Fields Volvo Waukesha

The S60 T5 Sedan is Volvo's primary mid-size offering in the increasingly-competitive luxury segment. Intended to go head-to-head with the likes of Acura, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Infiniti and Lexus, the Volvo S60 may not automatically come to mind when you're looking for a luxury mid-size car. But it should.

The S60, along with all the other models in the Volvo lineup, went through Volvo's "Value Pricing" update for the 2010 model year, and consequently the Manufacturer's  Suggested Retail Price, or MSRP for short, was reduced to ensure that the vehicles remained competitively priced compared to their competition. Unfortunately for their dealers, what they had to pay Volvo for the vehicles was not reduced, thus leaving a very narrow margin that a dealer has to play with. Pricing for the 2012 S60 Sedan starts at $32,175 including destination fee.

Volvo's pricing policy has ensured that their S60's base price starts at several thousand dollars below most of its competitors, and yet all of Volvo's safety features are included as standard in the base price including dual front airbags, both front and rear side curtain airbags, side airbags in the front seats together with the unique Side Impact Protection System, and also City Safety, their world-first standard feature designed for safer urban driving. The S60 was designed to be the safest car ever, and that's precisely what you get.

Volvo S60's styling is aggressive but very attractive, and the car looks different from every other car on the road, which is a refreshing change in a field of look-alikes. Front-wheel drive is standard, and power is provided by a turbocharged, 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine and delivered by a six-speed, shiftable, Geartronic automatic transmission.

The first thing that you'll notice upon opening the driver's door is that it feels heavy. This is because of the Side Impact Protection System. The doors are not difficult to open or close, and they shut with a satisfying "thunk". Try that with another brand and you'll hear the difference as well as feel it. The S60 is one of very few cars that seem as if they were made from one solid piece. Well-built, and using only premium materials, you will notice the difference in quality right away.

Once you're in the driver's seat you are surrounded in luxury and comfort. This seat is power-adjustable as standard. Seating is comfortable in the European tradition, the seats feel firm but they are very supportive, and not uncomfortable in the slightest. They are properly shaped and contoured, and lumbar support is standard. Your back will thank you for seating like this. At the end of a journey, whether it's to the mall or to Minneapolis, you're going to get out feeling as fresh as when you started your journey. Leather seating is available with the Premium trim package, a $1,900 option which also adds auto-dimming rear view mirror with digital compass, Homelink garage door opening system, power-operation for the front passenger seat and glass moonroof.

Controls are exactly where you'd expect to find them. Direction indicators on the left stalk together with the headlamp dip switch, wipers on the right. Rain-sensing wipers are an option, and are fitted, together with heated front seats, heated windshield washer nozzles, headlamp washers and Interior Air Quality System (a cabin air filter) as part of the Climate Package for $800. Speedometer and tachometer are in a pod directly in front of the driver, and warnings and messages from the computer are displayed in the center of the tachometer. Both gauges are clearly visible through the steering wheel, which is shaped not only for comfort but to provide optimum placing of the hands for maximum vehicle control. You start the car by pushing the "Start/Stop" button on the dashboard to the right of the wheel. You need to place the "key", really a wireless transponder, into the slot below this button to enable the vehicle to start, unless you have PCC, or Person Car Communicator, fitted in which case you can leave it in your pocket or purse and just press the button. Volvo's Sensus system lets you control information and entertainment from the screen in the center of the dash, and both Bluetooth and Siruis Satellite Radio are standard, the latter coming with a six-month free trial subscription.

The engine isn't intrusive at all, and in fact during normal driving you're hardly aware of it at all. Acceleration is brisk, and more than enough to keep up with traffic. In fact, there is a definite "sporty" edge to the performance if you want it, and the car handles in a very neutral manner, with little body roll. The chassis is very well-behaved, and the car goes exactly where you tell it to. The greatest element of road safety is to avoid an accident in the first place, so it's nice to have a car that is so nimble and responsive. You quickly learn to trust this car and what it will do for you.... The transmission shifts very smoothly, the fact that you don't notice it doing its job is testament to how well it does it. When on the move, the Volvo S60 feels "planted" to the pavement. It is solid and reassuring, but despite the reinforcement and all the technology, this is not a heavy car. Steering is light with just the right amount of assistance, and there's no wander at all when driving straight. The turning circle is very good, allowing you better-than-average maneuverability in parking lots and in tight spaces, such as when parallel parking.

This is a proper five-passenger car, and there's enough space and rear legroom for most people. The trunk is large, and the rear seats fold to allow larger-than-normal loads to be carried. The rear seat headrests can be folded electronically, which not only allows the seats to be folded flat but also increases rear vision tremendously when you don't have any rear-seat passengers which, for most people, is most of the time.

The 2012 Volvo S60 is also available with a turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive. Designated the T6, this model is priced starting at $39,325 including the destination fee. In addition, the T6 can be ordered in R-Design configuration which adds a more powerful engine together with interior and exterior styling touches which really help your vehicle to stand out. The T6 R-Design starts out at $43,825 including destination....

Volvo backs up its products with a five-year, 50,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, which includes all scheduled maintenance and free replacement of wear items, even brake pads and rotors (but excluding tires) for the same period of time. This gives Volvo the lowest cost of ownership among any of the luxury brands, and has been calculated to be worth around $3,500 in value. Considering that shop rates are high and are always going higher still, even at your local repair shop, having five years or 50,000 miles during which you won't even have to pay for an oil change is a definite bonus.

The 2012 Volvo S60 was recently awarded the IIHS's highest safety rating. Several of its competitors can say the same thing of course, but consider this: One of our customers here in Waukesha is a crash test engineer for the IIHS. She recently bought a Volvo S60 Sedan.

 You can build your own 2012 Volvo S60 Sedan here!

©Stephen Favill

If you would like more information please contact us at (262)970-5900 or by e-mail at steve.favill@fieldsauto.com and one of our Volvo professionals will be happy to answer your questions.