Thanks for the input,

I test drove a S80 D5 FWD this morning. The V70 D5 was not available for a test this morning. The dealer told me that the S80 was only slightly heavier then the V70 and suspension was similarly soft for comfort. The only V70 you can order with lowered sport suspension is the T5 and AWD R all the others come with standard springs and shocks. A couple of years ago this was a normal options, nowadays something special which will take some months to get doneby the factory? Definitively i don't like the S80 at all. Way to vague and soft, no feedback, slow steering only fit for highway cruising at some 140- 150 km/h

The engine a 5cilinder diesel with 163 HP and 370 NM torque was nice,with low end grunt but it died somewhere at 4000 rpm. Of course it's noisier then my 2,5T but that was expected. However at 3000 rpm the car had a drone/resonation in the cabin which was ennoying. Also I found the termination & buttons of lesser quality then my 1998 XC. The car's speaker set is far better in my XC too?
Suspension is way too plush and vague compared to my old XC and that car has seen some very bad unmade roads in the last copules of years.
Also I had the DSTC coming in all the time on mountain roads and they were not even wet? Is this normal. My XC only has tracs up to 40 km/h and never had the feeling it was cutting back when loosing traction. I know Tracs actiones the brakes and DSTC on the torque but all the fun is gone.
If the new V 70 are similarly sprung as the S 80, i will froget about the V 70
and try the S 60. The fact that I wanted AWD is not only for the bad weather conditions but also because it is much more fun to drive and you can corner much harder without loosing traction and having massive understeer.
I also tried an Alfa Romeo 156 Sportswagon with the 2.4 JTD 140 HP and the same engine with 170 Hp. This is a very flickable and good handling car. Specially the 140 Hp engine is a jewel. Very good brakes and roadholding.
However the position behind the steering wheel was absolutely sh..te, or my legs are too short or my arms too long, also the pedals were not in line with my body but twisted inwards, which gives you a very peculiar position. After 30 minutes I got already some muscle straint in my back. Ergonomics is not well resolved, buttons and controls on the wrong places and partly invisble. Volvo is better here, however they should invite some engineers to get roadholding and throttle response right. Will wait the testdrive with the S 60.
Also the new S 40 were being delivered at the dealer, looks good, very compact and clean design on the Ford C-max platform.

We'll see. Will stick some more time with my old XC before deciding and will do some testing around.

Crono