Cars are rated one (forget it) to four ('bout as good as it gets) James Deans

 Specifications

• Style: sedan
• Engine: 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder
• Transmission: six-speed manual
• Drivetrain: all-wheel drive
• Horsepower: 300hp @ 5,500 rpm
• Torque: 295 ft-lbs. @ 1,950-5,250 rpm
• EPA mileage: 18 city/25 highway
• Weight: 3,693 lb.
• Base price: $36,875
• Price as tested: $40,205

A full understanding of this review, and this car, can only be accomplished if you know the meaning of the term "haul buggy."

"Haul buggy" harkens back a few years, having morphed with the introduction of rap lyrics into a phrase we are reluctant to assault your senses with. Let's just say the new version refers to part of the anatomy. We mature adults prefer "haul buggy" anyhow.

Basically, the term defines vehicle acceleration capabilities in graphic rather than numerical terms. The latter might be written as "0 to 60 in under six seconds." You've got to do mental calculations to understand that.

Those of us who do not dwell in the era of sophomore math prefer to say the 2004 Volvo S60R hauls buggy.

In other words, it gets up and goes.

While most Volvos look good but are boring to drive, the Volvo S60R is a perpetual flirt, begging to be used and abused. It rips you to illegal speeds in a few seconds, corners at your desired g force and stops faster than the truck/car/sport ute/minivan tailgating you.

It has every safety feature known, is comfortable for long journeys, gets reasonably decent fuel efficiency from its turbocharged five-cylinder, has a slick six-speed manual transmission, and, yes, got looks and thumbs-up from knowledgeable young folks in their hunkered-down Hondas with the coffee-can exhaust tip.

This Volvo was a "keeper". I reluctantly turned it over when the week was up.

Now, 300 horsepower from a 2.5-liter engine is quite a trick. And it would overwhelm a front-wheel drive car, spin rear tires furiously on a rear-driver. But with Volvo's all-wheel drive setup, the S60R blasted a straight line no matter the weather or road condition. For anyone spending much time on slick roads, all-wheel drive is worth the increased cost and slightly lower fuel efficiency. It's a life-saver.

Volvo's setup, however, takes all-wheel drive to another level altogether.

A Dynamic Stability Control setup works with all four driving wheels and a three-choice suspension setup to get the S60R through a corner at insane speed. It makes super-quick corrections for oversteer or understeer, directing power to the wheel that will most efficiently do what the driver wants.

I'd call it overkill for my driving use, but anyone with performance aspirations will appreciate what this sedan can do.

If you really honk it, you'll appreciate what Volvo dubs the Four-C. These are computerized controls for four ways a car can move. The Four-C technology collects continuous information on the movement of the car, and adjusts the dampening of the shock absorbers extremely quickly. The system then instantly adjusts the damping on the shock absorbers. How quickly? It samples 500 times per second, updating the setting on each shock absorber on the basis of the car's speed, the movement of the wheels and chassis, and the position of the steering wheel.

There are three buttons on the dash -- comfort, sport and advanced. Sport is the default, providing a firm but not harsh ride. Comfort smoothes out the bumps. And advanced turns the S60R into a race car, where a driver will feel each pavement ripple. I was comfortable leaving the S60R on sport most of the time.

You'll know this is not Olaf's Volvo as soon as you open the door.

There are beautiful leather seats that you don't slide into; you drop into them. They have impressive side and lateral wings that cradle a driver. Snap on that seat belt restraint and you are ready to roll. The seats are of a special anti-submarine design and the head restraints are among the safest in any vehicle.

The rear seats can be split in a 40/20/40 fashion, making it easy to carry skis, for instance, or fold 'em all flat to increase storage capacity.

The six-speed manual transmission has a top gear that lowers rpm at interstate speed, but note that the first two gears can quickly pass most legal speed limits. The clutch is heavy and you'll shift into neutral at stoplights. That clutch also engages quickly, so be prepared for some jerks before you adapt.

Braking is just incredibly strong, thanks to big Brembos (almost 13 inches) and an anti-lock braking system. There is NO fade after repeated hard stops.

In front of the driver are instruments done in a jewel-blue finish, which Volvo says was inspired by chronograph watches. Other carmakers have said the same, but Volvo took these analog beautifies to the next level.

The interior is filled with safety features, most invisible. There are the usual front air bags, side air bags and a head curtain that covers both front and rear seat occupants. The entire Volvo has a safety cage construction, and Volvo has earned most of its international reputation by building vehicles known for their safety.

Also contributing to safety, in my view, are the superb bi-Xenon high-intensity headlights. These babies provide a clean, crisp, daylight-type light and were better than those in any recently tested vehicle. As overkill for where I live, the headlights have little washers.

Pop the hood and behold the five-cylinder and its turbocharger. The turbo boost begins early -- at 1,950 rpm you've got 295 ft-lbs of torque launching you. Rpm builds quickly and shifts are quick and sure.

Zero to 60 is a show-stopping 5.5 seconds. Top speed is, believe it, 155 miles an hour.

Much to Volvo's credit -- and the shame of other automakers -- is the fact that Volvo coats its radiators with Premair, a patented substance that actually takes ozone out of the air it moves through and creates oxygen! Yes, it's a miracle. But it works, and if every automaker did this think how much cleaner our city/country air would be.

Our tester had some options to boost price. Metallic paint was $450. A moonroof was $1,200. And 18-inch alloy wheels with 235/40ZR tires added $685. While good looking, to be sure, the wheels and tires contributed to a huge 42-foot turning radius, making this sedan more like a bus to maneuver in tight places. I never adjusted in a week of driving and kept overshooting parking spaces, having to back up, etc.

If you want to know every standard feature on a 2004 Volvo S60R, then visit a Volvo dealer. The thing is loaded and you can easily walk away without a moonroof or special paint at way under $40,000. There are more impressive performance sedans, but there are none at this price. The S60R is a limited-production car, by the way, so you might not be able to walk into a showroom and drive off with one. In fact, Canada's allotment was sold before the first one reached the showroom.

It's the safest bargain hot rod money can buy. Lordy, it hauls buggy.

'nuff said.

Home, James