My Search:

Before I get to the actual review, I just want to give some context as to what kind of car I am looking for in terms of needs and preferences. This was you'll have a better basis for how my opinion may or may not fit with your own.

With my lease on my Saab 9-3 up in a few months, I am finally getting out to test drive the myriad of cars that are on my list as possible replacements. The car I purchase (or lease) will be my primary means of getting back and forth to work in L.A. traffic. I don't need to carry many other people in the car, so I just need it to be comfortable up front and enough space in back to hold one (or both) of my kid's car seats in a pinch. This will not be our main family car - that's what we bought our Honda Odyssey for, after all.

I'd like a car with decent performance; although I won't be racing it anytime soon and I do live in southern CA, so fuel economy is somewhat important. As far as handling goes, I'm not the kind of driver who is looking for a car that feels "toss-able" or allows me to induce oversteer. I think the best word to describe the handling characteristics I'm looking for would be "confidence". I want a car that feels like it can handle anything I can throw at it and still stay below its limits. And I'm getting old enough that I'm also willing to give up some handling capability for a little smoother ride.

As far as interior goes, I'd like an upscale interior with comfortable seats with good support. I'd also like some advanced technology available such as Bluetooth and MP3/iPod integration. A navigation system is not necessary, nor is a super upscale 15 speaker sound package. And, as I said before, I don't need a large amount or rear seat space or a voluminous trunk.

The cars that I've selected to test drive for my search can be divided into three groupings:
Compact sport sedans including the Acura TL, Audi A4 3.2, BMW 330i, Infiniti G35, Lexus IS350, Mercedes C350, and the Volvo S60 R. Mid-sized sport sedans such as the Audi A6 3.2,Infiniti M35, and Lexus GS300. And a few other odds and ends such as the Mazda RX-8 and the Subaru Legacy GT (both mostly due to stellar reviews on this site) as well as the Infiniti FX35 (which I think is one of the best looking vehicles on the road). As you can see, I plan on enjoying this go-round of car shopping.

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Trim Levels:

The S60 is the mid-level sedan in Volvo's line-up, between the compact S40 and the larger S80. Although it may represent the middle of Volvo's offerings, it's closer in size to competitors such as the 3-series than to true mid-sized sedans such as the 5-series and E-class. All S60's are power by inline 5-cylinder engines that range from the 208 horsepower 2.5T to the 300 horsepower R. This review focuses on the S60 R only. It covers two separate test drives - one with an automatic transmission, the other with a manual.

Exterior:

The latest Volvo stylings have done a good job of hitting the middle ground between Volvo's traditional "boxiness" and the aerodynamics of more current sport sedans. The S60 did a good job of moving Volvo styling forward without losing the brand identity. For me, the design works well but not in a gotta-have-it way. And since the S60 is entering into its sixth year with the current design, it's looking a little stale.

Interior:

The styling of the S60 R made a better impression once I climbed behind the wheel. The car I drove was silver with the blue leather interior, a combination that I think looks great with the aluminum trim on the dash and the R's special blue gauges. The seats were very well bolstered and comfortable. The steering wheel is very thick and substantial feeling (which I prefer in a sports sedan). All the controls for climate, radio, doors, and windows were laid out exactly where you'd expect them. There's even an ample amount of storage places up front. To the eye, everything looks in good order. Overall, a great first impression.

But on closer examination, things become less rosy. Some of the materials on the doors and dash turn out to be hard plastic, where on a car like an Audi you'd find softer materials. And try as I might, I could not find a comfortable driving position in the S60 during my first test drive. The steering wheel, although fully adjustable, would not come up high enough for my comfort - or the seat wouldn't sink low enough could be another way of looking at it, I suppose. Either way, the top of the wheel would cut off some of my view of the instrument cluster. In addition, I kept clipping the toe of my right shoe on the lower edge of the dash underside whenever I'd move my foot from pedal to pedal. On the second test drive, I was able to find a more acceptable position, but the S60 took a far larger amount of tinkering with the seat position than I would like.

Rear seat space is... well, it barely exists. Especially considering where I had to put the driver's seat in order for my 6'2" frame to feel comfortable. Frankly, I had as must room in the back seat of my Audi TT coupe. I guess what makes the size (or lack thereof) of the back seat so surprising is how large the vehicle feel from the front seat. The rear seats fold down flat to add room to the already substantial trunk. I thought the trunk opening seems to small and oddly shaped too really get anything large in there, though.

Performance/Handling:

The inline five cylinder that is used in the S60 R generates 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque with the manual transmission. With the automatic the max torque drops to 258 and I was definitely able to tell the difference. These numbers were high enough that I really expected some quick acceleration. Alas, with the automatic at least, that was not the case. While the transmission shifts smooth enough, it just doesn't seem to be able to take advantage of this amount of power. Perhaps it does better at highway speeds (which I was not able to test), but in city driving it felt rather anemic.

The 6-speed manual was definitely an improvement in this area. Off the line acceleration was much improved if still not quite what I had hoped for. Perhaps the S60's curb weight had something to do with this. At almost 3700 lbs, this is a heavy car. But the A4 is heavier still and has less power and still feels quicker to me. The fact that the S60 R is a turbo is the most likely culprit. Also, I think that when the turbo kicks in the power is still a bit too linear for my taste. I guess I'm conditioned to expect a more immediate rush of power once the lag is over.

As far as the transmission itself goes, I found the clutch on the S60 R too heavily weighted for my taste - it requires a good bit of effort to depress. The shifter itself was much nicer, it had a good crisp feel to it. (Made the 6-speed in my Saab seem very rubbery by comparison).

Overall, I found the handling of the S60 R acceptable. It feels well planted in turns and has minimal lean. Definitely qualifies as feeling "confident". However, the steering is weighted rather heavy for my taste, giving the S60 R the feel of a larger car. Its wide turning radius re-enforces this impression. A little more steering feedback would also be appreciated. I found the brakes to have a little more travel in the pedal than I would like before they really kick in, but once they do the Brembo brakes in the S60 R are able to bring it to a stop in short order.

Fuel Economy:

The S60 R is rated at 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway with the automatic transmission. With a manual the highway rating drops to 24 mpg. These numbers put the S60 R towards the bottom of the class.

Reliability:

The reliability ratings for the S60 tend to be a little better than average. For 2006, Volvo has a 4 year, 50,000 mile warranty, but discontinued free scheduled maintenance.

Safety:

The S60 has a five star side impact rating, but only earned a four star front impact rating for both driver and passenger. When I looked up the IIHS data, the problem seems to be with possible lower leg/foot injuries during a front-end collision.

Summary:

Overall, I was not as impressed with the S60 R as I had hoped to be. Although I'm not overly attracted to the exterior styling, I had thought that perhaps what was underneath would compensate. While it has a lot of good things going for it, the S60 R is not everything the Volvo tries to make it out to be.