Test Drive: 2006 Volvo V50

The Volvo V50. First introduced in 2004, and based on the Ford Focus platform with a wide range of engines. Sounds like a recipe for a success. Or does it?

The V50 I was driving was the SE model with the 2 litre 136hp Turbodiesel. While it's certainly not a rocketship and is definitely not as refined as its petrol brothers, the engine was very capable of pulling the heavy V50 while being fairly economical.

The driving position is very good. There is a lot of adjustments that you can make to the driver's seat to get in a perfect position. The steering wheel while being chunky, still feels good in your hands.
The instrument cluster is very easy to read, and all the switches and knobs are in the right places. Quality is tip-top.

Like I've already mentioned, the car that I drove was equipped with the 2 litre 136 horsepower Turbodiesel. While not being quick (0-100 km/h: 9.3 sec), the engine felt quite flexible, and didn't stall even while selecting 6th gear at 50 km/h. Good mark for the Volvo there.

The engine itself is a bit on the noisy side, however it isn't much more noisy than the Volkswagen's 2.0 TDI unit. For a diesel, it even has a decent sound, i.e. doesn't sound like a tractor.

It turned out to be fairly economical too. After a 150 kilometre drive (70% motorway, 30% city), the trip computer gave me an average figure of 6.1 litres per 100 km (38 MPG US / 46 MPG imp.)

The suspension is a bit on the hard side - now, I'm not sure if it was toughened up to cope with the heavy steel diesel engine, or if it's firm on all of the models. It isn't configured to cope with the bumps well.

The balance is poor as well - the car didn't feel as confident in the corners as a BMW 3 Series Touring with a lot of body roll, and traction control engaging to stop me from understeer. The steering does feel a little bit numb, which is odd, considering the V50 is based on the Ford Focus.

The seats however are fantastic. I honestly don't know any car with seats as comfortable as these. They're very supportive and feel like an armed chair at home. Just make sure you don't mistake them for one. ;-)

The material and build quality was very good as well. While the Volvo V50 may not be a driver's car - it certainly is a very good family estate.

Make & Model: Volvo V50
Year: 2006
Engine: 2.0L I4 TurboDiesel, 136hp, 320Nm
Price Range: €4,950 - €16,950 (2004-2007)