2013 Volvo S60 AWD: Smooth ride; a top safety pick

Written by Steven Macoy
Thursday, 04 October 2012 14:06

Remember when Volvos were so boxy, safe and dull, they spun the dial all the way back to cool? Those days ended with the arrival of the turbocharged 740 — sporty enough to escape the brand’s niche status — in the mid-1980s. Volvo is solidly mainstream today, offering a diverse mix of sedans, sport-utility vehicles and even a steel-top convertible. But the Swedish automaker exposes its essential conservatism by sticking with tried-and-true models like the S60, now in its 14th year with just one major redesign.

The S60 ranks with the best of the leading near-luxury sedans. Always an exceptionally well-proportioned car, it has received the requisite enhancements over the years, from all-wheel drive to improved refinement, power and overall quality.

And, of course, safety.

The 2013 S60 comes with the usual array of braking, stability and traction controls, air bags, safety-cage engineering and whiplash protection. What is unusual is the City Safety system, which actually stops the car in the event a pedestrian or other obstacle is in the road — even if the driver doesn’t apply the brake. This sophisticated technology is standard equipment on all S60s. Other safety systems, including adaptive cruise control, driver alert control and lane-departure warning, comprise a $2,100 option package. Naturally, the S60 has been designated a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and earned 5-star ratings across the board in government crash tests.

One would expect Volvo to be ahead of the curve on safety. What about performance? Start with the standard inline 5-cylinder, 250-horsepower engine that was under the hood of our test car — an Ice White 2013 model with optional all-wheel drive. It delivers smooth, ample power while returning an average of better than 26 mpg in mixed city and highway driving.

The S60, with front-wheel drive, starts at $31,750, putting it at an immediate advantage compared with the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 328i. Both have base prices about $3,000 more than the Volvo. (The Acura TSX costs almost $2,000 less but isn‘t available with all-wheel drive; the Audi A4 and Infiniti G are base-priced above the Volvo by less than $1,000.) Our S60, with AWD and other options, had a sticker price of $38,170.

The S60 is also available in T6 trim, with a more powerful engine — a 300-horsepower, inline Six that gives up about 4 mpg compared with the T5. The sporty T6 R-Design has a 325-horsepower engine. Both T6 models cost more than $40,000.

Knee room in back is tight for tall passengers, and the trunk swallows just 12 cubic feet of luggage — not bad, but below average for the S60’s class. Neither was an issue during 700-mile round trip we took between Connecticut and upstate New York. The ride was quiet, comfortable and reassuring for a driver and one passenger; we were far fresher at journey’s end than we expected.

Steven Macoy ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) is a longtime car enthusiast and full-time editor who lives in Bethel, Conn.

Price: $38,170

Engine: 2.5-liter inline Five, 250 horsepower, 266 lb.-ft. torque

Transmission: 6-speed Geartronic automatic with sport mode

Drive: all-wheel

Weight: 3,528 lb.

Suspension: MacPherson strut front, multi-link rear

Wheels: 17x7-in. alloy

Tires: 215/50R17 all-season 

Seating capacity: 5

Luggage capacity: 12 cu. ft.

Fuel capacity: 17.8 gallons

Fuel economy: 20 mpg city, 29 mpg highway

Fuel type: Regular