Category: Compact Executive 
Price Range: £19,995 to £24,770
Very refined, very comfortable, very relaxing, characterful engines, soothing over long distances, good looks freshened up for 2005
Not as much fun as a 3-Series, town ride not as good as a C-Class, not as economical as it ought to be.
A very impressive car from Volvo; not racy but refined and very satisfying over the long term. A very well-rounded car, particularly in D5 diesel form.
The driving position of the S60 really is pretty much flawless. The steering wheel adjusts in every direction, as do the supremely supportive seats which border on brilliance, and every control falls to hand with psychic ease. It's impressive on the move too.
Steering, though a bit heavy at parking speeds, is accurate and responsive, while gears are easily found so long as you consider the accelerator's initial 'dead' response - it's an easy car to stall if you don't.
Just one problem, really; the sleek rear window doesn't have a wiper, making reversing in the rain difficult, though it's 'high' enough to cause problems in the dry, too.
The front-wheel-drive chassis is, inevitably, not as much fun as the class-defining BMW 3-Series, though it is extremely reassuring and confidence-inspiring; it's the widest platform in its class, so feels very secure through corners, even at insane speeds. Just don't expect BMW-like steering feel, responsiveness or 'seat of the pants' feedback. The S60 R, with its Haldex four-wheel drive system that distributes power between the front and rear axles, is a lot sharper, and in Advanced mode is set up to even provide a little oversteer - it's predictable and safe (thanks to the armoury of electronic control systems) but feels considerably more edgy, with a more responsive throttle. The R is spoilt only by slightly numb-feeling steering, which doesn't quite give the feedback you'd like in a car this quick. All engines are, however, delightful to use, with almost imperceptible turbochargers that make them feel more like easy-going large-capacity units. There's a great engine note in all of them, too - even the diesel. Throw in smoothing long-distance refinement, and you've got an uncommonly satisfying car for the long term.
There's a reasonable range of engines offered with the S60, but all have common features; they're turbocharged, and boast a five-cylinder format. The former ensures even the base 2.0T is a strong performer, accelerating to 60mph in 8.8 seconds and on to a maximum of 140mph, while the latter gives every S60 a distinctive, smooth and refined engine note - even the 163bhp 2.4-litre D5 diesel, which is a real treat. It combines 130mph potential with 43.5mpg combined economy, and proves a deceptively rapid back-road companion.
Like all S60 units, the D5 provides plenty of low-rev pull too. The 260bhp 2.4-litre T5 ensures 60mph is reached in just 6.5seconds, and if you're in Germany, you'll see 155mph on the autobahn; it's not the easiest car to hustle along quickly - its front-wheel drive layout and over-keen traction control mean you're unlikely to emulate the official acceleration figures - but it's certainly quick, and the six-speed manual gearbox (standard from September 2004) helps to make the most of the increased torque and midrange flexibility.
Top performer is the S60 R, the tweaked 300bhp, four-wheel drive model: it's stunningly quick, and a very clever, complex machine that flatters its driver.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Volvo S60
wrote on 13 03 2008
wrote on 22 03 2007