Moderately sportier variant on the t5, but slower due to the additional
weight of AWD. Also, was only available as a 4 speed automatic.
Unfortunately, not as sporty due to the automatic, but the tranny is
reliable, so far. Seating is a mix of Volvo's typical High grade leather
with Alcantra. This seating is ultimately the most comfortable option
available from those years. Handling is a touch crisper for the R
package, but by no means sporty. Turbo does have a degree of lag to
it, so you definitely notice it when it winds up. Also, Turbo is relatively
large, so it's not pushing itself very hard. In general a good car for
someone looking for something with a bit more identity than your run
of the mill V70. Note, this vehicle is not cheap to repair, not BMW bad,
but very pricey. Also, while the gas mileage is better than a full size
SUV, the premium requirement for the fuel makes every trip to gas up
rather uncomfortable. As I'm sure many other Volvo lovers can say, I
have a very love-hate relationship with my car.