Should you buy a Volvo V60?

Yes. If you want a fast estate that prioritises comfort over sportiness, the Volvo V60 is an excellent choice. It’s one of the oldest cars in its class, but we’ve found that’s not such a bad thing. There’s a pleasing simplicity to the interior – we love how the technology isn’t overbearing, as it is in the Mercedes C-Class Estate or BMW 3 Series Touring.

The 3 Series is still the market leader in this segment, as it’s better to drive, it has a broader range of engines and a larger boot, but the Volvo makes a clear case for itself. It has a chic, high-quality cabin, stacks of advanced safety equipment and it comes at a useful discount over the usual German culprits.

At the end of the day, it comes down to what you need from your estate. If you want something that can thrill you on your way back from a massive tip run, buy the BMW. But if you just want something that can get you and all the luggage you’ll ever need to carry to your destination comfortably, but the gap between the V60 and the much fresher Audi A5 Avant or Mercedes C-Class Estate is very close indeed.

What we like

The V60’s cabin is comfortable, its plug-in hybrid powertrains are punchy and it has a good seats-up boot capacity. It’s also refined on the motorway and it doesn’t embarrass itself on a twisty back-road. We like how easy the infotainment system is to use, too, especially with Volvo’s voice controls.

What we don’t like

The engines sound a little boring and, considering Volvo’s heritage here, the seats-down boot capacity is unimpressive. It doesn’t drive as well as a BMW 3 Series, either, but what else does in this market sector?