We’re spending 12 months with this Volvo S60, reviewing the full ownership experience with ongoing updates.
Long-Term Wrap up
by Micah Muzio on September 25th, 2020
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 13,014
Latest MPG: 24.62
Lifetime MPG: 23.43
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
We spent a year driving a 2020 Volvo S60 R Design. What did we learn?
Revelation number one, the Volvo S60 proved reliable. We had zero mechanical issues. The closest we got to an actual problem was a check engine light, which appeared around 11,937 miles on the odometer. Our friendly neighborhood Volvo dealer swapped in a new evaporative purge pipe for the emissions system and, voila, problem solved.
Our car was also the subject of a recall. Known internally as R29998, this recall addresses a software issue that may have inhibited the automatic emergency braking system’s operation. We never experienced a malfunction with the braking system, but we were happy to have the recall addressed.
Thanks to Volvo’s complimentary maintenance program for the first 3 years or 36,000 miles of ownership, our total maintenance and service costs came to a whopping total of zero dollars. Our car also spent zero days out of service.
And now for some non-zero numbers. During our year of ownership, we pumped a total of 555.43 gallons into our S60’s tank. That sum let us cover 13,014 miles with total fuel economy landing at 23.43 MPG. That’s just shy of the S60’s combined fuel economy rating of 25 MPG. Knowing our penchant for speed, we’re impressed by the S60’s real-world efficiency.
Our year-long ownership experience was an odd one. It started with joyful road trips to Las Vegas and Oregon and concluded with several months of pandemic-imposed motionlessness. In both scenarios, our 2020 Volvo S60 T6 AWD R-Design performed admirably. It displayed an aptitude for nearly every task we threw at it.
If 2020 proved anything, it’s that the future is unpredictable. In uncertain times, it’s reassuring to drive a reliable car that does darn near everything well.
The Winding Road to Big Bear
by Micah Muzio on August 31st, 2020
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 11,958
Latest MPG: 20.79
Lifetime MPG: 22.25
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
Kelley Blue Book’s long-term Volvo S60 R Design is not a true sports car. It’s a premium sedan with sporting qualities. That said, for a motivated driver the S60 can still hustle.
For example, take my recent trip from Los Angeles to the rustic mountain bedroom community of Big Bear. With the 210 freeway in my rearview, I pointed our S60 up Highway 330. It’s a curvaceous strip of tarmac with a zillion curves and precious few passing lanes that meanders skyward to a tiny town called Running Springs.
From there the appropriately named Rim of the World Highway tracks along blasted precipices etched into the mountains. Flowery language aside, it’s the kind of wonderful winding roadway that drivers who love driving utterly adore.
While staying within the bounds of reason I decided to push the S60’s capacity for lateral fun. Here’s what I discovered
-Our R-Design’s 235/45 18 Continental ProContact TX tires could use more grip. While their frequent hum added audible drama, my cornering speeds were inhibited by their modest all-season traction.
-Understeer is a good handling trait in cars built for the streets. It keeps overzealous drivers from spinning when cornering, though too much understeer can limit a car’s speed and fun potential. The S60 strongly skews to understeer when pushed. For a racetrack I’d love more playful handling but, on a public road abutted by 1,000-foot drop-offs, I’m fine with a safety-tuned suspension.
-With the drive mode set to “normal”, the transmission hesitated to downshift when trying to power out of corners. A smarter man would’ve selected “sport mode” for quicker reactions or used the manual shift function. By contrast, I learned to stupidly mashed the accelerator mid-corner. Mercy, I can be lazy at times.
-Though lacking in feedback, the steering wheel moves with precision and agreeable resistance.
For 29 miles I explored the S60’s handling potential, exploited every inch of my lane, and passed countless drivers unaware that joy can be found in the journey. With so much time since my last frivolous blast behind the wheel, my race to Big Bear felt cathartic. And not just for me. After 30 minutes spent trailing me up the mountain, a dude in a BMW 5 Series pulled alongside at a stoplight and issued the most eager thumbs up I’ve seen in a while.
Immersive movement can help distract from the madness of modern life. Maybe that manifests for you on a mountain bike. Maybe while riding a surfboard. But, for the record, a 2020 Volvo S60 R Design works too.
