2004 Volvo V70 New Car Buyer's Guide

What's New for the 2004 Volvo V70?
This year's big news pertains to the Volvo V70 R, a 300-horsepower, all-wheel-drive sport wagon built to take on the Audi S4 Avant and the Saab 9-5 Aero. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard. The optional five-speed Geartronic automatic can be manually shifted if the driver desires. The V70 R also includes an active chassis system called Four-C, which employs four electronically regulated shock absorbers that vary dampening according to vehicle speed and road surface conditions. In other Volvo V70 news, the 2.4-liter light-pressure turbo engine is replaced by a larger 2.5-liter unit cranking out 208 horsepower, a new ZF rack-and-pinion steering unit is added for increased responsiveness, chrome instrumentation rings have been added to the gauge cluster and bi-Xenon headlights are optional.

Advantages of the 2004 Volvo V70:

• Awe-inspiring performance from the Volvo V70 R
• Comfortable front seats
• Long list of standard safety equipment
• Available all-wheel-drive

Objections to the 2004 Volvo V70:

• Limited rear seat room
• Slightly downmarket interior materials
• With exception of Volvo V70 R, it lacks ability to match German rivals in terms of luxury and performance
• Easy to bonk head when leaning into cargo area to unload

Editor's Advice:
To our eyes, the 2004 Volvo V70 is one of the most attractive luxury-sport wagons on the road. However, it lacks the dynamic refinement and performance of true luxury vehicles, continuing to rely instead on its extensive safety engineering as the primary selling point. The Volvo V70 R is a bona fide sports wagon, undercutting its primary competition on price to create a strong bang-for-the-buck equation.