4th Place: 2013 Volvo S60 T6 AWD R-Design, Jeff Wilson
 2013 Volvo S60. Click image to enlarge |
Recalling its wild-child 850 R ancestors, our S60 T6 R-Design showed up at this comparison test determined not to be a wallflower. First off, its Rebel Blue attire guaranteed that nobody missed the Swede, but its engine made sure nobody forgot it, either.
Who’d have guessed the Volvo would be the hot rod of this illustrious bunch of storied sport sedans? Thanks to software tuning from Polestar, the R-Design gets a bump in horsepower from 300 to 325 (second in this bunch only to the Audi) and 354 lb-ft of torque, bettering the Audi by nearly 30 lb-ft, and the comparatively weak-kneed Benz by more than 80 lb-ft.
This abundance of torque is definitely felt – just ask Senior Editor Jonathan Yarkony who was riding shotgun and trying to scribble notes when I pinned him to the seat with a judicious stab of the Volvo’s throttle. Even after a day of caning each of the highly spirited cars in this group, the Volvo still surprised us with its ferocious pull, and made me grin with fiendish delight every time the 14.1 psi of boost were called upon.
Unfortunately, like most hot rods, the Volvo is a little crude in many respects. The transmission was derided because of its woefully slow shifts and lack of paddles. Struggling to find the right gear surely contributed to the S60 tying the Cadillac for worst observed fuel economy.
   2013 Volvo S60. Click image to enlarge |
Its wild and woolly engine is wickedly addictive with its bursts of turbo torque, yet with great power comes great responsibility and the lack of handling makes it unnecessarily challenging to properly control, causing its lowest “Easy to Drive” score in the group.
   2013 Volvo S60. Click image to enlarge |
Where the Volvo is really let down is its chassis and steering. The suspension is stiffened to a point of bouncy discomfort, and feels crude compared to the Bimmer and Caddy. What’s more, neither the taut springs nor the performance tires (the only car in the bunch so equipped) did anything to help the Volvo’s handling ability, rated poorest here. Steering felt less precise than the others too, and when coupled with an all-wheel-drive system simply not as finely tuned as the best systems here, it became clear the S60 was never really a podium contender.
On the bright side, the Swedes have always known how to make sensational seats and this car is no exception, with thrones bound to be comfortable for many miles. Plus, with ease of entry and rear seat comfort being among the best, the practicality Volvos have always been associated with comes into play once more, despite its outlandish paint. That paint also helped some of our testers (though I was not one of them) rate the S60’s styling a close second behind the gorgeous Audi.
In so many respects, the S60 is a polarizing car. Its engine is less refined than the others in this group, yet it delivers raw, exciting acceleration. It looks like a sassy sports machine, though it doesn’t handle as well as the others. One thing is sure, none of us will forget the bright blue Volvo – the car that ranked higher on the subjective “Emotional Appeal” category than even the BMW.
Pricing: 2013 Volvo S60 R-Design Platinum
Base price (R-Design Platinum): $54,650
Optional equipment: Navigation System with Bluetooth/USB/Aux – $3,825, Navigation prep – $125
Destination: $1,095
A/C Tax: $100
Price as tested: $59,705