Check Engine Light
by Micah Muzio on August 20th, 2020
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 11,937
Latest MPG: 18.49
Lifetime MPG: 22.25
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
Not long after our 2020 Volvo S60’s first service, the check engine light came on. Back in the day, this might’ve indicated some catastrophic failure. These days it’s usually related to an emissions issue. Only one way to find out. Back to the dealership!
Returning to Volvo Cars South Bay in Torrance I discovered that the dealership had once again been displaced by their on-going construction. No longer operating from a former MINI dealer, Volvo Cars had shifted to a portable building whose Wi-Fi had just failed. Ah, 2020.
I arrived at 9:09, was greeted by masked staff, then was invited to wait in an outdoor seating area. By 10:18 my car was ready to go. It only took 1 hour and 9 minutes to first determine that Kelley Blue Book’s S60 had a faulty evaporator purge pipe that needed replacing and then time to complete that task.
The wait was barely longer than if I’d just taken the S60 to a car wash. On that note, Volvo Cars washed our S60 too. Total charge for the car wash and repair, $0. I know not every service visit can be quick, painless, and free, but I sure appreciate the ones that are.
Bumping with The Weeknd
by Micah Muzio on July 29th, 2020
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 11,140
Latest MPG: 25.64
Lifetime MPG: 22.36
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
Thanks to our long-term Volvo S60, I’ve finally given a proper listen to After Hours, the massively popular album by The Weeknd. If you don’t know The Weeknd, he’s an R&B musician whose song Blinding Lights is currently looping in my brain, has helped sell Mercedes cars, and would be resonating through clubs if going to clubs were still a thing.
The Weeknd’s 80’s-inspired synth textures blend nostalgia and modernism in a retro-futuristic musical mélange that drives the kids wild. I’m no kid but I like his music too, especially blaring from our S60’s Harman Kardon premium audio system. 14 speakers and 600 watts let the system crank a full-spectrum tapestry of sound.
As a songwriter and music aficionado, I appreciate warm mids and crisp highs but what impressed me during my run-through of After Hours was the bass response. The Harman Kardon system accurately ushers the album’s rich, impactful low end from the studio to my brain (and body). When the Weeknd says “thump”, the S60 thumps!
Many modern luxury cars feature eye-catching metallic speaker grates and elaborate motorized tweeters that rise from their dashes. The S60 does not. It reminds me of 30 Rock’s Jack Donaghy when asked if he liked Phil Collins. “I’ve got 2 ears and a heart, don’t I”? For connecting my ears and heart to the intentions of an artist like The Weeknd, what truly matters is sound. And the S60 has plenty of that.
First Service!
by Micah Muzio on July 15th, 2020
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 10,637
Latest MPG: 27.96
Lifetime MPG: 22.25
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
Oh, boy. It finally happened. The gauge cluster in KBB’s long-term Volvo S60 illuminated an alert indicating that its first 10,000-mile service was nearly due. Lacking a Volvo dealer in my immediate area, I found one a short drive away. Well, at least it’s short during Corona times. With normal LA traffic, all bets are off.
Setting up an appointment with Volvo Cars South Bay in Torrance, California, using their website was delightfully simple. On the day of my appointment I arrived to find that, while their new building is under construction, the dealership was operating temporarily out of a former MINI dealer. Despite the odd setting the staff was quick, courteous, and maintained appropriate social distancing and mask protocol.
The total time from arrival to departure was 2 hours and 34 minutes during which the service staff performed the following tasks.
-Oil and filter change
-Safety and wear inspection
-Set tires to proper PSI
-Top off fluids
-Perform manufacturer recall: This update addressed an issue where the automatic emergency braking system might not activate correctly.
-The dealer also washed our S60, which had accumulated an impressive layer of debris during its extended, pandemic-mandated downtime.
Safety recall aside, there were no earth-shattering revelations during our service visit; just simple maintenance and a car wash, handled professionally, at no cost, and in an agreeable time frame.
So, the car is clean. The oil fresh. We’re ready for whatever comes next. The world may be a disorganized mess right now but at least our Volvo is sorted. Perhaps more than ever, it’s wise to revel in life’s tiny triumphs.
Motionless in Corona Times
by Micah Muzio on June 10th, 2020
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 9,464
Latest MPG: 20.07
Lifetime MPG: 22.09
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
I’d been eager to hit 10,000 miles in KBB’s long-term Volvo S60 R Design, so I could finally take it in for its first service. Naturally, as my goal mileage approached a global Coronavirus pandemic hit. Oh, that old cliché.
