Now, it’s cool to drive a wagon
The premium small to mid-size sedan/wagon segment is one of the hottest automotive trends today that includes such impressive vehicles as the Audi A4 Avant, BMW 325xi, Mercedes-Benz C class, Jaguar X-Type and the all-new Volvo V50, which replaces the V40 as Volvo’s sport wagon.
The first thing you’ll notice about the V50 is its eye-catching, bold styling. Although not as much of a styling statement as, say, the Dodge Magnum, I noticed almost universal interest to its avant-garde styling.

At Ace Hardware, the V50 brought plenty of stares and a few inquires from drivers of large SUVs running weekend errands. An attractive thirty-something woman in a Toyota Sequoia seemed most interested in room and gas mileage. At a stoplight, a group of touring-type bikers in flamboyant, colorful garb asked if there was enough room to transport their bikes. Even at the AAA office, similar positive comments came from co-workers about the newest wagon from Volvo. People ultimately liked the looks of this car and were interested in knowing more about it.

V50 is being offered as a wagon only and available in two trim levels: base 2.4i ($25,660) and the sportier T5 ($27,260). The T5 is also available in an all-wheel-drive version ($28,910). Engines are specific to each model with the base 2.4i getting a 168-horsepower, 2.4-liter five-cylinder and the T5 an upgraded 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder that produces 218 horsepower. The 2.4i model comes standard with a five-speed automatic transmission. The T5 features a standard six-speed manual shifter with the five-speed automatic offered as a $1,200 option.

For our test car, Volvo furnished the top-of-the-line T5 with all-wheel-drive and automatic transmission. Engine performance was excellent and the five-speed automatic shifts smoothly and is simple to use in its manual-shift mode. There is plenty of power for highway passing or entrance ramp merging on the interstate.

With V50’s all-wheel-drive comes equipped with the sport suspension. The ride could be too stiff for some, but I liked the feel and found the handling to be precise and responsive with minimal body lean on curves and corners. The V50 feels solid and well-built, plus is fun to drive. Braking performance was excellent. A small turning circle made the V50 a snap to maneuver and easy to park.

Inside, the front seats have adequate room and a tilt-telescopic steering wheel. The standard eight-way power seat allows almost any size driver to find a comfortable position. The rear seat has adequate headroom, but adults will find the legroom tight.

Because the V50 is wider than the V40, there is more cargo space with the rear seats folded. But folding these seats is less than user-friendly. You have to pull up the rear-seat bottoms, then detach the rear headrests in order to fold the seatbacks flat. The removed headrests store in slots in the tilted-forward seat bottoms. Also, there’s a large cargo cover with a narrow storage tray in the top that can hold small items. It’s handy, but the cargo cover is tricky to remove and replace.

Like all Volvos, the seats are comfortable and supportive. I kept looking for the heated seat switch, but discovered that they are optional and weren’t included on our tester. At this level, heated seats should be standard equipment.

The most striking feature of the V50 is the dash with its unique floating center console stack. Resembling a thin plasma screen, it only has four knobs, two each for the audio system, plus fan and temperature. A small, apricot-colored LCD screen displays audio and climate information. There’s also an open area for storage behind the console.

The climate control operation displays an icon of the driver with arrows to easily indicate the direction of airflow. If only BMW was as user-friendly.

As is with all Volvos, the V50 is replete with safety features. The front structure features multi-grade levels of steel for maximum protection to the vehicle’s occupants. Side-impact for front passengers and side-curtain airbags for front and rear occupants are standard. A whiplash-protection seating system guards occupants from neck injury in the event of a rear-impact collision. Traction control is standard with stability control optional on both models. Two booster seats, integrated into the rear seat are also optional. The V50 has not been crash tested as of this writing.

Unlike the stodgy station wagons of the past, newer sportier models like the V50 are more versatile, fun to drive and, overall, perform better than bulky SUVs. V50 provides the right combination of comfort, performance, styling, spacious accommodations and safety and fuel economy to make it a winner. If you’re in the market for a small to mid-size SUV or wagon, the stylish V50 deserves to be on your shopping list.