Kiplinger.com (Enlarge photo)

05/11/2008 01:49. By Frederic Fane Wolfer, Kiplinger's Personal Finance

Cargo space: 20.3 cu. ft.

Highs: Spiffy interior; family-friendly features and space; first-rate safety.

Lows: Pricier and less fuel-efficient than the V70; not what you’d call entertaining to drive.

Volvo makes a nice station wagon. But station wagons are, well, dull. They’re utilitarian. They’re unfashionable. Crossover SUVs are where it's at. But even after Volvo introduced its XC90 SUV five years ago, it never retired its sporty, rugged, crossover-light version of its V70 wagon, the XC70.

The XC70 is a nice wagon that stands a bit taller than the V70 and has all-wheel-drive, an electronic descent-control setting that keeps speed in check as you go down a steep grade, and a base price about $4,000 more than the V70.... // Kiplinger.com