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.
Model-for-model, it's largely in line with the BMW 3 Series - a little dearer than an Audi A4, but cheaper than a Mercedes C-Class. Fuel economy of standard models is poorer than base rival models, but doesn't drop too much on the T5, conversely ensuring the road-racer's pretty efficient. The D5 is not as fuel-efficient as the best rivals, but, as with base versions, it can be argued that it has no direct competitors; a 1.9-litre TDI A4 is more efficient but noisier, less refined and slower.
And if you want to save the world, why not consider an S60 Bi-Fuel? Running on either LPG or CNG, both offer cheaper fuel, reduced company car tax - and, apparently, the option of driving into London, congestion-charge free...once you've paid a 'token' yearly fee.
Insurance ratings are a bit higher than the prestige Germans but not obscene.
For the 2005 model-year, all five-cylinder models had their service intervals increased from 12,000 miles to 15,000 miles, which should cut costs. However, D5 diesels are not yet compliant with the Euro IV emissions standards, so are liable to the 3 percent diesel surcharge if you pay BIK company car tax.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Volvo S60
wrote on 13 03 2008
wrote on 22 03 2007