The Volvo V70 2.4 offers a smooth ride and front-wheel drive. The V70 2.5T kicks it up a notch with turbocharged power, and sportier handling. For the driver who wants a real adrenalin boost, the high-performance V70R with big Brembo brakes and a 300-horsepower engine would even be at home at car club track days. The 2006 V70R comes standard with all-wheel drive, which improves its handling stability in the rain and snow.

Most popular, however, is the Volvo XC70 Cross Country. It's a great substitute for a sport-utility. We verified this on epic drives over rough, rock-strewn trails in the Baja in the summer and up lonely, frozen roads from Anchorage northward across the Yukon River to Point Barrow in the winter. The Cross Country boasts an elevated chassis for ground clearance, no-dent body armor to brush aside trail debris, and all-wheel-drive traction for slippery conditions. Yet it offers the smooth ride and agile handling of a luxury car, while coddling occupants in a luxurious cabin. The Cross Country gets an improved all-wheel-drive system for 2006.

The cabins are elegant and well designed. An adaptable seating arrangement and a cavernous cargo compartment complete with tie-down hooks and other useful accessories make them practical. With the rear seats folded, the flat floor makes loading bulky cargo easier than in many SUVs.

The 70 series cars are worthy heirs to Volvo's historic reputation for safety. Responsive steering, electronic brake enhancements, and optional traction control are designed to help drivers avoid accidents in the first place. Airbags are positioned to cocoon driver and passengers from after-impact injuries. Active seats protect occupants from whiplash injuries, and interior integrity is sustained by a safety-cell body structure.