2001 Volvo S60 Full Review - Consumer Guide Automotive

S60 replaces the boxy S70 as Volvo's midrange sedan. It shares a basic structure and many features with Volvo's V70 wagons, but doesn't offer all-wheel drive. A longer wheelbase and wider stance give the S60 slightly more interior room than the S70, but the new car is 6-inches shorter overall. All S60s have an inline 5-cyl engine; they come as the base 2.4-liter model, the more-powerful turbo 2.4T, and the sporty turbo 2.3-liter T5. Base and T5 use manual transmission or optional 5-speed automatic. The 2.4T comes only with automatic and includes a manual shift feature. Front side airbags, side curtain side airbags, and Volvo's antiwhiplash front seatbacks are standard. So are antilock 4-wheel disc brakes. The 2.4 model has 15-inch wheels and offers optional 16s. The 2.4T has 16s and offers optional 17s. The T5 has 17s. On T5, traction control is standard and an antiskid system is optional; both features are 2.4T options. T5 also can be ordered with a navigation system with popup dashboard screen.

Competition

This hotly contested segment has a clear benchmark; it is the Acura TL (and its 2-door cousin Acura CL). The TL succeeds in blending comfort, style, luxury, and sport into an efficient package at an affordable price. If you are leaning more toward the luxury scale, the Lexus ES 300 might be a more practical purchase.

We also recommend the sporty and Euro-flavored Audi A6, the comfortable Buick Park Avenue, the affordable and fast Infiniti I30.

News

Though just unwrapped, the S60 will soon spawn a super-high-performance model to rival compact Euro stormers like Audi S4 and BMW M3. It's not yet named, but should be very much like the Performance Concept Car unveiled at last fall's Paris Auto Show. That would mean the usual "hot car" body add-ons and big wheels (17-inchers at least), plus a much-massaged version of the S60 T5 engine. The PCC claimed 300 hp and some 295 lb-ft of torque versus the T5's 247 hp and 243 lb-ft. The production version may wind up with something between those values, but will definitely have the PCC's 6-speed manual gearbox, all-wheel drive, and chip-managed shock absorbers with driver-selectable Comfort, Sport and Advanced Sport settings. The last are tied in electronically with larger antilock brakes and an upgraded antiskid/traction control system. No word yet on base price or arrival time, but we'll guess $38,000 and perhaps this fall as the S60 line's 2002 headliner.

2001 Volvo S60 Road Test

Pros	Cons

Instruments/controls	Ride

Front seat comfort	Rear visibility

	Rear-seat room

Consumer Guide® Road Test Ratings

Acceleration

2.4T	T5, man.	Class Average
5	6	6.1

All S60s hesitate off the line but pick up speed impressively enough, especially the turbos. Manual-transmission T5 clocked 0-60 mph in 7.3 sec. But manual-shift action feels crude, turbo engines' throttle lag leaves you short of power sometimes, and mild "torque steer" wander occurs in hard takeoffs.

Fuel Economy

2.4T	T5, man.	Class Average
5	4	4.7

Test 2.4T averaged 21.7 mpg. Manual-transmission T5s averaged 22 mpg in a city/highway mix, and 17.9 with performance tests. Volvo recommends premium fuel for the turbo engines.

Ride Quality

2.4T	T5, man.	Class Average
4	3	6.4

Structure is satisfyingly solid, but suspensions allow minor road imperfections to be felt more than in most class rivals, especially in the T5 with its extra-firm damping and thumpy low-profile performance tires.

Steering/Handling/Braking

2.4T	T5, man.	Class Average
7	7	6.3

Confident in all models, with sharp steering, modest body lean, and grippy tires. Strong brakes with firm pedal action make short work of stops.

Quietness

2.4T	T5, man.	Class Average
5	5	6.7

Much tire thump on sharp bumps and expansion joints. Engines are muted at modest rpm but these inline-5s are never as smooth as rivals' V6s, and T5 becomes a throaty Hoover at full throttle. Wind noise also high for the class.

Controls

2.4T	T5, man.	Class Average
7	7	6.1

Well-marked, logical, nicely lit. The radio's 20 station presets are accessed by scrolling with a single rotary dial rather than by individual buttons, a feature not all our testers like. Interior decor is stylish and modern, but materials fall short of Audi/Lexus quality.

Room/Comfort/Driver Seating (front)

2.4T	T5, man.	Class Average
7	7	7

Comfortable, supportive seats are wider and softer than the European norm. Outstanding leg and head room. Visibility restricted aft by high parcel shelf, bulky headrests, sloped roofline.

