2021 Volvo V90: So close to perfect, but it’s a competitive world

2021 Volvo V90 T6 AWD Inscription: Another great European wagon option?

Price: $67,640 as tested. Advanced Package adds head-up display and 360-camera for $1,500; massage front seat, $500; metallic paint $645; 20-inch alloy wheels, $800; fancy air filter, $250.

Conventional wisdom: Car and Driver liked the “beautifully designed exterior and interior, standard driver-assistance tech, SUV practicality with better handling,” but not the “four-cylinder-only engine lineup, laggy infotainment system, firm ride.”

Marketer’s pitch: “Crafted for comfort. Built for adventure.”

Reality: Really, really close, but the competition is intense.

Catching up: In Mr. Driver’s Seat last review, the Audi A6 Allroad brought European wagon luxury to American roads, and declarations of love were professed. Now let’s see how the V90 compares.

What’s new: The V90 gets a mild refreshening for 2021, but otherwise continues on the fine journey started in 2018.

Up to speed: The 2.0-liter four gets supercharged and turbocharged to squeeze 316 horses from such a baby power plant. The V90 gets to 0-60 mph in just 5.8 seconds, according to Volvo. The supercharger helps add power from a standing start that the turbocharger alone might not.

(The front-wheel-drive T5 model produces just 250 horsepower.)

While the passing is happily swift, it can also be a little worrisome. The door pillar is located just so the passing lane is pretty much obscured, so plan to use mirrors and sensors for those lane changes.

» READ MORE: Ode to an Audi: 2021 A6 Allroad Quattro is a wagonload of joy

Shifty: The 8-speed shiftable automatic feels a little slushy for pushing through the gears. Automatic mode works just fine though. Paddle shifters might have improved the experience.

On the road: The V90 just feels nice in all conditions. Highway driving is smooth and calm — probably thanks to the $1,200 air suspension — so much that you’re going faster than you realize if you’re not careful. Country roads aren’t zigzaggy fun, but there’s a sense of stability and competence. It’s easy to predict what the V90 is going to do, even if the car leans too much into fast turns. Sport mode can be a little rough, but Individual mode offers nicer settings.

Driver’s Seat: Like other Volvos, the V90 provides a comfortable saddle for driving enjoyment. (And, ooh, I’ll take massage for $500.) All the moves using the standard buttons and dials on the side of the seat are transmitted to the touchscreen for added information and adjustment.

Volvo deserves a shout-out for the simplest, most informative and maybe the most elegant instrument cluster throughout its line. I’ve always admired the beauty, but this time around got to noting its functionality. Without scrolling, drivers can see speed and engine revs, of course, but also fuel economy, distance to empty and even a map.

» READ MORE: Even in cheaper form, the 2021 Volvo S60 delights, mostly

Friends and stuff: The low-slung station wagon still provides enough room for passengers. Tall Sturgis Kid 4.0 found the rear seat comfortable and the compartment spacious, with enough room for long legs and size 14 shoes. Headroom was the only slight compromise, but the panoramic sunroof stretched far enough back that the view above took his mind off any cramped space.

The rear corner seats are heated, thanks to the $750 Climate Package, which also heated the steering wheel and wiper blades.

Cargo volume is 25.5 with the seat up and 53.9 with it folded.

Play some tunes: The iPad-like Volvo touchscreen grabbed my attention at first glance, way back when.

Operation is fairly straightforward, with navigation, media, phone, and settings in expandable windows on the main screen. Swipe left for vehicle settings and right for more intense infotainment settings. But, yes, lags can happen, especially in cold weather.

The Bowers and Wilkins premium sound ($3,200) provides excellent playback, an A-, with Sound Experience adjustments that take you to concert hall, stage and more. But simple bass-treble-midrange adjustments are accessed by swiping down very specifically from the top of the screen. It’s taken me many, many Volvos, a trip to a dealership, and email exchanges with Volvo reps and owners. I managed to make it work one day while sitting in the driveway, fiddling around with the home button, and finally understanding the instructions.

Or don’t: The whine of the supercharger and turbocharger offer a very pleasant, very European sound, for those of you who miss traveling abroad as much as I do.

Keeping warm and cool: This could be easier. The temperature and seat heater functions appear in a digital readout on the bottom of the infotainment screen. To change, click on the icon to open the setting, try to aim for the number or seat function you want, hope you hit the right one, then click to close. Oh, for a button or a dial.

Fuel economy: I averaged about 21 mpg in a low-speed week of mostly country road and town driving. With all those chargers creating great heat, speed and friction, feed the Volvo only the best.

Where it’s built: Gothenburg, Sweden

How it’s built: Consumer Reports predicts the V90 reliability to be a 1 out of 5.

In the end: Comparing the Volvo V90 to the Audi A6 Allroad reminds me of the bad boyfriend meme wandering around the interwebs, where the guy standing next to the attractive V90 makes no effort to hide the head-turning qualities of the Allroad.

Sorry, Volvo; Mr. Driver’s Seat is That Guy.