The 2009 Volvo V50 is Volvo's compact station wagon. Foreign competition includes the Audi A4 Avant, BMW 3-Series Sports Wagon, Subaru Outback, Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen and Saab 9-3 SportCombi. Currently there is no domestic competition. There are no major body style changes to the V50 for this year.

It's hard to make a station wagon look special. Even harder when the station wagon is a compact. In spite of that, the V50 is a pretty sharp looking vehicle. Possibly the best looking car in its class, the V50 only faces the Audi A4 Avant as any real competition. The V50 garners praise for turning radius, fuel economy and warranty but is below class average in value, cargo volume, headroom and power.

Speaking of power, the V50 comes with two engine choices, depending on the trim line you choose. The 2.4i has a 169 horsepower 2.4 liter I5. The T5 AWD R-Design sports a 227 horsepower 2.5 liter I5. Either has a five-speed automatic transmission. The T5, obviously, is an all-wheel drive, while the 2.4i is two-wheel drive. Fuel economy with the smaller engine is twenty miles per gallon in the city and twenty-eight miles per gallon on the highway. The larger engine drops those figures to eighteen miles per gallon city and twenty-six miles per gallon on the highway.

NHTSA crash test ratings are available for the V50 for either 2008 or 2009. Safety features include a tire pressure monitor, child safety locks, antilock brakes, electronic braking assistance, traction control and vehicle stability control, with airbags all around. All standard, of course.

Automatic headlights; power, heated outside mirrors; leather covered, tilt/telescoping steering wheel with mounted controls; trip computer; six-disc CD changer; power, adjustable driver's seat; second row folding seat and sunroof are all standard on the V50 2.4i. You can upgrade through options or trim lines to wood interior trim; navigation system; heated front seats with driver seat memory; and rain sensing windshield wipers.

You cannot get adjustable foot pedals; DVD player; hands free cell phone system; premium sound system; a telematic system (think OnStar); power front passenger seat; or power lumbar support. Missing one or two of those probably wouldn't be a big deal, but missing all of them just seems surprising for an upscale car.

At a base price of $29,800 the 2009 Volvo V50 ranks in the upper half of its class in price. It's a good looking car with lots of nice features and probably worth the money - in a vacuum. For what it is, it lacks several expected features, and for what it costs most people will likely think they can do better.