Room/Comfort (rear)

2.4T	T5, man.	Class Average
3	3	5.1

Nicely shaped, and comfortable for two medium-sized adults, but leg room very tight if front seats are set more than halfway back.

Cargo Room

2.4T	T5, man.	Class Average
3	3	4

Compromised by narrow trunk with smallish opening. Interior storage adequate.

Value within Class

2.4T	T5, man.	Class Average
4	4	4.7

Arguably the most stylish Volvo ever, and the best-handling Volvo sedan yet. But compromises in rear seat room, ride quality, and powertrain smoothness are hard to overlook in the hotly contested near-luxury class, especially at the $36,000 sticker price of our 2.4T and T5 test cars. Acura TL and Lexus ES 300 are better values.

Total Score

2.4T	T5, man.	Class Average
50	49	57.1

Scores for all Premium Midsize Cars

Low Score		48
Average Score		57
High Score		70

2001 Volvo S60 Prices & Equipment

Model Prices

Prices Updated: 05/24/2001

Trim Name	Retail Price	Dealer Invoice	Destination Charge

Base 4-door sedan	$26,550	$24,960	$625

2.4T 4-door sedan	$29,850	$28,062	$625

T5 4-door sedan	$31,850	$29,942	$625

Price note: 2.4T requires power sunroof or Premium Pkg.

Pricing Key: Retail prices listed with each report are set by the vehicle's manufacturer. These figures appear on each car's federally mandated window sticker. Most price lists also include dealer-invoice prices. Dealer-invoice prices are what the dealer pays the manufacturer for the car and its factory-installed options. The destination charge is not included in the suggested-retail or dealer-invoice price and must be added to the cost of the vehicle. Car companies change prices frequently throughout the year. If the prices published do not match those on the vehicle's window sticker, the manufacturer has probably altered the price recently.

NA = price note available, NC = no charge.

Rebates and Incentives

There are no rebates or incentives at this time.

Consumer Guide®'s Rebates and Incentives represent a summary of national manufacturer programs available. Regional restrictions may apply, and offerings may vary by model. For a complete list of Rebate & Incentive programs click here.

Standard Equipment

Base

Powertrain

2.4-liter dohc 5-cylinder engine, 5-speed manual transmission.

Safety

Dual front airbags, front side airbags, curtain side airbags, front seat active head restraints, antilock 4-wheel disc brakes.

Comfort and Convenience Features

Air conditioning, interior air filter, power steering, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, cloth upholstery, front bucket seats, center console, cupholders, split folding rear seat w/trunk pass-through, heated power mirrors, power windows, power door locks, remote keyless entry, AM/FM/cassette, digital clock, tachometer, rear defogger, power decklid release, illuminated visor mirrors, map lights, variable intermittent wipers, floormats.

Appearance and Miscellaneous

Theft-deterrent system, rear fog light, 195/65HR15 tires, alloy wheels.

2.4T adds to Base

Powertrain

Turbocharged 2.4-liter dohc 197-horsepower 5-cylinder engine, 5-speed automatic transmission w/manual-shift capability.

Comfort and Convenience Features

8-way power driver seat w/memory, automatic climate control, steering wheel radio controls.

Appearance and Miscellaneous

205/55HR16 tires.

T5 adds to 2.4T:

Powertrain

Turbocharged 2.3-liter dohc 247-horsepower 5-cylinder engine, 5-speed manual transmission, traction control.

Comfort and Convenience Features

Cloth/vinyl upholstery, 8-way power passenger seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel, AM/FM/cassette/CD player, trip computer, universal garage door opener, automatic day/night rearview mirror, front fog lights.

Appearance and Miscellaneous

235/45HR17 tires.

Optional Equipment

Major Packages	Retail Price	Invoice Price
Premium Pkg.
Base	$3,835	$3,259
2.4T	$3,935	$3,344
Leather upholstery, 8-way power driver seat (Base), power passenger seat (2.4T), power sunroof, AM/FM/cassette/CD player, simulated wood trim.

Touring Pkg.
Base	$800	$680
2.4T	$900	$765
T5	$550	$467
Trip computer, Air Quality System (2.4T, T5), automatic day/night rearview mirror, mirror memory (2.4T, T5), universal garage door opener, laminated security side glass, power folding rear headrests, additional cupholder.

Cold Weather Pkg.
Base, 2.4T	$450	$382
Heated front seats, headlight washers/wipers.

Cold Weather/STC Pkg.
Base, 2.4T	$1,000	$849
Cold Weather Pkg. plus traction control.

Powertrain
5-Speed automatic transmission
Base	$1,000	$1,000


5-speed automatic transmission w/manual-shift capability
T5	$1,200	$1,200


Dynamic Stability Control
2.4T	$1,600	$1,360
Traction control, antiskid system, trip computer.