So now, instead of ticking off its service visit, our S60 has sat motionless for weeks. Oh, there’s been the occasional grocery run but otherwise, my travel plans have come to a literal standstill. On one hand, I miss road trips in our Volvo. On the other hand, I should probably focus on the more urgent existential crisis.
As a brand, Volvo has long promoted safety. I suspect they’d agree that, ironically, the safest move right now is to let their nifty S60 hibernate in my driveway.
First Service?
by Micah Muzio on March 14th, 2020
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 8,883
Latest MPG: 24.64
Lifetime MPG: 22.22
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
As a 42-year-old dude, I’m old enough to remember when 3,000-mile oil change intervals were the norm. Frequent oil swaps were doubly important during “break-in miles” on a new vehicle when microscopic bits of abrasive metal had likely sloughed off the engine’s internal parts. With that foundation of car knowledge, it feels utterly unnatural to delay our Volvo S60’s first service until 10,000 miles. But that’s what Volvo prescribes. And so, we shall oblige.
My brain knows that modern manufacturing tolerances and advanced lubrication technology enable longer spans between service. But my soul is giving that 10,000-mile target the side-eye. Consider this another reminder that there is a difference between knowing what’s true and fully believing it.
Child Friendliness
by Micah Muzio on February 9, 2020
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 7,348
Latest MPG: 20.97
Lifetime MPG: 22.46
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
America loves SUVs. Nonetheless, here are 5 good reasons to haul my 4-year-old daughter around in Kelley Blue Book’s long-term Volvo S60 instead of an SUV.
1: The trunk happily swallows enough luggage for 2 weeks of travel (bulky snow gear included).
2: The S60’s comparatively low ride height allows my independence-minded daughter to hoist herself into her booster seat.
3: Standard rear vents keep my kiddo comfy in all climates.
4: Our S60’s compact design allows my wife to easily hand snacks or crayons from the front seat to my daughter in back.
5: The Volvo S60’s lively handling fills my daughter with delight in a way few SUVs can.
A premium compact sedan won’t work for all families but for the Muzio Family Power Trio, the Volvo S60 is an excellent fit.
Front Camera
by Micah Muzio on January 31, 2020
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 7,079
Latest MPG: 21.02
Lifetime MPG: 22.52
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
Following a recent rainy-day hike, I was confronted with a challenge. I’d backed KBB’s long-term Volvo S60 into a dirt parking area adjacent a curvy two-lane road. Thanks to some newly parked cars, my view of that road was now blocked. With intermittent traffic zipping by the old-school solution might’ve been to have my wife jump out and signal when it was safe to pull out.
But these are modern times and technology offers a much better solution. KBB’s long-term Volvo S60 features a 360-degree camera system. In addition to a pseudo bird’s eye view around the car, the system also offers an isolated view from the S60’s nose. Thank heaven! That fish-eye front view helped me spot traffic, including one particularly speedy Porsche, until a gap appeared.
Some drivers might scoff at our growing dependence on technology but if more cameras mean I can pull into traffic without relying on blind luck (or a rain-soaked wife), I’ll happily endure those scoffs.
Auto Hold Release
by Micah Muzio on January 6, 2020
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 6,320
Latest MPG: 26.31
Lifetime MPG: 22.82
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
Let’s get nitpicky. Kelley Blue Book’s long-term Volvo S60 T6 R-Design includes an auto-hold feature that automatically applies the brakes when the vehicle is stationary, freeing the driver to relax their leg. It’s a nice feature but I have a quibble.
When releasing its grip on the brakes, auto-hold lets go abruptly, resulting in jerky departures from stoplights. It’s no major sin but, as a driver who relishes imperceptible transitions from braking to motionless, a bit more finesse when leaving from a stop would be lovely.
Fuel Economy
by Micah Muzio on January 3, 2020
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 5,959
Latest MPG: 27.53
Lifetime MPG: 22.62
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
High-5s all around, y’all! I just achieved the second-best fuel economy result yet in our long-term 2020 Volvo S60.
My most recent tank of fuel delivered a strong 27.53 MPG. No, that figure does not top our car’s EPA highway rating of 32 MPG. Then again, the pace we maintained hurtling down Interstate 5 from Oregon to California was far more “spirited” than any testing conducted by the EPA.
