Volvo S60 Saloon 2004-2008

The S60 is what happens if you shrink an S80 executive sedan and the result is not bad at all. It's wheelbase is 3 inches shorter and all in all it's a lower spec car, but it looks very similar to the flagship S80 and leaves a good impression. For comparison's sake, the S60 is approximately the size of the good old Volvo 850.

The car is based on the Ford's D3 platform that was developed in the USA for the medium and large Ford and Lincoln cars. Considering the well-established Volvo's image of a pensioner's car, many people are surprise to find that the S60 is a high-performance car with excellent acceleration and top speed.

Pros and Cons:

• High safety and comfort specs
  Unexpectedly powerful petrol engines
  A lovely 185bhp diesel engine
  Cheaper than other executive cars

• The ride characteristics don't match the sporty engines

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Exterior and Interior

Visually, the S60 looks pretty much like the bigger and older S80. The designers haven't put much effort into making it different as that wasn't required from them. The S60 simply further establishes the sharp and abrupt digression from the bulky, boxy designs of the previous couple of decades. Some might even call it a complete U-turn. Unless you're a die-hard classic Volvo fan, you would have to agree that the S60 is a good looking car with interesting body proportions and a modern feel about it.

Being a compact executive sedan, its interior is executed to a high standard. It wanted to compete with the Mercedes C-Class, so the Volvo designers had to offer the best quality they possibly could. The cockpit of the S60 is conservative, elegant and tidy. The controls are neatly compacted within the middle console and behind the steering wheel so nothing is left there to distract the driver or the passengers. Seats are very comfortable and good quality, although considering the seating position is quite low and the gear lever is placed higher than usual so it takes some time to get used to.

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Engines

There are 4 petrol engines which include the 2.0-litre turbo 180bhp, 2.4-litre T5 260bhp, 2.5-litre 210bhp, 2.5-litre R 295bhp and a 2.4-litre diesel engine with various power outputs between 163-182bhp.

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Performance and Economy

The compact sedan surprises with a range of highly-powered engines. The top modification can be ordered with an all-wheel drive system and an engine tuned to 295bhp. Yes, 26mpg is not a great fuel economy, but it is more mileage than some of the large Mercedes and BMW engines can deliver and you can certainly appreciate 5.5 seconds from 0 to 60mph.

Even the entry level 2.0-litre turbo with 180BHP delivers quite a good level of dynamic prowess with 8.5 seconds to 60mph and a 140mph top speed. It's also much kinder to your purse delivering 31mpg. It's worth looking at the superb common rail diesel modification. It's only 5 horses stronger than the basic petrol version, but thanks to its amazing 400Nm of torque and high capability at low revs. It will accelerate faster than its petrol cousin and will even beat it in terms of top speed. It all comes with an excellent fuel-efficiency of 42mpg making it a high-performance executive's dream.

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What it's like to Drive

The ride quality is still somewhat behind its main rivals Mercedes and BMW, but it really depends on what you're looking for. Sometimes, the S60 even feels more solid than its German competitors. The only thing that keeps the younger people away from the Volvo is that the Swedish car doesn't feel as sporty as the top of the range German models.

The 2006 facelift also added some adjustments to the mechanics and suspension that improved things, and a newer Volvo is quite enjoyable to drive.

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Faults and Repairs

As all the new Volvos are now front wheel drive vehicles, installing powerful turbo engines on them and failing to optimise the suspension means that the front wheels will suffer from an excessive wear. There are two ways to counteract it ‐ swapping tyres more often or… choosing an all-wheel drive Volvo.

The turbo petrol engines don't suffer from overheating as often as on older Volvo generations, but it's still something that you need to look at when buying a used car. Some issues are related to the creature comforts and security system. The high-spec air condition or cruise control may start behaving strangely and repairing electrical faults is not cheap.

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