Category: Large Family 
Price Range: £16,495 to £24,335
Spacious, smart image, well-built, AWD option, all the assets of the V70 in a scaled-down package.
Stiff clutch of T5, premium prices.
Not cheap, but excellent quality and a practical family vehicle.
Like most Volvos, the V50 has superbly comfortable, supportive armchair-like seats, excellent cabin layout, and a monochrome, minimalist interior design which is distinctively Scandinavian: plain and simple without being stark or unhomely. A few unique-to-Volvo touches include the 'floating' centre console with translucent trim panels and thin central instrument stack. It's all beautifully put together and well thought-out.
Standard equipment levels are high compared to those of the premium German brands, and there are a number of cost-effective options packages to choose from.
The load space isn't quite as cavernous as a V70's, obviously, but despite slight intrusions from suspension turrets there's a generously-sized boot and load bay - it's much more practical than its "lifestyle" rivals such as the 156 Sportwagon, which actually has less load space than its saloon counterpart.
The V50 rides smoothly, coping well with bumps and poor road surfaces even with the Sport suspension (standard on the T5 and optional on other versions), though that is noticeably stiffer, and in combination with larger wheels and low-profile tyres, gives a less relaxed ride.
