We Drove a 2019 Volvo S60 for a Year. Here’s How It Did

Despite the fact that it competes in the sport sedan segment, the Volvo S60 values comfort and convenience over a spirited and punchy drive. After 12 months with us, the S60 delivered exactly that, and although its 316-hp T6 engine still feels energetic, it’s tailored to deliver a peaceful experience.

From the beginning, when the S60 was delivered to our Detroit office last summer, associate road test editor Erick Ayapana bought a one-way ticket to the Motor City and set out on a six-day road trip back to the Golden State. I’d be lying if I said he didn’t enjoy the trip. Between that trip and others, the S60 visited Chicago, Denver, Colorado Springs, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and San Francisco, and was always enjoyable to drive for long periods of time. Although they lack fancy features like massage, the seats are supportive and well cushioned, and the cabin is cozy with its 9-inch infotainment screen and elegant design. Erick was hesitant to hand me the keys when he got back, but as the Volvo’s chaperone for the next year, I took good care of it.

I took the S60 on an epic cross-country roundtrip from Los Angeles to Houston for the holidays. My brother and I drove over 3,500 miles in a couple of weeks, and the S60 behaved like a champ. Even when we drove through a snowstorm in New Mexico, the Volvo’s all-wheel-drive system delivered traction despite the slippery conditions. And when we headed to the mountain the next day, it maintained control of all four wheels on a thick layer of ice.

Equipped with the Pilot Assist tech suite, our Volvo could drive itself for a few seconds on the highway without me having to touch the steering wheel. This was especially handy when I needed to open my water bottle or eat a snack. Pilot Assist uses the cameras and radar units to detect the lane markings and measure the distance to the vehicle in front of you . The system worked flawlessly, keeping the car centered in its lane and always maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle ahead. The bummer here is that Pilot Assist is not standard; you have to pay $2,500 for the Advanced package in order to get it.

The Advanced package also adds a head-up display, 360-degree view camera, full LED adaptive headlights lights, and LED foglights. I did appreciate the LED headlights’ ability to illuminate the curves, especially during the long road trips.

The S60’s long list of amenity features takes a big slice of the credit for keeping occupants comfortable. The multimedia package, which also costs $2,500, includes a 12.3-inch digital driver display, navigation, and a Harman Kardon premium audio system. I never really used the nav system—with Apple CarPlay I used Google Maps all the time. However, the digital driver display and Harman Kardon’s sound system are two options that enhanced the experience in the cabin. The sound experience is decent, providing crisp and clear melodies, if not quite a match for Volvo’s Bowers and Wilkins system. The 12.3-inch display transforms the instrument panel into an all-digital experience that looks premium and modern.

Enter the cabin, and the first thing you’ll notice is the standard 9.0-inch infotainment screen. Although you have to take your eyes off the road to use it, I was pleased with how it worked. Once you familiarize yourself with it, it’s easy to get around.

The heated rear seats and heated steering wheel package is available for $750, but I’d skip those options if you live in the Sun Belt states. The linear lime deco inlay, however, is worth its $600 price, as it ups the look of the interior with its fine wood.

Although performance may not be at the top of your list when you buy a Volvo S60, the T6 engine still delivers some breeze. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder is turbocharged and supercharged, producing 316 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Those numbers are respectable, and so are the 5.8 seconds it took to complete our 0-60 mph test. On the road, the S60 delivers when merging onto the freeway or when passing, with the eight-speed transmission downshifting quickly. But there were some instances where the power delivery wasn’t as refined, feeling too eager to deliver the power. Although the S60 is a front-wheel-drive-based sedan, AWD comes standard with the T6 engine.

On twisty roads, the S60 did a decent job sticking to the ground and keeping body roll to a minimum. Like the rest of the car, the suspension is tuned to deliver a comfortable ride, which means it will absorb road imperfections with ease while keeping the cabin serene. Steering is also on the soft side, but the feedback is pretty good. Want something sportier? The Dynamic drive mode will turn things up a bit more.

As with all new Volvos, all scheduled maintenance for the first three years or 36,000 miles is free, covering the first three services (at 10,000, 20,000, and 30,000 miles) . Because of that, we never paid a single penny at the dealer.

Compared to previous long-termers, the S60 was cheap to maintain. We paid $465.55 for two stops with our 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia, and $561.36 for two oil changes and inspections of our 2017 Audi A4 2.0 Quattro. And although our 2019 Genesis G70 matches the Volvo’s complimentary maintenance plan, it should be noted that we had to replace its transmission and transmission control unit early on.

All of the S60’s scheduled services were done within a couple of hours. We did have to visit the dealership three additional times because of separate issues, though—two times because of a failure with the evaporative emissions tube and another one because the panoramic sunroof wouldn’t close. The problem with the evaporative emissions tube was a quick fix, but the panoramic sunroof took an entire day to fix. The sunroof started making weird noises about six months into our loan, and one day it didn’t close.  This was the same sunroof that Detroit editor Alisa Priddle helped install last year at Volvo’s South Carolina plant, so maybe it was our fault.

My biggest complaint is that I visited the dealer three more times than usual, but I never had to leave the S60 overnight for service. Overall, our Volvo S60 was a road warrior. It logged over 19,953 miles, went cross-country twice, and it always delivered a comfortable ride. It also looks handsome from every angle.

I already miss it.