Dynamic Stability Control, T5
T5	$1,100	$935
Antiskid system.

Comfort and Convenience Features
Power sunroof
2.4T, Base, T5	$1,200	$1,020


Navigation system
T5	$2,500	$2,125


Leather upholstery
Base, 2.4T	$1,300	$1,105
T5	$1,350	$1,147
T5 includes sport seats.

Leather/cloth upholstery
T5	$1,050	$892


Max AM/FM/cassette w/in-dash 4-disc CD changer
T5	$1,200	$1,020


Power folding rear headrests
2.4T, Base, T5	$65	$55


Rear armrest cupholders
Base	$45	$38


Appearance and Miscellaneous
Special paint
2.4T, Base, T5	$400	$340


Mimas alloy wheels
Base	$500	$425
Includes 205/55HR16 tires.

Metis alloy wheels
2.4T	$250	$212
Includes 215/55HR16 tires.

Tethys alloy wheels
2.4T, T5	$500	$425
Includes 235/45HR17 tires.

2001 Volvo S60 Specs & Safety

Vehicle Dimensions

Specification	Volvo S60 4-door sedan

Wheelbase, in.	106.9

Overall Length, in.	180.2

Overall Width, in.	71.0

Overall Height, in.	56.2

Curb Weight, lbs.	3230

Cargo Volume, cu. ft.	13.9

Standard Payload, lbs.	--

Fuel Capacity, gals.	21.1

Seating Capacity	5

Front Head Room, in.	38.7

Max. Front Leg Room, in.	42.6

Rear Head Room, in.	37.9

Max. Rear Leg Room, in.	33.3

Specifications Key: NA = not available; "--" = measurement does not exist.

Engines

	dohc I5	Turbocharged dohc I5	Turbocharged dohc I5

Size, liters/cu. in.	2.4 /149	2.4 /149	2.3 /141

Horsepower @ rpm.	168 @ 5900	197 @ 6000	247 @ 5200

Torque (lb-ft) @ rpm.	170 @ 4500	210 @ 1800	243 @ 2400

Availability	Standard	Standard	Standard

EPA City / highway mpg

5-speed manual	21/28	--/--	21/28

5-speed automatic	21/28	21/28	20/27

Engine Key: l/cu in. = liters/cubic inches; ohv = overhead valve; ohc = overhead camshaft; dohc = dual overhead camshaft; I = inline cylinders; H = horizonally opposed cylinders; V = cylinders in a V configuration; W = cylinders in a W configuration; rpm = revolutions per minute; CVT = continuously variable (automatic) transmission; NA = not available; "--" = measurement does not exist.

Safety Features

Antilock Brakes

Traction Control

Antiskid System

Front Side Airbags

Curtain Side Airbags

Rear Side Airbags

NHTSA Crash-Test Results

Test

Volvo S60 4-door sedan

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tests a vehicle's worthiness in front- and side-impact collisions and rates its resistance to rollovers. Front-impact crash-test numbers indicate the chance of serious injury: 5 = 10% or less; 4 = 10-20%; 3 = 20-35%; 2 = 35-45%; 1 = More than 45%. Side-impact crash-test numbers indicate: 5 = 5% or less; 4 = 6-10%; 3 = 11-20%; 2 = 21-25%; 1 = More than 26%. Rollover resistance numbers indicate the chance for rollover when the vehicle leaves the roadway: 5 = Less than 10%; 4 = 10-20%; 3 = 20-30%; 2 = 30-40%; 1 = More than 40%.

Manufacturer's Warranty

Class	Years/Miles	Comments

Powertrain	None/--	--

Bumper-to-bumper	4/50,000	--

Corrosion	8/unlimited	--

Free roadside assistance	4/unlimited	--

Free scheduled maintenance	None/--	--

Manufacturers may periodically offer additional coverage as a purchase incentive. There offers are not reflected on this chart. The federal government requires two other warranties. The Exhaust Emission Warranty covers corrosion-related parts for 2 years/24,000 miles, plus 8 years/80,000 miles on the catalytic converter and any on-board diagnostic device. The Passenger Restraint Warranty covers seat belts and airbags for 5 years/50,000 miles.

Built in: Sweden

Drivewheels: front-wheel drive

< 2001 Volvo S60 Photos

Also in the 2001 Volvo S60 Review:

Volvo S60

Volvo S60 Road Test

Volvo S60 Prices & Equipment

Volvo S60 Specs & Safety

Volvo S60 Photos

Volvo S60 Full Review

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