From the September 2004 issue of Car and Driver.
The Volvo V50 wagon pictured here replaces the V40 model that was launched in 1999 and is the wagon equivalent of the S40 sedan. Got that?
This latest iteration of Volvo’s smallest wagon is now available in three trim levels. The naturally aspirated 168-hp front-drive V50 2.4i starts at $26,345, the turbocharged front-drive T5 model ups the base price to $27,945, and the top-of-the-line T5 AWD you see here adds the four-wheel factor to the same turbo motor and starts at $30,795.
Maybe the folks at Volvo subscribe to C/D, because they’ve corrected many of our complaints about the V40. The V50 is now available with more power, the Haldex electronically controlled all-wheel drive available on other Volvos, and a previously unavailable manual transmission-the six-speed borrowed from the S60R.
For our evaluation, Volvo supplied us with very nearly our favorite model, the turbocharged T5 with all-wheel drive. The only additional option we’d like is the six-speed manual transmission that won’t be available until early December.
This $34,715 V50 T5 AWD came well loaded, but it did not have a sunroof ($1200) or navigation system ($2120). It was actually an early-production European version and had the optional “keyless drive” system that is becoming popular on many luxury brands. Although it was on the car tested here, keyless drive won’t be available until model-year ’06. Consequently, we didn’t include the estimated cost of that option-about $500-in our specifications panel.
The 2.5-liter turbocharged engine makes 218 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque (48 and 59 more than the V40, respectively). Even with all this power, turbo lag is virtually nonexistent, noticeable only when lightly modulating the throttle from a standstill.
Mash the throttle, however, and the V50 blasts to 60 in 6.9 seconds and passes through the quarter-mile in 15.2 seconds at 93 mph. Our Euro-spec model continued up to an unrestricted 141 mph, although Volvo suggests that it will limit the straight-line fun to 130 mph on U.S.-spec cars.
Gaining nearly 500 pounds in the process of changing names, the V50’s acceleration times are still a huge improvement over the V40’s: 8.3 seconds to 60 and 16.4 seconds at 85 mph in the quarter-mile.
The V50’s straight-line performance is also good enough to walk away from the Audi A4 Avant 3.0 Quattro and the BMW 325xi wagon but not quite enough to run with the new Subaru Impreza WRX-based Saab 9-2X Aero.
The Volvo’s steering is nicely weighted and is combined with a properly chosen ratio that doesn’t demand constant correction on the highway and also doesn’t make the driver turn the wheel too far for cornering. Although the V50 sends 100 percent of its power to the front wheels until slip is detected, torque steer is surprisingly absent.
We had a sneak peek some months back at the V50’s new chassis in Mazda 3 guise, so we weren’t surprised to find it well balanced. It never felt too harsh driving around Michigan’s frustratingly pocked roads, yet it didn’t just lean over and give up when lateral grip began to rise.
Wearing optional 17-inch wheels and W-rated Continental SportContact 2 tires, the V50 pulled an impressive 0.85 g, again bettering the performance of the sporting wagons from Audi and BMW, and only 0.01 g shy of the Saab’s performance.
Registering another significant increase in performance, the standard anti-lock brakes brought the V50 to rest in 163 feet from 70 mph, 28 fewer feet than its predecessor. It outperformed the aforementioned Audi (180 feet), BMW (174 feet), and Saab (171 feet).
Toss this V50 into a four-wheel drift on your favorite off-ramp, and the stability control doesn’t activate while you’re at play. However, if you do something rash, like suddenly get off the throttle in mid-drift, the rear end will start to come around, at which point the stability control steps in and brings you back to reality. This is the kind of strategy we appreciate in stability control. It’s well executed in the new V50, well worth the $695 option price, and very fitting with Volvo’s safety image.
The standard automatic, a five-speed Geartronic, worked well under most conditions, generally choosing the gear we expected and only getting confused a couple of times. For example, execute a wide-open throttle launch, let’s say, and then once you’re up to 40 mph, ease off to maintain that speed. Do that, and the Geartronic will execute two upshifts. After the first, oddly enough, there is a half-second delay during which you get engine braking; this upsets the car–and the driver.
The transmission is outfitted with the typical manumatic control, which we often criticize for overriding the driver when the redline is approached or when slowing to a stop, among other things. However, this system actually lets the driver have significant control. Dying to heat up that transmission? How about a few third-gear launches? Or just cruise at the smooth electronic-throttle-controlled redline in the gear of your choice—it’s up to you.
