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2005 Volvo V50 T5 AWD Road Test

All Wagon Drive

Once again, Volvo asks the question, why would you want to buy a minivan? And as it has done for the better part of a half century, the Swedish automaker answers with a functional and fun station wagon.

The 2005 V50 is the brands entry-level wagon in a stable bursting with exceptional family haulers, including the V70 and the XC70.

Launched in conjunction with the all new S40 entry-level sedan, the new V50

Volvo asks the question, why would you want to buy a minivan? (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

shares many engineering, design and performance attributes.

Both models come with two five-cylinder engine choices -- a standard 2.4-liter producing 168 horsepower and 166 lb-ft of

Volvo has provided AWD as standard or optional equipment on every 2005 vehicle it produces. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

torque, and a 2.5-liter turbocharged powerplant pumping out a respectable 218 horses and 236 lb-ft of torque. Both engines come with either a manual gearbox, a five-speed with the base model and a six-speed with the turbo engine, or a five-speed automatic transmission with manual mode.

In

Big 17-inch rubber on race-inspired rims help with the grip, and the brakes were always there when I needed them. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

response to growing demand for all-wheel-drive vehicles, Volvo has provided AWD as standard or optional equipment on every 2005 vehicle it produces. To date since 2004, 58 percent of all new vehicles sold by the automaker in Canada were ordered with AWD.

The V50s all-wheel-drive system is available only with the turbo engine package (dubbed T5), and when combined makes a formidable winter-driving

The list of features is too long and technical to list here, but suffice to say Volvos reputation as a builder of safe cars is still solidly intact. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

package.

My tester was the top of the line T5 with AWD, and save for a few niggling things -- A-pillar blindspots and a snug back seat for adults 6-feet and taller -- I cant say Ive driven a more enjoyable, functional or performance-oriented midsize station wagon.

The turbo produces a big, though refined punch, and the traction and control afforded by the AWD system convey a very stable platform in all driving conditions. Big 17-inch rubber on race-inspired rims help with the grip, and the brakes were

The elegant center control that looks like it was stolen from a Scandinavian sculpture exhibit. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

always there when I needed them. Those big wheels added to the sporty look of my test V50, a far cry from the proverbial loaf-of-bread design that for years typified the Volvo wagon.

Another telling hallmark from Volvos earlier years remains, however, as the V50 boasts an industry-leading commitment to safety. The list of features is too long and technical to list here, but suffice to say Volvos reputation as a builder of safe cars is still solidly intact.

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