We bought a v70 2.4T with geartronic last week--2002. They had 2002s available but all were fully loaded. On the other hand, they had a labor day sale of 5001 below MSRP, which took care of the undesired options we had to buy and still left us below the dealer invoice. I think Volvo was trying to unload its 2002 stock to get ready for 2003 models.

Do we like it? Yes, it will serve its purpose very well. Would I rather drive it than my tuned Jetta 1.8T? Of course not. It has a big, mushy family car ride and a luxury feel, which are not bad things for hauling kids.

We bought it because we hate minivans and wanted a station wagon that can carry more than 5 people. Other than minivans, the Taurus (ugh) and much more expensive vehicles (Mercedes, for example) we could not find a good alternative. If we could have been content with seating for 5 we would have gone with a Passat probably, maybe an Audi, even some stripped down BMWs could compete. But for hauling up to 7 people in safety this is the best alternative. Would we have bought it if we did not need that third seat? No. I think it is a bit overpriced compared with the competition.

I would not recommend the 2.4. The 2.4T has just enough power--less would feel sluggish to me. That could be personal preference, admittedly, but for safety sake I like to be able to pass quickly and not have to stay in the passing lane for longer than necessary.

In sum, a great car for the right purpose--which is hauling a family as safely as possible. I would not recommend it to a fan of German touring cars or a driving enthusiast.