Mine was a 5 sp manual, and compared to the 1999 T5 V70 that I kept, the 2001 redesign feels very "isolated" and to me felt less responsive. But head to head these cars were objectively the same. The 2001 just felt less responsive...but it was/is the same. The best way i can put it....the 2001 was a passengers car and more comfy for riders, and the 1994 to 2000 turbos are drivers cars. The 2006 V50 T5 felt like a drivers' car too....but I opted for a jetta as a small buggy. The V50's felt nice, but for the money there were too many crappy details on the interior carpeting/floor (can't imagine spending $30,000 for a car that looks like design and manufacturing was never completed), and the marketing idiots at volvo wanna force an awd unit down your throat if you wanna T5 stick.