Hey Prinz....I think I recognize you from maxima.org. I looked into an S60R (albeit a one year old example) before I bought my AV6 6spd a couple of months ago. It looks great in some colors (particularly red) and not so good in others. I do like the color variety in the interior though. I'm not sure about interior room as I am 5'10" and 145lbs.....I fit in most cars without a problem..lol. The controls take a little getting used to as they are most certaily Swedish quirky. The stereo did rock and the blue tint guages were cool. The performance of the car was great. One disconcerting thing I did notice was the raspy exhaust/engine note of Volvos 5cylinder turbos. It just sounded like it had a cold or was a little weezy. I'm sure an aftermarket intake/exhaust would fix all that but I'm talking about stock here. While being an 'R' model does give it some athletic legs, it certainly didn't have the poise of say a G35 or 330i. I think its tuned for more of a boulevard ride that can reward your feisty moments. I'm not sure if it justifies its $43K asking price...that alone is up to you.
Interestingly enough, I actually test drove and preferred (for bang for the buck anyway) the new S40T5 AWD 6spd. Felt 'almost' as fast as the R, yet still retained that nasal sounding engine note. Its obviously more a compact sedan, so it may not be on your option list.
I think I would lean more to a 6th gen Maxima (after your replace the buck tooth grille). Even though a new Maxima is far from my favorite car, I think it would be the best balance for you...considering what you have mentioned above as things you are looking for. What about a TL...particularly A-Spec model?
If you do go with the Volvo, you might want to find out if Ford employees (or their friends and families) get huge discounts like they do on the standard Ford line. That would save you boat loads of money right there and might make the decision alot easier. Good luck.