02:00 PM PST on Friday, March 3, 2006

By TOM VOELK / Special contributor to NWCN.com

Volvo is all about safety. They’re all about wagons too. This Swedish icon graces the driveways of minivan eschewing upper middle-class families throughout the world. Here in the states, they’ve dominated the station wagon market for years.

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Besides looking like a piece of modern Scandinavian sculpture, this Volvo has moves on the road.

Perhaps that’s because American manufactures all but abandoned this body style during the 90’s to concentrate on SUVs. Europeans on the other hand, have embraced wagons because of their great utility and better fuel economy. Ironic, huh? The station wagon, once an American family icon is now a Euro standard.

Pardon me while I jump up on my soapbox for a moment. While my role is supposed to be that of an impartial automotive observer, I’ve seen too many families driving hulking SUVs when something like a station wagon would make them much happier. Maybe the wagon carries too much baggage of the emotional kind. Does it remind baby boomers of dad’s car? Could be. Why is that a bad thing? I don’t know. I’m not a psychiatrist, I only review cars.

If it makes you feel better Volvo calls this a sport wagon. Whatever. The V50 is not a “dad car”, especially when it wears T5 and AWD badges. Besides looking like a piece of modern Scandinavian sculpture, it has moves on the road. Volvo is hoping you’ll stop by one of their stores should you be shopping for an Audi A4 or BMW 3 Series (both available as wagons).

The 2.5 liter turbocharged 5-cylinder engine (yes, 5-cylinder), makes 218 horsepower. All four tires put power to the pavement. I’m driving the optional 5-speed automatic transmission with “Auto Stick” function (that means you can shift manually). A 6-speed manual with light shift action is the standard tranny.

Take a spin around the block and you’ll find it can be a quick one. I saw 0-60 come up in around 7 seconds. That’ll get the kids to Little League right quick. While the engine, with its Continuously Variable Valve Timing doesn’t feel torque rich right off the line, speed builds once the tach hits around 2,000 RPM. It doesn’t feel like turbo lag though. It’s a more subtle steady build.

With all-wheel drive bolted onto the stiff chassis, the V50 is fun to attack corners in. This surprises some folks who think this brand is stodgy. Fact is, the engineers at Volvo know the safest car is the one that avoids an accident in the first place. It’s not quite as telepathic as a 3 Series BMW but it’s certainly better than a SUV, even a compact one.

Threading through city traffic is enjoyable sport in a V50. All-wheel drive gives a driver that subtle sense of security, especially in sloppy and snowy weather (obviously this car is not for off-roading).

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Inside, the modern Scandinavian style dash sports an ultra-thin center control panel.

Inside, the modern Scandinavian style dash sports an ultra-thin center control panel. The stereo and climate controls are mounted on this inch-thin brushed metal console that flows down from the dash to the area where the shifter is located. Behind it is a space for a small purse (or in my case, leftover Chinese food from last night). Looking like a Bang and Olufsen piece, it’s a great idea that surprisingly hasn’t been copied by anyone else.

Controls are intuitive and easy to learn though many of the buttons and the screen on the stylish panel are on the small side. You can easily change settings, such as whether or not the car doors lock as you drive away. Thanks, Volvo.

Many buyers are drawn to Volvo’s legendary safety features. The V50 doesn’t disappoint. With an arsenal of airbags, crumple zones front and rear plus a reinforced roof structure, this wagon is a good place to be if you find yourself in a bad situation. Go to Volvo’s website to get the full story. Before you do, I’ll point out that I’m a big fan of their anti-whiplash seat design since in reality, most accidents are low-speed affairs.

I’ll assume that the safety reinforcements have something to do with the very thick B pillar (the one just over your shoulder). This substantial piece blocks my view a bit as I check the blind spot.

Other than the space behind the console, storage cubbies are small. The door pockets will hold two, maybe three Cliff bars. The center console is tiny. The rear seat has belts for three but really just room for two adults of average size. Legroom is average for this size of car.

Being a wagon, you would expect the rear seats to split and fold. They do. The front passenger seatback also folds flat for hauling long items such as ladders. For maximum hauling and a flat load floor, the rear seat cushions that stick up have to be removed. So does the bulky retractable cargo cover with a long narrow storage bin built into it.

Running down to Costco to fill the trunk with toilet paper, I find the rear will hold eight jumbo packs. Pretty good considering compact sport utes like Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage hold 7. Ford Escape swallows 10. While these utes average 17-19 miles to the gallon, I saw 23 MPG with the V50 using required premium fuel.

That brings us to price. My tester’s Monroney (or sticker price) reads $33,400. Want a sunroof, satellite navigation or leather interior? Prepare to fork out more cash. Go nuts and a buyer can cross the $40,000 mark. Surprisingly, electronic stability control is a $695 option. I would expect safety-driven Volvo to make it standard equipment. While I like the neoprene-like T-Tec seat fabric, from a marketing stand point, buyers expect leather at this price point.

Other gripes? There’s not much room for my size 11 feet to work the pedals. My shoes often clip the brake pedal as I move off of the accelerator. There’s no iPod input for the stereo. No satellite radio option either. Finally, to recline the front seatbacks, a small knob on the seat base has to be turned. And turned. And turned…

I understand that wagons won’t outnumber SUVs anytime soon. American drivers have come to enjoy the ride height and perceived safety advantages of sport utilities. Some families need to pull boats and trailers too. But for those who don’t, wagons are a great alternative.

This may be the smallest Volvo but it still has good looks, great performance, decent fuel economy and solid utility. Heck, the “V” in V50 stands for versatile. That it is. It might be on the pricey side, but this Volvo is a safe choice for small families looking to get to the kid’s soccer games just a little bit quicker.