At more measured speeds, KBB editor Jason Allan managed a stellar 31.7 MPG. We applaud his patience behind the wheel. It’s good to know our 2020 S60 T6 can return that kind of efficiency…even if I will never personally experience it.
All-Wheel Drive Versus Snow
by Micah Muzio on January 1, 2019
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 5,053
Latest MPG: 20.93
Lifetime MPG: 22.14
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
I originally had a Jeep Wrangler scheduled for my family’s Christmastime trek from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon for a week of snowy, wintry fun. The fates conspired to dash our original plan. Thankfully our backup ride, Kelley Blue Book’s all-wheel drive, long-term Volvo S60 was up to the task.
On New Year’s Day my wife, daughter, and I ventured to Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood for a day of skiing. If you’ve ever seen the movie The Shining, you’ve seen the exterior of Timberline Lodge. After we’d had our fill of the mountain, we returned to our S60, now covered in a fresh and quickly accumulating layer of snow. For added effect, the parking lot and road leading to Timberline Lodge were marked by numerous cars spinning their tires and struggling to move.
After climbing aboard, shedding our snow gear, and letting the S60 warm up, we cautiously pulled forward, listening for tell-tale signs of tire slippage. There were none. The S60’s full-time all-wheel-drive system simply distributed power to each of our car’s four tires. Doing their part, those 235/45R18 Continental ProContact TX all-season touring tires delivered stellar grip on the snowy, icy road leading down the mountain.
Fun story. When I was a 9-year-old Oregonian my family took a drive to Mount Hood. On the descent from Timberline Lodge, my dad spun our 1987 Toyota 4Runner, fortuitously sliding rearward into the snow-covered mountain rather than off the cliff that loomed on the other side of the road. As an adult, it was a joy to pass that memorable site with grip and stability that eluded my father 32 years prior.
Parkability
by Micah Muzio on December 29, 2019
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 4,833
Latest MPG: 20.65
Lifetime MPG: 22.09
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
Parking in Portland, Oregon can be tricky. Spots in the city’s hipper areas are hard to come by. Surveying the openings available frequently provoked the following question. Will my Volvo S60 R-Design fit there without scuffing its sweet Birch Light Metallic paint?
To help answer that question, our long-term 2020 Volvo S60 utilizes an array of cameras. Those camera images stitch together to form a high-resolution, quasi bird’s eye view above the vehicle, presented on the 9-inch infotainment screen. It’s a helpful asset when squeezing into cozy nooks but the implementation could be better. Here’s how.
1: The system automatically activates only the rear camera when backing up. I’d love an option to activate the 360 angle by default when reverse is selected.
2: At the very least the camera system should automatically activate the front camera when drive is selected at low speed. Yes, the front view is a screen tap away but when cars are piling up behind you, every second spent parking feels like an eternity.
With 2 small tweaks, Volvo could transform a good camera system into a great system.
Pro Pilot – Part 2
by Micah Muzio on December 28, 2019
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 4,494
Latest MPG: 24.07
Lifetime MPG: 21.77
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
In our previous update, I registered appreciation for Pilot Assist, a feature included on our long-term Volvo S60 that can manage the steering, brakes, and accelerator on the driver’s behalf. With a few hundred miles more under my belt, I have a few supplemental observations.
Pilot Assist does a fine job keeping our S60 in its lane…most of the time. I say “most of the time” because during an intense Oregon rainstorm our car’s lane-keeping accuracy diminished slightly. That diminishment expressed itself through an increased wandering tendency and delayed reactions to the road’s curves. Our car’s decayed faculties weren’t worrisome, but they were noticeable.
I’ve also noticed some oddness during lane changes. Pilot Assist does not actively steer the S60 from one lane to the next. Using the turn signal temporarily deactivates the system so the driver can steer into the next lane.
However, on several occasions Pilot Assist attempted to, mid lane change, authoritatively steer itself into the new lane; almost as-if the system suddenly realized the vehicle was outside of an approved lane, necessitating an excessive jerk to fix the oversight.
On the whole, Pilot Assist works well but our travels have revealed room for improvement.
Pro Pilot – Part 1
by Micah Muzio on December 27, 2019
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 4,255
Latest MPG: 26.37
Lifetime MPG: 21.58
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
Thanks to modern technology many new cars can manage steering, braking, and acceleration duties by themselves under certain driving scenarios. If that sounds like commuting bliss, please, pump your metaphorical brakes.
