I have already mentioned that the 2015 Volvo V60 T5 Drive-E is softer than several of its European contemporaries when it comes to its overall driving experience. The T5 Drive-E doesn't offer the most precise handling, nor an enthusiast-friendly level of chassis communication, but the expectation of high performance is out of step with the intentions of the model. If you want to autocross your wagon, then the V60 Polestar is waiting for you; if you're more interested in an efficient and effective daily driver with a heaping helping of practicality, then the T5 Drive-E is more than willing to fulfill that role.

Don't think that just because you can't easily thread the needle with the front-wheel drive Volvo that it's Drive-E drivetrain is a chump, too. The 2.0-liter turbo under the hood of the V60 is far more boisterous than the wagon's otherwise sedate driving personality would indicate. Highway passing is accomplished quickly and with little fuss, and if you ramp on the throttle a little too hard from a stop you'll be facing the kind of wheel spin and torque steer not normally seen outside of a Sonic parking lot on a Friday night. The V60 T5 Drive-E is easily the equal of the BMW 328i xDrive Sport Wagon in the power department, even taking into account the German variant's all-wheel drive advantage. I can't remember the last four-cylinder Volvo I drove that didn't make me want to chew my own arm off waiting for the 60-mph mark, so consider the new V60 a feather in the automaker's cap.

The eight-speed autobox making it all possible in the Volvo V60 T5 Drive-E is also substantial upgrade over the six-speed unit that has long called the shots in other Volvo models. Shifts were seamless and well-timed, and it was difficult to catch the four-cylinder engine off-boost. I experienced very little lag even when rolling at the sub-10-mph speeds that small-displacement turbocharged motors tend to struggle with.