Neither is actually all that sporty. The S60R is quicker in a straight line but acts more like a FWD car than an AWD one. The Legacy delivers power better, but is a bit soft in the suspension. Both cars are lookers in my opinion. I haven't heard about the Legacy, but the S60 suffers from quite a lot of turbo lag. I'd go for the Legacy. It'll probably cost less to buy and maintain and it looks awesome. Your friend won't miss the extra speed the Volvo offers.
The Spec B will be more expensive and perplexingly doesn't really improve the standard car's soft suspension. Definitely not worth the extra money.
I had 1997 850R, not 240hp/330nm T5-R, but 250HP 350nm manual 850R. In red. It was faster than manual E46 330 and manual E39 540. I love Volvo R
legacy. sporty, comfy, cheap to maintain, good resale, good reviews. Volvo is interesting, but why risk it?
dude my parents drive a subaru forester, they're not farmers, and my girl friends brother drives an 05 subaru impreza, hes not a farmer
The main negative of the S60R is the Haldex II awd system. Under normal circumstances it delivers 95% of torque in the front wheels and the remaining 5% to the rear. Maximum split is 50-50. If it only had the Haldex IV system..