Greetings from Gateway, Colorado! I'm here on assignment for About.com's SUVs site to test all three of Volvo's SUVs: The XC60, the XC70 and the XC90.
Now, normally, the automakers fly us out to these press junkets, but Volvo decided to do something a little different: They gathered us in Los Angeles, gave us the keys to a Volvo, and told us to meet them in Gateway, Colorado, the following afternoon.
I rode with a journalist named Steve Siler, who is always good fun and good company on a long drive, and we decided to spend the bulk of our time on the back roads of southern Utah -- and man, was that ever the right decision. I've traveled quite a bit, seen some lovely spots, but Utah goes beyond mere beauty -- it's a virtual visual assault of colors and textures that seems to change with every mile. Steve and I were just flabbergasted. What a ride!
For my drive, I requested a Volvo XC70. I was a big fan of the Volvo V70 -- last of the big Volvo wagons -- but Volvo discontinued it for 2011, replacing it with a front-drive variant of the XC70, so I was eager to see if my beloved V lived on in spirit. I'll have those answers in a review coming up soon.
Anyway, our drive took a lot longer than expected -- we were supposed to arrive in Gateway in the late afternoon, but we didn't make it until after 10:00pm. If it weren't for the sun's inconvenient habit of setting, we probably would have arrived even later.
So that explains the lack of blog activity -- two long days of driving and, now, two long days of testing Volvos. Yesterday I took the XC70 out for some honest-to-goodness off-roading, and was amazed at how well it did (and how much mud I was able to cake on the sides using nothing but the accelerator pedal), then took a long on-road test drive in an XC90. Today I'll be shooting photos and spending some quality time with an XC60 -- and maybe sneaking out for a quick horseback ride to check out some more of this heavenly scenery. I'll pick up the pace here on the Cars site next week.
Volvo asked us to do some blogging on our trip, so if you're curious to read about it, here are the links: Part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4. -- Aaron Gold
Photos © Aaron Gold
The V70 Wagon was one of my top two favorite Volvos, the other being its sedan basis, the S60. Sadly, Volvo has lost my business by dropping the V70 as the next time we go shopping to replace my wife’s car, I don’t expect that we’ll be buying a CUV. Our business will probably go to Volkswagen or maybe Acura as they’re about the only car makers out there right now who make a regular station wagon that is actually affordable!! I love my 92 BMW 525i wagon, but, a new BMW wagon costs way too much!!
What an awesome photo, Aaron!
I’ll second that.
Not surprised that you love Utah, Aaron. I’ve been to Bryce and Zion 3 times, and it stuns me every time. One time we rode through Zion with a rental Chevy Cavalier convertible with the top down – the best way to experience Zion! Gotta get back there again soon – its been about 6 years, and I need a Utah “fix.”
I should clarify – driving through Bryce with the top down was the awesome experience. Driving a Cavalier wasn’t. That said, it is somewhat unfortunate that the Cavalier convertible hasn’t replaced by a similarly priced convertible. While the Miata is an terrific vehicle, it is still a small 2 seater. There is still a void in the compact convertible field that someone should fill.
Aaron, right now, in your heart I’d betcha you’d trade all three of those Swede Volvos for one Asian Miata!!!
That’s certainly the way that I’D prefer to see Bryce!
I would agree… although for the muddin’ I did that led up to the second photo, the Volvo was definitely the way to go.
Aaron
I don’t know about the Volvos, but I can attest to the fact that southern Utah IS one of the most spectacular places on earth. But I can say that anyone I know that has has, or had, a Volvo loves, or loved, it.