But when I drive the S4 Avant, it makes the E61 feel very much like a boat

 

I was surprised to find out the S4 Avant weighs 4000 lbs, when I looked it up, which is only 150 lbs less than our E61's. I'd have guessed a few hundred less, given its length, so if it is as agile as you say, it's a compliment to it for sure.

 

Soooooo.... I finally dropped into my local dealer for fun, to test drive the V60, and I was quite impressed!

I only took it for a 10 minute spin with the sales guy inside, so my experience was limited, but we used to own a 2009 XC70 with the T6 engine (300 HP) for 3 years, which turned out to be a lemon given how many issues I had with it. But this one was really nice to drive and a firm ride, not the floaty one you expect with a Volvo wagon (our XC70). After that car, we got our current 535 wagon - which I love - and I swore I'd never own another Volvo again not only due to the problems, but also to the total lack of driving fun. But this car has got my mind changed about the brand.

It will be interesting to see how Volvo does and whether they manage to pull themselves out of the mess they're in, as they're down to only 4 models now, so the company's longevity would be on my mind if I was buying one.

It has the same T6 engine with some tuning tweaks done to it so it puts out 325 horsepower and 354 lb-ft, compared to 300 and 325 for the same engine without the Polestar tuning.

It does 0-100 in a quick 5.8 seconds! It only weighs 3800 pounds, and is 182 inches long (a few inches shorter than the Allroad).

Compared to the regular T6 V60, it has a lower and firmer chassis and sportier suspension too. Along with really nice bucket seats actually. This was not the super rare Polestar version (pic in the first post). The Polestar model has the same HP but more Torque (369 lb-ft), as well as further upgraded suspension, etc.

Too bad the rear roof line of the cargo area slopes so much, you lose some cargo area.

 

Is it almost the same size as a 3-series wagon or a bit bigger? I like the looks, but I can't seem to get over the tail lights in the back going the entire length of the rear pillar.

 

I drove a '04 MT, Flash Green V70R for a few years - it was fast and awesome. I miss that car.