Volvo S60

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Rating:
On the road price: £19,995 - £28,925
For : Neat design inside and out, value
Against : Tight boot access, limited rear leg room

Volvo's 3-Series rival somehow hasn't quite managed to be spoken of in the same sentence. Even now, it's still a great-looking car, with a coupe-like profile at the rear and strong, broad-shouldered looks. But in a group test, it's always Mercedes, Audi, Saab and (more recently) Lexus you think of. That's probably due to Volvo's approach with the S60. Instead of making an overly sporty saloon, it produced a front-driven cruise with the emphasis very much on comfort and refinement. Suspension is cosseting, noise levels are low and the stupendous front seats are among the best and most indulgent in the business.

The wholly-five-cylinder engine range opens with the base turbo-charged 2.0-litre producing 180bhp, moving through to the 250bhp range topping T5, all giving the S60 a surprising turn of speed. But the best-sellers are the D5 diesels, in either 163bhp or newer 185bhp guise. The latter is something of a Q-car, with mountains of 'go' yet still a 42mpg average. Meanwhile, the S60 is larger, and significantly cheaper, than the competition, with the specification majoring on passive and active safety. Handling focuses on safety at the expense of excitement too; no F1 car-like feel through the over-light steering here, and it hardly encourages you to pitch it into corners with abandon, though the brakes are powerful should the engines' power take you (and the chassis) unawares. A good car in many ways, and a class front-runner for comfort, but it lacks the extra edge that makes the BMW 3-Series so supreme. Even the extreme, 300bhp 'R' model hasn't given Volvo the sporty air it so desires - but how important is that to you, given the S60's other skills?