Z4.

Everything I’ve read about the new XC70 is that the T6 is the only way to go for motivation. The wife will be up for a new car in a year or two and I’m hoping to put her in one of these.

V50 = 9-3
V70 = 9-5

These cars tend to be ones you appreciate more the longer you drive them.

That about sums it up and that’s exactly why I drive a Volvo over a Ford or Subaru.

Long-Term Report

We’ve had the car for one-year and 15,000 miles. We have had a few issues with trim pieces. All have been fixed, and sadly seem to be typical of first-year cars. We have not had any serious mechanical issues . . . yet. On a trip through New England last summer we averaged 23.8 mpg. Which is not that bad considering we had a full car, a roof box, and had the air conditioning running non-stop. A few traffic jams in Boston and Portsmouth, New Hampshire (seriously) brought down the average.

The xc70 is what it is. A comfortable family wagon that excels in foul weather. It has performed marvelously in the snow. And finally, the seats are exceptional

Comparisons

Before we bought this car, we tested a number of others.

The Subaru Outback is typically mentioned as a the closest competitor, but it is significantly smaller. Our Goldens could not fit in the back, and the rear seat was borderline mean. The Subaru definitely handled better, and the XT was fun. It should be noted that we took the Subaru on a two-hour test drive, and the seats left my back sore when I climbed out of the car. If we needed an around the town car, I would seriously consider the Subaru. Interior does not compare to the Volvo

The Ford Taurus X is also a worthy comparison, but the dealership experience was horrendous. The interior was not the same, although, the ride quality seemed on par. I might consider the Taurus X, but it is a step-down.

I always loved the Audi A4, but have yet to meet anyone that has had decent reliability, and friends have told me that it generally takes three trips to the dealer to resolve any problem: first trip to diagnose the problem, second trip a few weeks later after the dealer has ordered the part, and a third trip a few months later when the correct part arrives.

The BMW 5 series is a noticeable step above the xc70, and if I had a money tree in the backyard I would consider it. Similarly equipped 5 series wagons cost an additional $10 – $15k.

Final note, we have an older v70 which ties my old Honda Civic for reliability (knock on wood). We had a Honda Accord, which had a number of issues, including the requisite transmission failure at 100k miles as discussed elsewhere at TTAC). I would never recommend the Accord, or any Honda/Acura automatic.

XC70 vs. V70: I’d rather have a V70 T6, but none is offered. These cars are too heavy for the non-turbo six.

XC70 vs. Ford: IMHO, the interior is much nicer in the Volvos, and they feel like premium cars in a way Fords don’t.

XC70 4.4: the V8 is horrendously expensive. So Volvo will avoid offering it. Instead, they’ll push the T6.

Maybe I’ll look at the XC60 when it’s released.

“costs extra”

For day in/day out driving, Volvo seats are the best – just the right level of support and comfort. I tend to find the german seating a bit too stiff. Besides, Volvo has been a leader in whiplash protection with their WHIPS system.

“How awesome would a V8 sleeper wagon be? Oh wait, shame on me – V8s are for terrible earth-killing death mongers.”

Do you think there´s a market for another thirsty Volvo?
Not over here.

Blame it on the added weight and dumbed down styling.

Warranty.

On a European car, if it’s not new or CPO and you’re not good at wrenching, you’re taking an awful risk. Granted Volvo is better than Saab, but we’re talking degrees, here.

As to the XC vs other choices:
My wife drives an ‘07 XC70. The reasons to prefer it over a V70 are limited, but here are a few — slightly higher ground clearance that helps in the hilly area we are in; most of the ATMs and similar drive thrus are set pretty high and the few inches help; better turning radius. You also get about 70% of the benefit of an elevated ride height compared to an SUV with few of the negatives in terms of ride comfort and control.

In general, the V70/XC70 have great all-round visibility. These cars tend to be ones you appreciate more the longer you drive them.

Why an XC70 compared to the Flex and such? Well, the Flex is A LOT bigger. Our XC70 is just about perfect — plenty big on the inside, not too big on the outside. A darn good around town and distance vehicle.

The new XC70s They aren’t sprightly, have modest at best rear seat room (an apocalypse in the making if your spawn is north of toddlerdom) and don’t really get that great mileage. The T6 is rated 22 mpg highway which is truck-like.

Volvo really needs to decide what it wants to be.

I believe Ford uses the previous generation Volvo chassis for the Taurus X and Flex.

Maybe the Chinese can do something about the pricing since Ford missed the opportunity to build them here in the U.S.

How awesome would a V8 sleeper wagon be? Oh wait, shame on me – V8s are for terrible earth-killing death mongers.

I wonder why they didn’t decide to put the 4.4 in here? They wouldn’t even need the XC90!

I really like the styling on the XC70 – as mentioned, it’s much more cohesive than it’s predecessor even if it is trying to mock an SUV. Truth be told, the V70 ain’t bad looking either, but it smacks of bland where the XC has attitude. Props to Volvo though, for not being afraid to make a wagon look like a wagon. The minute you try to shove anything larger than a grocery bag in the back – you will thank them gratuitously.

However I imagine that the Volvo suffers the same dichotomy as Subaru. I own an ‘05 Outback XT with the 250hp turbo 4. It looks better than the Legacy wagon IMHO in the same vain that the XC looks better than the V70 (meaning the Leggy is still a decent looking car). My XT goes like snot (bonus for Subaru offering a man-u-row gearbox), but unfortunately expounds the disadvantage of ride height – it goes fast, but doesn’t dance. So the smart enthusiast choice lies in the slammed versions. Thus, I’m left a conflicted owner when I’m not stoplight racing.

That said, I’m one of those 6 people in the US who would salivate over a new V70R… which is exactly why we’ll never see it here again.

But GAWD… $46K? What a buzzkill. Volvo’s seats are mighty damn comfy (indeed, the standard of the industry IMHO), but not worth that much.