A few years ago, when in the market for a BIG car Volvo was there on my shortlist, nestled among some of its German and of course feline British competitors.
The gargantuan XC90 was an 'almost-bought' up until the over-exuberant and rather childish salesman tried to encourage me to attempt some racing manoeuvres to 'see what it could do'. He had obviously become blissfully unaware of the three children who were admiring the upholstery in the back, and to be honest, if I was going to buy a car to practice my racing manoeuvres in, it certainly wouldn't have been an XC90!
However, over the last few years my feelings toward Volvo have been nurtured and fed and they have now reached an almost loving affection. There is something so different about the way Volvo approach their design philosophy compared to other manufacturers. They have an immense pedigree to fall back on but at the same time, their leap in ideas has produced what I think are some of the best family cars on the market at the moment.
My most recent adventure with the newly-rejuvenated S60 intensified my love even more. From the moment you step into the sumptuous wrap-around driving position, you get such an air of security and control it's almost as though it was built around you. There's an excellent range of adjustment and the comfort is nothing short of absolute luxury. The drive is quiet, smooth, well-balanced and the handling felt so good I could easily have been convinced I was driving something far more expensive. Due to the exaggerated coupé profile, the boot was enormous, more than accommodating our family self-catering weekend break luggage with ease.
Some of the extras fitted to the S60 SE Lux we drove are worth the world. The adaptive cruise control, which takes into account the speed of the traffic in front of you, proved a godsend on the overcrowded, spray-ridden M1 and the Bluetooth telephone and MP3 music integration kept everything within reach and controllable from the steering wheel, helping me to concentrate on the horrendous driving conditions we experienced both on the way there and coming back.
The snoring from the back seat was reassurance enough that passenger comfort was good too. The girls admired the aesthetics, the boys admired the fact that this was 'some car', that was almost able to drive itself.
I needed no reassurance that what Volvo have put in one package here as the new S60, is going to impress virtually everyone who gets the opportunity to put it through its paces. In essence, I was sad to see it go at the end of the week, and more than any other car I've driven in the last two years.... I want one!
Nigel Crawford
November 2010
Model Driven
Volvo S60 SE Lux.
See review of the Volvo S60 DrivE
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The Volvo C30