Inside and out, the V50 really looks terrific. A high priority for this wagon was style, and we think the company has succeeded. The exterior is unmistakably Volvo, benefiting from some familiar design cues. The wagon shape is sufficiently rounded off to make it pleasing to the eye as well as to the air passing over it, registering a 0.32 drag coefficient.
The interior is also easy on the eyes. The dash is simple yet elegant, with two large, easy-to-read gauges. The trick, super-slim, free-floating center stack adds to the stylish look and is very functional. On it there are four large knobs. The two at the top are for the stereo, and the bottom two are for the climate control. Give the top-left knob a large clockwise twist for a sample of the excellent 11-speaker, 445-watt optional sound system that has enough adjustability and volume to satisfy music tastes of young and old alike. Our stereo did develop a bad habit of forgetting our radio presets once in a while, but we feel certain this is a preproduction glitch that will be sorted out before you see V50s at your local dealership by the time you read this.
In the center of the stack is a four-way rocker pad that lets you scroll through various menus. It was easy to use, and we weren’t forced to resort to the owner’s manual. Soon we were tweaking deeply buried preferences, such as independent audio settings for the front and rear speakers and interior and exterior lighting strategies for approaching or departing the V50 with the “keyless drive” fob in our pocket.
The V50 offers the usual desirable flexibility of a wagon that we appreciate. With the rear seats in people-carrying form, the cargo area is good for hauling 27 cubic feet of whatever burdens you; fold those seats down and the number rises to 63 cubes. For comparison, that’s about the same as the A4 Avant (31 and 64 cubic feet) and the 9-2X (28 and 62).
The rear seating area provides midpack room in the segment. The seats are reasonably comfortable for average-size people. This is still a small wagon, however, and if you pack a couple of six-footers back there, they’ll begin whimpering, “Are we there yet?” in short order.
On the other hand, the front seats are typical of a Volvo: extremely adjustable to accommodate nearly any size driver and comfortable on long grinds. Once you’ve found that perfect seating position, the steering wheel can adjust to match, employing its tilting and telescoping features to accommodate drivers who border on the freakishly tall (no one we know).
Volvo says the V50 is targeted at folks with a “large capacity for life.” With the large gain in performance, the handsome looks, and available all-wheel drive, along with a six-speed manual, we think Volvo has a good chance of locating at least 6500 of these people each year.
COUNTERPOINT
Miki, my 62-pound Vizsla, likes the front passenger seat, so my affection for small, sporty station wagons isn’t based on the need to haul a dog crate. By selecting the V50 wagon, you accept a 70-pound weight increase over the S40 sedan in exchange for roughly twice the carrying capacity, without compromising the sedan’s eager performance, quick reflexes, or stylish interior. In fact, from the outside, the wagon shows off Volvo’s flowing lines better than the sedan does. With its sense of great solidity and upmarket demeanor, this V50 should be a strong entry in the burgeoning sporty small-wagon class and is worthy of consideration by even the most avid wagon haters. —Csaba Csere
Based on the charisma-less Mitsubishi Carisma, Volvo’s V40 wagon never felt like a true Volvo. Aside from the throne-like seats, there just wasn’t much that was authentic. I’m happy to report that the V50, based on second-generation Ford Focus architecture, has all the latest Volvo traits—simple and futuristic interior design, a thick-waisted and modern exterior, seats that you wish you had in your office, and a punchy five-cylinder turbo. To this formula Volvo adds a perfectly tuned chassis that conceals road blemishes while providing predictable and spirited handling. The result is the most surprising Swedish export since the sex change. —Tony Quiroga
As a 30-year-old single guy, I usually don’t fantasize about driving wagons. When I play the “what car would I buy if I had to buy one” game, I conjure up images of S2000s and RX-8s—sporty, quick, and fun cars that are relatively affordable. After driving the V50, I began to fantasize about my first Swede since Vendela. Was something wrong with me? The answer was “no.” The V50, too, is sporty, quick, and fun; yet it’s also stylishly handsome and delivers loads of cargo space for fishing rods, ice chests, whatever. Build an all-wheel-drive, manual-tranny T5, Volvo, and the V50 could top Vendela. Oh, wait, Vendela is always on top. —Ron Kiino
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Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com
