One of the perks of working at a dealership is having a demo vehicle to drive. Just before leaving for vacation my demo car was sold to a customer. So, I walked into the Volvo sales manager’s office and asked what I should drive especially since I’d be taking the car on vacation. 
What a surprise it was to see him looking through new car invoices for my next demo! He ended up having me drive a 2012 Volvo XC70 T6 AWD with the Premium Plus trim level. Really?
This is a very nicely equipped car. The T6 version of the XC70 comes with a 300 hp turbocharged inline six cylinder, a 6-speed Geartronic automatic transmission, and All Wheel Drive. Standard options include City Safety, Volvo Sensus with 7″ color screen, Bluetooth with Audio Streaming, Sirius satellite radio, leather seats, and power glass moonroof. Bump up to the Premier Plus and you get the power tailgate, Keyless Drive, Front & Rear Park Assist, Homelink, and Digital Compass in the rearview mirror. This particular car also came with the Climate Package (heated seats, headlight washers, Rain Sensor) and BLIS (Blindspot Info System) with power retracting side mirrors.
With an MSRP of $44,170, I was a little nervous taking our family on vacation in this vehicle. But the feelings subsided after I installed a sheet over the back seat and another in the cargo area. The first sheet came in handy when one of the kids spilled a drink. But otherwise, everything was fine. The three kids fit comfortably in the back seat and behaved … well, most of the time.
A good selection of audio books kept them interested as we did a fair amount of highway traveling.
The first part of the trip took us to the hills of western Pennsylvania. We took the back roads where the speed limit is 55 mph. When we got to the end of that leg, there were two fairly steep hills. As you can imagine, the Volvo had no trouble making it up either one of them. The second leg of the trip took us to central Ohio to visit family and friends. This is when I began to notice the fuel economy. Volvo claims this car should get 17 mpg city and 23 highway. With almost a thousand miles on the car, we were averaging 25 mpg for the entire trip! And that included a trip to Old Man’s Cave in Hocking County and a visit with friends in Orwell, Ohio.
We enjoyed visiting with family and friends but also enjoyed the time in the car. That’s one of the often hidden blessings of driving a Volvo. You don’t have to pull off the road every couple of hours for your body to recover as with some cars. Over the years, Volvo has invested in comfortable seats which keep you feeling refreshed by the time you arrive at your destination no matter how far you had to drive. That’s a good thing to remember when you consider purchasing a less expensive vehicle. It may be a great deal but you may not think so after your next road trip.
Visit www.LeikinVolvo.com for more information about this and other quality cars at Leikin Motor Companies. Also note that all new Volvos come with a 5 years/50,000 miles warranty which includes Complimentary Factory Scheduled Maintenance, Wear & Tear Coverage (complimentary brake pads, rotors, wiper blades, remote batteries, etc.), and Volvo Roadside Assist during the warranty period.