Forcing the Issue; By turbo, Volvo's got a good start.

Certainly easy on the eyes, the Volvo S60's design looks good from any angle with an interior to appeal to anyone who's ever shopped at Ikea (read: all those young professionals tool- ing around in leased BMW 3 Series). But in normally aspirated form, it's a dog. Unanimous, agreed upon, open-and-shut, period. However this T5... well, this is another story entirely.

Five cylinders, five speeds, 247 horses, 243 lb-ft of torque. One cylinder short of a Bimmer, but hey, there's that turbo to make up for it, and those are nice numbers. Certainly the type to turn a safe, family-toting grocery-getter into an enthusiast's machine. Should be more than enough to crack the 3 Series market, right?

Quite a few owners thought so: Nearly all of them cross-shopped the venerable Bavarian. Other vehicles considered included the Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Lexus IS 300 and Lincoln LS. So why choose the Volvo? Better rear legroom, they say! After all, this is a front-wheel-drive car competing in a rear-drive-dominated class.

With this back-seat advantage, however, comes a certain sacrifice: Our good friend Mr. Torque Steer loves to spoil the party just when that turbo starts pumping its punch around 3500 rpm. Despite this Saab-like tendency and a lightness to the steering, the T5 performs capably on the track. Witness it beating fellow ...