Car of the Year 2004 - 4x4

Winner
Volvo XC90 D5 S Auto
£30,405

The Volvo XC90 allows people who might never have had a 4x4 to move seamlessly across from an expensive saloon. The first thing you notice is that you are not asked to give up any of the comforts you have been used to. The furnishings are plush; their style and quality is high, and the equipment you get is in keeping.

Even the D5 S, the most affordable XC90, has climate and cruise controls, electric movement for the front chairs, a CD player and seven seats which can be folded to give you a cavernous all-road estate.

Being a Volvo, you know it will be safe. Sensors detect overly aggressive driving that might cause a roll-over and slow the car down; while special crash structures in the front prevent smaller cars from being squashed.

The five-cylinder turbodiesel engine is terrifically refined and flexible even if it does not feel particularly strong; the ride and handling are angled towards comfort rather than the more overt sportiness of a BMW X5; the four-wheel-drive system allows semi-serious towing or forays off-road. Despite the arrival of Porsche and Volkswagen in this class in the past year, and a revised X5, the XC90 remains the most complete 4x4.

Our only niggle is that it will cost you £2000 more than it did a year ago to get the XC90 with the now-optional automatic gearbox that’s de rigueur for resale values, which are exceeding all expectations. You also get slightly more in the way of equipment.

Highly recommended
BMW X5 3.0d SE auto
£36,410
Honda CR-V 2.0 VTEC SE
£16,700
Range Rover 4.4 V8 SE
£50,995