Review: 2014 Volvo S60 Is Part Luxury, Part Performance, All Safety

Volvo S60 Front

The 2014 Volvo S60 holds firmly to its brand’s focus on safety and comfort while appealing to those who also want a sportier sedan.

STATS Starting Retail Price As Tested Price HP / Lb-Ft
2014 Volvo S60 $32,400 $40,065 250 / 266
EPA Rating MPG As Tested MPG
Rating: BUY IT! 21 / 30 Combined 24 22.8 Combined

It still looks every bit the Volvo, just the edgier one that lives in the city versus the country mouse that hangs out in the suburbs. There’s something more aggressive to its design with a rounded, wedge-shape that gives it the styling of a performance car. It’s similar to the Audi A4, possibly even sportier. The larger logo on the grille, reworked headlights and new integrated exhaust pipes in back all make it a very appealing car.

Inside the 2014 Volvo S60 there’s a combination of luxe materials with wood and metal details that make it warm and inviting. This isn’t a large, luxury sedan but it manages to feel like one. There’s actually quite a lot going on when you really look t it, but the design is so well integrated with the materials that it comes off clean, uncluttered and, well, very Scandinavian.

Volvo S60 Interior

It also looks very comfortable and once you take a seat you’ll find the 2014 Volvo S60 feels just like it looks. There are new front sport seats this year and they provide plenty of support without being stiff or hugging you too tightly. Even larger passengers will find them comfortable rather than constricting. A comfier ride can be found in the Buick Regal, but the Volvo offers a more European upscale feel to the experience.

Often the rear seats of a car get less attention, but no so this time. There is genuinely room for two adults back there and they won’t be unhappy that they didn’t get to sit up front. Plenty of leg room means their knees won’t be pressing against the front seats and tall passengers won’t have their heads brushing the roof thanks to exceptional head room.

The 2014 Volvo S60 T5 comes with 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-5 engine with 250 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque. The six-speed automatic shifts smoothly though you will find it lacking if you want a sudden burst of acceleration at higher speed. Optional paddle shifters available as a part of the Sport Package make overcoming that issue a bit easier. It’s not quite a performance car, for that, look more towards the BMW 3-series.

Volvo S60 Dash

Off the line it’s fairly impressive and reads much more like a sporty car than a sedan with a 0-60 time of 6.4 seconds in the FWD or 6.6 in the AWD. Either way, the car knows how to get out of its own way.

It handled as well on winding country roads as it did flat-out on the highway with quick, responsive steering. There was very little body roll on corners and it needed just the slightest steering adjustments to stay on track. Steering is, however, heavier than you’d expect given the car’s size. It’s very weighty and more like a large, full-size sedan than its look would have you believe.

This being a Volvo, it is loaded with safety features. You’ll get the things you’d expect like front, side, and side-curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes, blind spot notifications, stability control and traction control, but you’ll also get a lot more safety thanks to advanced technology.

Volvo S60 Side

There’s Corner Traction Control which helps direct the torque to help you maintain control at all times. A Pedestrian Control system protects both you and pedestrians or cyclists if you don’t react quickly when someone steps in front of your car. It uses radar to determine if you’re taking action to avoid an accident and if you’re not, then it can bring the car to a full stop.

The 2014 Volvo S60 also has adaptive cruise control, driver alert control and lane departure warnings. Additional available safety features include front and rear cameras and parking sensors. If safety is at the top of your list, then you ought to be giving Volvo a lot of consideration.

Pricing for the base 2014 Volvo S60 T5 starts at a very reasonable $32,400 with packages like Climate, Sport and Technology bringing that number up into the low to mid $40K range. It’s inline with the Audi A4 or BMW 3-series, but those offer a more performance oriented ride.

The 2014 Volvo S60 T5 is a sophisticated looking sedan, inside and out, with all the comforts of a luxury car combined with performance and safety features that let you relax and enjoy the ride.

On the TFLcar scale of:

  • Buy it!
  • Lease it!
  • Rent it!
  • … or Forget it!

I give the 2014 Volvo S60 a Buy It!

Enjoy this fun mash-up video of the 2013 Volvo S60 vs Audi S5 vs Infiniti G37:

Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole also writes for NerdApproved and GeekMom.