None of the systems I’ve sampled are advanced enough to let the driver’s mind wander. Tesla’s Autopilot, Honda Sensing, and Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist all require constant monitoring. Consequently, I’ve found that babysitting a “semi-autonomous” car is actually more stressful than simply driving for myself.
And so, it was with skepticism that I activated Pilot Assist in Kelley Blue Book’s long-term Volvo S60 R-Design during a long drive northbound. Our family road trip from California to Oregon included countless hours of brisk cruising along long, mostly straight stretches of Interstate 5.
In that environment, the Pilot Assist feature worked brilliantly. The S60 smartly kept itself in the middle of its lane, adjusting speed to maintain an appropriate distance from vehicles ahead. All the while, I observed our progress, relaxed, with one hand on the wheel; enjoying the music and insights of Dolly Parton’s America (a fun podcast if you’ve got a spare eight hours or so).
Monitoring Pilot Assist in stop-and-go commutes, when the potential for a crash is high, is worry-filled drudgery. Like watching a toddler walk. Conversely, having Pilot Assist oversee the driving details during boring, low-consequence freeway jaunts was a joy. For me, the experience was a revelation. I’m fine dealing with stress, it’s boredom that’s a struggle.
For mind-numbing miles on the interstate, please, take the wheel Pilot Assist!
Cargo Space
by Micah Muzio on December 22, 2019
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 3,655
Latest MPG: 18.95
Lifetime MPG: 21.26
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
On paper, 13.8 cubic feet is not huge. In practice, it’s more than adequate trunk space for a family of three.
Over the holidays my wife, our 4-year-old daughter, and I road-tripped from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon. When hauling kid-related paraphernalia trunk space is always a question. To our delight, Kelley Blue Book’s long-term Volvo S60 answered that question with a kind “no problemo!”
Here’s the gear we carried.
-3 standard rolling bags.
-2 backpacks.
-A low-rent plastic sack filled with winter clothing.
-1 duffel bag filled with marginal quality video gear.
To my surprise, all that cargo filled the trunk without issue. Rotating two of the bags onto their sides helped maximize space but overall the 2020 S60 swallowed our gear like a python. You know, to properly verify the S60’s cargo accommodating excellence, another joy-filled road trip might be in order.
Apple CarPlay Connection Issues
by Micah Muzio on December 11, 2019
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 3,407
Latest MPG: 21.75
Lifetime MPG: 21.51
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
I’ve grown to depend on Apple CarPlay. Whatever press car I pilot Apple’s smartphone integration interface remains a familiar constant. Given that dependence it’s dismaying to note CarPlay-related issues in our long-term 2020 Volvo S60.
With my iPhone X connected via the USB port, our S60’s Sensus infotainment system frequently fails to recognize my device. Disconnecting then reconnecting often fixes the problem but not always. I’ve tried using my wife’s iPhone X along with different cables. The problem remains.
Hopefully Volvo can help with this perplexing issue with a software update during our first service visit. Fingers crossed…because using earbuds while driving is SO undignified.
Windshield Clip?
by Micah Muzio on November 22, 2019
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 2,854
Latest MPG: 20.65
Lifetime MPG: 22.39
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
Not sure how I missed it but Kelley Blue Book’s long-term Volvo S60 has a little plastic clip positioned on the lower left corner of the windshield. It’s a clear, inconspicuous clip accessible via a long reach by the driver.
At first, I was confused by the clip’s presence but then I remembered that, in some places, drivers are required to display parking passes. One could, if inclined, use the clip to display proof they’d paid for parking.
I’ve always found the dash to be a perfectly reasonable parking pass holder, but those stoic Swedes are bit more enlightened where design and minimalism are concerned. In that spirit, the little clip brings just the slightest bit more order to the S60’s cabin. Good to know that, even in the smallest regards, the 2020 S60 beats with a Swedish heart.
Just a reflector
by Micah Muzio on November 16, 2019
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 2,563
Latest MPG: 21.11
Lifetime MPG: 22.64
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
Chrome trim sure is pretty. Dazzling even. In fact, I was literally dazzled (aka temporarily blinded) this morning by light reflected from the chrome trim in Kelley Blue Book’s long-term Volvo S60. Fun!
