Volvo S60 (00-08) - Review

Review by David Ross on
Last Updated: 15 April 2009
Few cars can match the all-round quality offered by German saloons, but the Volvo S60 comes close. There's nothing revolutionary about it - it's a straightforward saloon with a boot, but it's robustly constructed, comfortable on the move and has a neatly styled and easy to use cabin. One area it can't compete with alternatives like the BMW 3-Series is when it comes to handling - unfortunately the steering feels remote and body roll isn't as well controlled. Other gripes are limited rear legroom and a boot with tight access. But generous equipment levels and affordable prices make up for that while there's a good choice of engines including some excellent diesels. Like other Volvo models it also comes with the most comfortable seats around.
3.5 out of 5

Other Volvo reviews

3 out of 5

Running costs

The high performance T5 and S60R models are thirsty and expensive to insure, but the rest of the petrol range is more reasonable. Other running costs such as parts and servicing are cheaper than manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz or BMW while residual values, although not as strong as the V70, are still better than the average rep-mobile.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,980 - £2,455 *

Diesel

£1,457 - £1,732 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

20,000 miles.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£160.00 - £475.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

2.5 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
    159
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
    266

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The S60 is quite a polluting model, especially the high performance petrol models. The diesel are, as you'd expect, better in terms of economy and emissions - the later versions of both the 2.4D and D5 models emit 174g/km of CO2 and are capable of 43mpg. However compared to modern diesels from other carmakers this seems less impressive.

Find the exact engine and CO2