New Car Review of the 2005 Volvo V70 Near-Luxury Mid-Size Station Wagon

Description: Near-Luxury Mid-Size Station Wagon
Base MSRP Range: not available
Invoice Price Range: not available
Where built: Sweden

Volvo's mid-size estate wagons include V70 2.4, 2.5T, 2.5T AWD and T5 variants, along with the V70 R performance wagon. A flexible cabin design makes room for up to seven riders plus cargo. Posh appointments mark the cabin, with power-operated controls and a high caliber of equipment in the mode of European touring sedans.

Entry comes with the V70 2.4 packing a 2.4-liter in-line-five rated at 165-hp and tied to a manual 5-speed or optional 5-speed electronic automatic. The front-wheel-drive (FWD) V70 2.5T brings a more powerful 2.5-liter light-pressure turbo five for 208-hp through a 5-speed automatic with Geartronic shifting -- the same plant that works on V70 2.5T AWD model. And a FWD V70 T5 stocks a 2.3-liter five high-pressure turbo with output boosted in 2005 to 257-hp with either the 5-speed Geartronic automatic or a manual 5-speed.

However, the quickest Volvo wagon has to be the V70 R. It has the 2.5-liter 5-cylinder engine primed with turbo-charger and twin inter-coolers to turn out 300-hp. A 6-speed close-ratio manual or 5-speed Geartronic automatic go to the R car, which also stocks Volvo's FOUR-C suspension controller and huge disc brakes by Brembo.