It turns out that, at certain angles, the chrome trim surrounding our car’s cupholders can focus and reflect the sun’s radiant energy directly into the driver’s eyes. If that strip of chrome were somehow sentient and bent on sabotage, it could not have been more effective in distracting me behind the wheel.
Properly informed of this quirk I am now on guard when driving at low sun angles. My arm blocks the glare worked well enough but if this persists, I might have to take stricter measures. Who knows, maybe some dulling spray would help. I bet a little sandpaper would get the job done. Either way, I take driver focus seriously. You’ve made a powerful enemy, chrome trim. You best watch your shiny little back.
Braking. That last 1%.
by Micah Muzio on November 8, 2019
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 2,239
Latest MPG: 21.11
Lifetime MPG: 22.52
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
Have you experienced the nerdy joy of slowing your vehicle so smoothly that neither you nor your passengers know exactly when the car stopped moving? I have…but not in Kelley Blue Book’s long-term Volvo S60. In motion the brakes feel fine but for some reason I can’t quite nail that final breath of deceleration. I have a few theories.
Theory 1: The transmission’s torque converter has too much creep dialed in (creep being the slow forward movement that occurs when you release the brake in a car with an automatic transmission). Perhaps the S60 is pulling too aggressively during that final few feet while I’m deftly easing off the brake pedal.
Theory 2: The brake pad formulation has too much bite. Grabby brakes can impart satisfying immediacy when slowing at speed but can also compromise slow-speed smoothness.
Theory 3: The automatic start-stop feature, which shuts down the engine at stop lights to save fuel, sometimes activates too early. Shutting off the engine prior to true motionless means the brakes no longer have to counteract the vehicle’s creep tendency (there’s that creep again) resulting in a jerky stop.
Honestly, the truth likely involves all three theories, but more testing is in order. Good news, we’ve got a year to figure out this braking conundrum.
LATCH with class
by Micah Muzio on November 4, 2019
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 1,985
Latest MPG: 18.76
Lifetime MPG: 22.81
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
As the father of a 4-year-old I know my way around LATCH. That’s Lower-Anchors & Tethers for CHildren for you freewheeling folks without kids. All new cars have this system that enables easy, secure attachment of child safety seats. After countless installs over the past 4 years I can tell you some implementations are better than others. For example, Kelley Blue Book’s long-term Volvo S60.
In some cars the lower anchors are hidden between fabric or leather, making seat installation a game of chance. Poke. Poke. “Where the heck is that anchor?!?!” In the Volvo S60 the lower anchors are unambiguously identified by obvious plastic covers featuring child seat logos.
Flipping up those unambiguous covers reveals the anchor points, hanging in the breeze for all the world to see. Click the latch connectors to the anchors, tighten the child seat strap, and voila, you’re done! For child seats with an upper tether Volvo employs the same elegant solution; an unmistakable plastic cover that, when removed, reveals an easily accessed upper tether anchor.
As a car reviewer I’m constantly installing and uninstalling my daughter’s seat in new vehicles. Based on that unwanted expertise I can assuredly proclaim the Volvo S60 idiot proof…at least where car seat installations are concerned.
Swipe Right
by Micah Muzio on October 26, 2019
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 1,749
Latest MPG: 21.15
Lifetime MPG: 23.79
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
Windshield wipers are inherently boring. All cars have them. They exist solely to remove water and debris for the windshield. Whatevs. What wipers need is some good PR. Maybe a gimmick. Well, have I got a gimmick for you!
Like nearly every other car on the planet, Kelley Blue Book’s long-term Volvo S60 R-Design has windshield wipers. But those wipers are not aided by traditional washer fluid squirters. No, sir. In the S60, the washer fluid drips gracefully from the tiny holes integrated into the wiper elements themselves. (Mind-blown emoji goes here).
That might not sound like a big deal, and big scheme it’s not, but among the typically blasé world of windshield wipers, integrated washer fluid distribution is a pretty neat trick. Gimmickry aside, this system puts washer fluid exactly where it needs to be, right along the leading edge of the wiper blade. That means no needless overspray, no annoying dry spots due to inaccurate squirters. Just a reliably clean windshield with zero side effects.
Again, this is not a revolutionary, game changing technology. But small delights form the foundation for a long joyful ownership experience. With a crystal-clear view forward, we’re off to a promising start with our long-term S60.
