Eric's Autos: 2024 Volvo S60

It's hard to sell what not enough people are aware is for sale -- and that may be part of the reason why Volvo's S60 sedan will soon no longer be for sale.

The Swedish luxury car brand recently announced that this model year will be the final year for this interesting alternative to better-known compact luxury sedans sold by BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

Probably because not enough of the people who bought a BMW, Benz or Audi realized there is an interesting alternative to all of them.

What It Is

The S60 is -- per above -- Volvo's alternative to better-known (and better-marketed) luxury sedans such as the BMW 3 Series, the Mercedes C-Class -- which are about the same size -- and the Audi A4, which is a little smaller (as well as the Audi A6, which is a little larger).

Prices start at $42,000 for the base front-wheel-drive B5 Core trim, which comes standard with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with a mild-hybrid system that cycles the engine off during deceleration and when the car isn't actually moving, to increase fuel economy. All-wheel drive is available as a standalone option, which raises the MSRP to $44,300.

But what makes the S60 an interesting alternative is that all trims -- including the base B5 Core trim -- can be equipped with a plug-in hybrid system called Recharge T8 that nearly doubles the power you get, while also enabling the S60 to travel as far as 40 miles without burning (or "emitting") any gas at all.

The T8-equipped S50 Core stickers for $51,950 and comes standard with AWD.

A top-of-the-line S60 Recharge T8 Ultimate Black Edition -- which comes standard with a 15-speaker Bowers & Wilkins premium stereo, power-extending seat bottoms for the driver and front-seat passenger, a translucent crystal gear selector, four-zone climate control, headlight washers, ambient interior lighting and unique-to-this-trim cosmetics lists for $58,550.

What's New for 2024

It's more a case of what's soon to be gone.

Volvo will stop producing the S60 -- which is made in the USA -- after the end of the current model year.

That means if you want one, you haven't got much time left to get one.

What's Good

-- An interesting alternative to the better-known contenders in this class.

-- A less expensive alternative to the better-known contenders in this class.

-- The most comfortable seats in the class.

What's Not So Good

-- This alternative will shortly no longer be available.

-- Trunk space (11.6 cubic feet) isn't much.

-- Hasn't got the status-appeal of the better-known contenders in the class.

Under the Hood

Every 60 trim is available with either of the two available drivetrains.

The first is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four paired -- as discussed above -- with a mild-hybrid setup; the combo produces a total of 247 horsepower.

It gets more interesting when you take a look at the Volvo's optional plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

There's still a 2.0-liter four, but when supplemented by the electric motor/battery pack, total output increases to 455 horsepower -- and 523 foot-pounds of torque.

BMW offers a plug-in version of the 3 Series -- but it only offers 288 horses and can only travel about 20 miles on battery power alone. The Volvo can go about twice that distance. Mercedes C-Class mild-hybrids can't go any distance on battery power alone, and to get anything close to the power you get in the Volvo, you'd have to spend at least $60,700 to start for the 402-horsepower C43.

If you bought the S60 Recharge T8 Core instead, you'd have spent $8,750 less -- and gotten 53 more horsepower, as well as the capability to drive about 40 miles without using any gas at all.

On the Road

The standard-drivetrain'd S60 is a nice small sedan with what are arguably the most comfortable seats available in any current sedan. Volvo doesn't do a very good job of getting the word out about this alternative to the others in the class. And that's a shame, because they are that good -- and by themselves make the car worth considering versus the others in the class. You can sit in them for eight hours and -- after eight hours -- not feel as though you've been sitting for eight hours.

But it's the alternative drivetrain that makes the S60 really interesting.

For openers, because almost no one outside of Volvo enthusiast circles knows it exists. And almost everyone else wouldn't suspect it, just to look at it. The S60 is a nice-looking car; it does not look like a car that has 455 horses under the hood.

This Volvo -- let that sink in -- can get to 60 mph in four seconds. That makes it one of the quickest cars that doesn't look fast you can buy. It's like being able to punch like Mike Tyson without looking like Mike Tyson -- and that can put whoever wants to try to get in the ring with you in serious trouble.

At the Curb

This Volvo looks like a Volvo -- which will appeal to people who like Volvos -- and to people who discover what this Volvo can do.

It's also a little bigger than some of its better-known competitors, such as the BMW 3 Series sedan, for instance. The S60 is 188.1 inches long; the 3 sedan is 185.9 inches long. More finely, the BMW 3 sedan is firmly within the boundaries of the compact sedan class, while the S60 edges closer to being midsize. It is also just a smidge longer than the Mercedes C300, which is 187 inches long.

Oddly, the Volvo has the least trunk space (11.6 cubic feet) of the three and much less than the BMW 3 sedan, which has a big car's 16.9-cubic-foot trunk (the C300 splits the difference with 12.6 cubic feet).

The S60's trunk isn't just small for the class -- it's small, period. And this is arguably the Volvo's weakest selling point in that a small trunk places a physical limit upon the practicality of a small sedan.

The Rest

Volvo has a "safety" problem.

The problem being that all cars are now "safe." That is to say, all new cars come with pretty much the same array of "safety" technology, including a bevy of what are styled "advanced driver assistance technologies" and typically at least six airbags (in this class of car).

The S60 might be slightly "safer" in this or that way -- but the difference is so slight that it no longer matters.

Or rather, it no longer sells like it used to.

The Bottom Line

The S60's fate has been sealed, but there's still time to get one of these alternatives to the others.

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Eric's latest book, "Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.