Mother Proof's view

Growing up, everyone I knew had a station wagon; they were the family car to drive. Ours was silver with black and red detailing – totally sexy. That car holds countless memories for me: my family singing along together to some sweet ’70s rock; my brother and I fighting during any trip that lasted more than three minutes; playing I Spy and 20 questions – really, just being together as a family.

Volvo has long been a stalwart manufacturer of station wagons. Even when the wagons of yesterday went the way of jelly shoes, Volvo stayed the course, continuing to spiff up its product. As a result, it now produces the station wagon of today. What can I say? When the 2008 V70 arrived at my house, it made me nostalgic for the good old days.

Naturally, today’s V70 is much sleeker than the family-mobile of my youth, and it comes with a few more perks. Despite the fact that it feels really long to drive, there’s something quite appealing about its exterior look. I don’t want to get too girly on you, but it’s offered in some great colors. Check out the Ruby Red, Barents Blue and Willow Green metallic finishes.

The V70’s all-wheel drive handled well on the snow, and the engine was pretty kickin’ up and down the big Rocky Mountain hills. Thanks to the car’s length, there’s an abundance of cargo and seating space. Our family rolls with lots of stuff, and we had no problem fitting it all in and retaining lots of legroom. The built-in booster seats (which we didn’t use because my son isn’t big/old enough) have become a Volvo trademark, and they are super-cool. To me, that convenience alone almost seems worth the price of admission.

Another thing I liked about the V70 was the simplicity of its interior. So often I get into cars and am bombarded with so many buttons, levers and indicators that I’d have to set aside a full week to learn them all. With the V70, there’s more of a “we want to make things easy for you” attitude. I had no problem figuring out what any of the gadgets or buttons did or what the indicators were telling me.

The best thing about the simplicity of the controls is that it’s really kind of deceptive: there’s some sweet technology in this car. There’s an optional Collision Warning System with brake support, which I’m sure is a complicated bit of technology, but you don’t have to do a thing. The system gives you a heads-up via a sound and light if you’re about to slam into the car in front of you, and it even brakes for you. A Blind Spot Information System is also available, and a slew of fancy airbags come standard.

Driving the V70 was a good experience, but there’s one little thing I have to mention. This has become a Mother Proof refrain, but since I had never driven a Volvo myself, I didn’t know the extent of the issue: the Latch connectors in this car are awful. They’re hard to get to and a serious hassle to use. We’re still waiting for improvement on this front, Volvo.

*For more information on the Volvo V70 and its safety features, visit Cars.com. With questions or comments regarding this review, write to editor@motherproof.com.

LET’S TALK NUMBERS

Latch Connectors: 2

Seating Capacity (includes driver): 5

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT

Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Galore

Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Galore

SENSE AND STYLE

Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Great

Fun Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove On): Good Times

Specs

2008 Volvo V70

Base price: $32,465

Price as tested: n/a

Engine: 235-hp, 3.2-liter I-6

Fuel: 16/24 mpg

Length: 189.9″

Width: 73.3″

Ground Clearance: 5.6″

Turning Radius: 18.3′

Cargo space: 33.3-72.1 cu. ft.

NHTSA Crash-Test Ratings

Frontal Impact

Driver’s side: not rated

Passenger’s side: not rated

Side Impact

Front occupant: not rated

Rear occupant: not rated

Rollover resistance: not rated