Dispatches from Las Vegas
by Micah Muzio on October 18, 2019
Price: $49,665 | Price yours
Current Odometer: 1,492
Latest MPG: 28.31
Lifetime MPG: 28.31
Maintenance/Service Costs: $0
Time out of Service: 0 days
If you live in Los Angeles one great way to test a vehicle’s road worthiness is to drive to Las Vegas. You know, a few hours of high-speed cruising, maybe catch a show, hit the slots; all in the name of research. In fact, nearly every car that’s ever breezed through Kelley Blue Book’s long-term test fleet has been subjected to this test.
To help break in the latest addition to our fleet, our man Jason Allan aimed north to Vegas in our 2020 Volvo S60 R-Design. Here are his thoughts distilled into convenient bullet points. Naturally, the zestier aspects of his trip have been stricken from the record.
-The new Volvo S60 passed its Vegas test with flying colors.
-Pilot Assist did a lot of the driving
-Total trip fuel economy was 31.7 mpg
-The seats were supportive and comfortable throughout the 625-mile trip.
-Apple CarPlay and SiriusXM served all our infotainment needs, including NFL play-by-play balanced by the My Favorite Murder podcast for my true crime-loving wife (a compromise appropriate for an anniversary trip).
-I would’ve appreciated a bit more personal storage space up front, and actively ventilated seats are welcome anytime you’ll be sitting in the same seat for hours at a time, but that’s the entirety of what I missed.
-Trip note: If you haven’t done so, next time you’re in Vegas consider carving out a few hours to visit the Hoover Dam. Just a 35-minute drive from the strip, it’s an awe-inspiring structure and feat.
Welcome to the family
by Micah Muzio on September 17, 2019
Price: $49,665 |Price yours
Powertrain: 316-horsepower, 2.0-liter I4 Supercharged and Turbocharged
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 21/32
What is a Volvo S60 and why did we add it to our long-term test fleet? Well, the S60 is a compact luxury sedan that competes with icons like the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. If the S60 does its job right we should experience a year of luxurious trappings, modern technology, and engaging road manners. Fingers crossed! As for why we added it to our fleet, let’s just say we have a soft spot in our heart for sedans. SUVs have absorbed the spotlight in recent years, but the sleek style, sporting spirit, and elevated efficiency of a sedan still speak to us.
This particular S60 is T6 R-Design. Where the basic $37,000-ish S60 T5 gets by with a 250-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive, the adventurous souls at Kelley Blue Book demand more! Moving up to the T6 adds a supercharger and all-wheel drive to the mix. The result is a substantial bump in power (316-horsepower, 395 lb-ft of torque) and the all-wheel traction to exploit it. As mentioned, we also chose the R-Design package, which elevates the S60’s style cred with sport seats, a sport steering wheel, metal mesh trim, sporty 18-inch wheels, black exterior trim, and a more aggressive looking front grille.
Show me what you’re working with
As you might’ve gathered from the previous paragraph, we have fancy tastes at the Blue Book. In that spirit we opted to add a few options to our car. Its Birch Light Metallic paint cost $645. We spent $750 on a heated steering wheel plus heated rear seats to match the heat fronts. And we sprung for the $2,500 Advanced Package that added indulgences like adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera system, adaptive LED headlights, and Volvo’s Pilot Assist feature, which will discuss momentarily. All in, including $6,850 worth of R-Design features plus destination charges, our 2020 Volvo S60 T6 rings in at $52,290. Not cheap but hey, aren’t we worth it?
Pilot Assist
There are plenty of features to analyze with our 2020 Volvo S60 but perhaps the biggest area of interest is Pilot Assist. That’s Volvo’s driver assist feature that can manage the steering, accelerator, and brakes during tedious commutes; under constant adult supervision of course. Whether Pilot Assist actually eases the burden of daily commutes remains to be seen but, LA traffic being what it is, we’ll have plenty of opportunities to put the system through its paces.
When it landed, our 2020 Volvo S60 had 550 miles on the odometer. If we play our cards right, we’ll increase that number to 5 figures over the next 12 months, ideally putting its all-wheel drive abilities to good use. After all, it’s only a 2-hour drive from greater Los Angeles to the nearest ski slopes. We’re also hatching some road trips schemes to break up the monotony of endless commuting. Whatever happens it should be an enlightening year with our sassy little Volvo. We look forward to sharing what we learn.
