2019 Volvo S60: All the things you need, nothing you don't
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Right now, thrift and reuse centers all over the country are reporting that they're overwhelmed with donations as people, apparently enamored with Marie Kondo's decluttering Netflix show Are clearing all the junk out of their homes and apartments.
But if you ask me, Volvo's a little ahead of the tidying up craze.
because when its designers and engineers worked on the new S60, well, they only kept in the things that would spark joy in drivers.
And they left out all the unnecessary stuff that you don't need in a luxury sedan.
And that's what makes this such a great car.
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The new S60 is actually a smidge larger on the outside than it's direct rivals like the A4 C-class and three series.
But its design language makes it look incredibly light on its feet.
The panels are clean and simple.
The lines are incredibly taut.
The lights are striking.
The Volvo looks great in every situation.
But perhaps most important it looks very different from its competition.
It's a long way from the boxy, dowdy Volvo 850 you remember from your youth.
The generous dimensions on the outside mean there is a lot of space on the inside.
In the backseat for instance, I've got plenty of head room to stretch out and a pretty good amount of leg room as well.
Trunk space is good for the class as well.
Although if you do have to carry more stuff, I have to point out that Volvo also sells a station wagon version of this car, called the V60.
It looks like the Marie Kondo treatment was applied to the car's interior as well because when you look around the cabin you notice there are Almost no buttons and that overall it's a very, very simple design.
But that doesn't mean it's plain.
There are lovely materials throughout that both look great and feel really good to the touch.
Because there aren't many buttons, you control almost everything through this nine inch touchscreen infotainment system.
Now overall I like it.
I think its operation is pretty straightforward.
But there are times when it's slow to respond.
If you wanted a closer look at some of these features, we've got a separate s60 tech check video that dives into all these features in depth.
So what about driving the Volvo s60?
Well, it's just really good.
It's sort of like sitting down for lunch with an old friend where the conversation just flows naturally and easily.
Volvo has done an amazing job of making this car just really really Pleasant and easy to drive.
I'm driving the T6 version of the S60 which means that it's 2-liter 4-cylinder engine has both a Turbocharger and a supercharger boosting output to 316 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.
the T6 also comes standard with all wheel drive, and I've got an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Now, when I first drove this T6 engine a couple of years ago in the first XC90 that had it, I thought it was a little bit rough around the edges.
But by this point in the new X60, Volvo has really polished the engine, getting rid of any uncouth NVH that I noticed before.
What I especially like is that there's so much real world flexibility to this powertrain.
There's gobs of torque all across the rev range and the transmission is really nicely responsive.
There is a worry with compact luxury sedans like this, that the engineers are going to really go to great efforts to make the car sporty and kind of ruin it a little bit for everyday driving.
And unfortunately, Volvo hasn't done that.
The S60 isn't a really nice a middle ground, it is responsive and entertaining to drive, but it's also just very well behaved.
You get the sense that confidence and quietness and comfort were more important for the engineers than lap times, and frankly, that's actually what you want in a luxury car.
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One way in which the S60 has let me down a little bit is in fuel economy.
It's rated to return 21 miles per gallon city and 32 MPG highway with this T6 powertrain but I haven't come anywhere close to those.
Now as you can see I'm driving it on a cold snowy day which certainly has an impact on fuel efficiency.
But every time we at Road Show have driven a modern Volvo, we've all noted that we can't hit the EPA ratings in real world use.
It's just something we've noticed and something to bear in mind if you're shopping for this vehicle.
Now, if you are interested in more fuel economy, of course, there is the more affordable, less powerful T5 powertrain.
That will get up 36 mpg highway.
and Volvo is going to sell a plug in hybrid version of the S60 called the T8.
Pricing for the 2019 S60 is pretty comparable to what you'd pay for it's rivals, it starts at about $36,000 and goes up to about $55,000 depending on which engine and trim you pick, before adding any options.
The S60 is also gonna be offered under the Care by Volvo subscription program.
That means you'll make one of the payment that covers maintenance, the lease payment and insurance only one.
That's gonna start at about $750 a month for this car and it could be a pretty nice option for somebody who wants a somewhat simplified ownership proposition.
Volvo has done it again, launching a new car that's really satisfying to drive and really easy to like.
The S60 looks great, it's packed with excellent technology and it's really well suited to being use as your everyday driver.
Even more so than it's predecessor the 2019 S60 is perfectly poised to be a strong contender.
In the crowded luxury sedan segment.
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