Now in Extra-Large | 2016 Volvo S60 T5

By Marc Schulhof
May 2016 View more For The Road

The 2016 Volvo S60 has a short, sweet name—but if you want to be precise about the car you’re buying, you may need to take a deeper breath. The car you see here, for example, is the S60 T5 Drive-E Inscription. Which is not to be confused with the S60 T5 AWD Inscription. Or, the eight (or is it 10?) other versions of the S60 sedans. Or, the all-new S60 Cross Country, which is essentially the same sedan endowed with both all-wheel drive and significantly more ground clearance for better performance in the snow.

Variety of Models

You get the idea, right? Volvo is hitting the market with a lot of different flavors of its S60—letting buyers fine-tune their preferences in terms of engines, drivetrains, and levels of standard equipment.

The number of models is not the only thing that Volvo is increasing, either. The big S60 news this year is the three-inch extension of the sedan’s wheelbase—the distance between the front and rear wheels—and the three extra inches granted to rear-seat passengers.

That increase may not sound like much, but an inch in the world of automotive interiors is best understood like dog years—it’s a lot more than it sounds. The extra rear-seat space is a blessing for adult passengers, for sure. It may be even more welcome for drivers who have small children strapped in to booster seats back there. The extra space means less seat-back-kicking on those long drives.

A few extra inches of wheelbase also means that this year’s S60 absorbs bumps a bit more readily than last year’s model. The 2015 S60 was quite comfortable on the road, though, so the difference will probably not be all that noticeable to most passengers. That’s especially true given the S60’s supportive seats, which are standouts in this segment. And because those seats are paired with a suspension that’s tuned toward the firm end of the luxury spectrum, the result is a pleasant ride over all but the worst roads.

Under The Hood

The S60 was completely redesigned two years ago, so it’s not yet time for new engines. And that’s just fine, because Volvo’s Drive-E approach is on trend and well-executed. In this model, the two-liter, four-cylinder engine—a standard size these days—delivers 240 horsepower and even more torque, thanks to a turbocharger that fairly seamlessly boosts the power output. The engine is hooked up to an eight-speed automatic transmission that keeps the power flowing smoothly in most acts of daily driving.

As an incentive to stay in this end of the S60 swimming pool, the front-wheel-drive S60 T5 is rated at an estimated 38 miles per gallon on the highway and 26 miles per gallon in the city. Even in these days of less expensive gas, those are numbers to be cherished on a car that offers this much comfort and power. By comparison, the T5 with all-wheel drive has a different engine, and delivers estimated fuel economy of 29 miles per gallon on the highway and 20 in the city.

The 2016 Volvo S60 T5 Drive-E Inscription carries a starting sticker price of $38,900 in Premier trim or $41,900 in Platinum trim. That places the model at roughly the middle rung of the S60 ladder. Lower down is the S60 T5 Drive-E, which starts at $34,150. Competing for the top rung are a trio of models with bigger engines, more features, or both: The T5 AWD Inscription Platinum ($43,400), the T6 Drive-E Platinum ($43,300), and the T6 Drive-E AWD R-Design Platinum ($44,400).