Saving towards a mid 2000s V70 for commuting and road trips. Is the V70R worth it vs the V70?

So 24M guy saving towards a V70 because I absolutely loved them because I used to ride in a Volvo wagon as a kid and I just love station wagons in general.

My main questions for y'all is the V70R worth it in terms of long trips and commutes? Is the reliability any different between the 2? I've heard specifically about cracked cylinder walls on the V70R and wasn't sure if that was just exclusive to that model.

I don't plan on getting a manual but I do appreciate the extra power either way.

I only ask because of the price difference which is a couple grand in my area