THE Volvo V70 is a very clever car with huge levels of safety built-in - always part of the Swedish company's tradition.

I recently re-acquainted myself with the big estate in diesel form but there are also 1.6 to 3.0-litre petrol engines available.

Diesels are 1.6, 2.0-litre and 2.4 and these are the models to go for even though they are more expensive. The 2.4-litre five-cylinder diesel will be the most plentiful and it's smooth and powerful.

Performance in such a large body is actually good enough for plenty of fun, but that's not what most people buy one of these for.

What you get is huge family friendliness throughout the cabin, even down to 40/20/40 split fold back seats and built-in booster seats in many.

Comfort is excellent except for an unsettled feel at low speeds in town, and road-holding is surprisingly good.

The V70 is still one of the most desirable premium estates, and so resale values are strong compared to others of a similar size.

These are cars built to last a lifetime with classy, durable materials throughout the cabin and among the best seats on the market.

The cabin is both big and clever, with an enormous boot, luggage nets and hooks and straps to prevent your groceries from being thrown around.