We watched the Simpsons and a late night movie in comfort. We watched Sky News and Coronation St. And we never left the car.

A four-inch TV screen is just one of the many unusual things about the Volvo XC Cross Country. This is the marque's all-wheel-drive large estate with raised ground clearance and some pretensions to going off-road. And, did I mention it has a TV as an optional extra?

Of course we never really went too far from the tarmac - except onto rutty, muddy and well-known paths where the extra traction and ground clearance were needed. But we knew a reassuring firm base lay underneath anyway.

Of course the TV was abused by the children. Every parking moment (the screen strictly goes blank the minute you exceed 2mph for obvious safety reasons) it was turned on. I had no say in the matter. They had nabbed the accompanying remote control.

It was used relentlessly.

So much so we had to get the RAC Assist man to give our flattened battery a boost.

Anyway, to the business in hand. The XC has and a 2.4-litre 5-cylinder transverse engine that has plenty of power but gulps down a gallon of petrol every 21 miles.

You could argue it makes more sense than buying a so-called 'full' 4x4 that you're unlikely to use 'fully' anyway. This gives you all-wheel drive traction and real, luxury, quality comfort.

On the other hand it is neither fish nor fowl. It is also too high and mighty for an ordinary estate.

And it is pricey: £43,500 ex-works, or £52,885 when you take £7,000 worth of an SE pack (climate control, cruise control, information centre, leather face sports seats etc) and the Communications package (TV etc) as well as other extras into account.

But you do get a really big car with a lot of luggage space at rear. And they don't spare the luxury.

As I've said before it is a car that can be a big heavy old bore. Or you can make and have fun with it. We did.

We got splattered through dark brown peatlands, We watched Sky One high in the crags of the Wicklow mountains. We caught the RTE 6 o'clock news in the middle of Woodfield Bog and we didn't need to wait for the weather forecast as we snuggled into our seats against a whimpering rain soaked wind.

This was cross country stuff alright but, as I've also said before, always with a modicum of a firm foundation not far from the 16ins alloys and 215/65 R16 98H tyres.

I have mixed feelings about the XC. We had such fun and did so much with it. But the price and fuel consumption steal brownie points.

A phenomenon for safety and security (there's everything from ABS to SIPS airbags and an inflatable curtain to protect the side of your head in a crash) it gave us a mid-term escape.

No one is going to buy it for such ultimately spurious reasons, but those who do will want to give it plenty of the great outdoors. You couldn't keep this caged in town traffic.

But you'll miss nothing of home comforts if you bring the telly with you.