Hi,

We are close to buying a new V70. My wife would prefer the 2.4T because of the slightly softer suspension. We test-drove it and it performed fine. I wonder though if anyone can comment on the performance when it is full of passangers and luggage. We will be going on road trips with the family. Are we going to feel a significant slow down? The '01 XC is also the lightly-charged 2.4T engine and Volvo certainly advertises it as a "hauller". Any personal experiences?

Thanks,

Avi

Consider that the engine has 210 ft/ilb torque (the high pressure

turbo models had 220 up to 98) and I think it is going to perform

fine. We have a normally aspirated 95 wagon and use it all the

time for family trips (even though I have a 98 S70 T5). It keeps

up with traffic OK. A light pressure turbo should more then keep

up. When we do take my T5 it hardly even "feels" the extra load and

it just flattens out uphill roads. The light pressure turbo is not

really all that much less powerful then T5s so I think you should

be fine.

In the past the GLT models (basically now called the 2.4T) had the

same suspension as the T5s (but a T5 could be had with a sport

suspension). I would think the ride would be similar and any

differences might just be the tire characteristics (easily changed

if you do want the T5).

As far as experience, I drove an S60 with the 2.4T this weekend

at a Volvo promotion here in the Bay Area. It was qquite fast.

Also drove the base model and the T5. They had 3 tracks setup:

braking, handling, speed. The speed track was to see how fast

you could get through the track. They used 2.4Ts for this track.

With myself and a co-driver (instructor) I found the car had

plenty of power. I've probably never driven faster (but mostly

because of the instructor yelling "full power, full power, brake,

brake, full power, full power, abs, abs". People were thrashing

the cars all day long and they just took it (brake torque launches

and setting off the ABS on every lap). Pretty impressive.

Ray, you lucky stiff!

How does one find out about such events? I'm in the east bay, and didn't hear anything about that promo. Guess I'm gonna have to be more observant!

BD

I got something in the mail on this.

Odd thing is the parking lot of participants had very few

Volvos in it. I think they were targeting non-Volvo owners.

The basic theme was: Volvo is selling fast, sporty sedans.

They really want to shed the stodgy boxy image (almost to the

point where I think Volvo marketing has a complex about this).

As an example, they did not have anything setup where you could

drive the car at normal speed to get an idea of how it handled

daily driving chores. Every event was to push the car to the

edge.

The 0 to 60 to 0 mph race against a BMW 328 was interesting

(they had a 330 also but did'nt use that). BMW beat the S60

T5 off the line but the T5 soon passed then could brake

before the BMW hit 60 (I assume the ride along passengers

selected from the audiance made sure they hit 60 before

braking). Obviously, the T5 won the contest. And no, they

would not let anyone try the BMWs on the course.

Best quote of the day from a pro driver who was taking me around

a handling course (to show just how fast a T5 can be driven):

"Frankly, the engine is over-powering these tires a bit." What

T5 owner would not concur with that?