2019 Volvo V60 - Last Wagon Standing
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Date: 2019-05-30
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Comments and reviews: 10
Matt Clark
Ive always found it incredibly strange how manufacturers say oh, Americans dont buy wagons, so we dont offer them in as many trims or with as many drivetrains. Then I talk to people who are in the market for cars, and they say I would love to buy such and such wagon, but they dont offer it in the trim I want or with the drivetrain I want, so Im going to buy something else. Manufacturers PREVENT the wagon market from ever taking off here by starving it of selection. Maybe the people I talk to are a small market, but I know there are more wagon sales possible in the United States if manufacturers offered wagons in more trims and with more drivetrain choices. What manufacturers need to realize is that the wagon buyer is typically YOUNGER and more of an ENTHUSIAST. They are looking for a utility vehicle that does 90% of an SUV but with the superior on-road performance of a car. preferably, a somewhat sporty car. Maybe slightly less true of Volvo buyers. But I can guarantee that BMW would sell a lot of 3 Wagons in M sport, 40i, and M3 variants, Audi would sell a fair deal of S4 and RS4 Avants, and Subaru would sell a lot of WRX hatchbacks in the United States if they bothered.
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Ive always found it incredibly strange how manufacturers say oh, Americans dont buy wagons, so we dont offer them in as many trims or with as many drivetrains. Then I talk to people who are in the market for cars, and they say I would love to buy such and such wagon, but they dont offer it in the trim I want or with the drivetrain I want, so Im going to buy something else. Manufacturers PREVENT the wagon market from ever taking off here by starving it of selection. Maybe the people I talk to are a small market, but I know there are more wagon sales possible in the United States if manufacturers offered wagons in more trims and with more drivetrain choices. What manufacturers need to realize is that the wagon buyer is typically YOUNGER and more of an ENTHUSIAST. They are looking for a utility vehicle that does 90% of an SUV but with the superior on-road performance of a car. preferably, a somewhat sporty car. Maybe slightly less true of Volvo buyers. But I can guarantee that BMW would sell a lot of 3 Wagons in M sport, 40i, and M3 variants, Audi would sell a fair deal of S4 and RS4 Avants, and Subaru would sell a lot of WRX hatchbacks in the United States if they bothered.
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Tom Crisp
Alex, Im thinking some iteration of the V60 is my choice - though I havent tested it or been inside, and Id like to compare space and comfort with the V90 (Im 63. I think both of them are great looking, but from where the driver sits I like the dashboard of the V60 better - I dont care for that big slab of wood trim on the 90, whereas the more sculptural trim on the 60 cars is to my eye sleeker. As far as getting one of them, if that should happen it will hinge on how the car feels. That goes for the CC versions as well - though Im disposed to like the lower riding wagon, I can see how the CC might be just that more versatile. If I did get a CC Id have to go with one of the colors that offers full paint over the wheel cladding - dont much like the grey plastic.
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Alex, Im thinking some iteration of the V60 is my choice - though I havent tested it or been inside, and Id like to compare space and comfort with the V90 (Im 63. I think both of them are great looking, but from where the driver sits I like the dashboard of the V60 better - I dont care for that big slab of wood trim on the 90, whereas the more sculptural trim on the 60 cars is to my eye sleeker. As far as getting one of them, if that should happen it will hinge on how the car feels. That goes for the CC versions as well - though Im disposed to like the lower riding wagon, I can see how the CC might be just that more versatile. If I did get a CC Id have to go with one of the colors that offers full paint over the wheel cladding - dont much like the grey plastic.
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Huw Williams
My standard most important test for a car, or anything else including public enclosed spaces, is a variant of shit, my cars on fire speed of exit test. In this regard this car fails. Didnt you find the door aperture height too low to get your head out before your body? To compound this, the A pillar slopes back so far that there is no advantage to bending your head forward and down. It is also very low to the ground overall to such an extent that if you parallel park alongside a kerb, you are effectively crawling out at pavement level in a most undignified way. Same goes for S and V90 models. V60 Cross Country improves on the pavement test but overall still fails the Oh shit my cars on fire test.
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My standard most important test for a car, or anything else including public enclosed spaces, is a variant of shit, my cars on fire speed of exit test. In this regard this car fails. Didnt you find the door aperture height too low to get your head out before your body? To compound this, the A pillar slopes back so far that there is no advantage to bending your head forward and down. It is also very low to the ground overall to such an extent that if you parallel park alongside a kerb, you are effectively crawling out at pavement level in a most undignified way. Same goes for S and V90 models. V60 Cross Country improves on the pavement test but overall still fails the Oh shit my cars on fire test.
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cba tiau
That eco-mode tachometer replacement dial looks very corny, reminiscent of Volvos crappy dial used for their T8 PHEV models. They should just retain the normal tachometer in all cases; no reason not to, and it only makes those dials rather useless and confusing. Not sure what the engineers were thinking there. Im also mystified as to why Volvo has stopped using an engine-coolant-temperature gauge, which is still present in the vast majority of car brands being sold; its useful to know when the cars engine has warmed up. Omissions like this are just huge negatives for me for these new Volvos, and make me look elsewhere more than I would otherwise.
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That eco-mode tachometer replacement dial looks very corny, reminiscent of Volvos crappy dial used for their T8 PHEV models. They should just retain the normal tachometer in all cases; no reason not to, and it only makes those dials rather useless and confusing. Not sure what the engineers were thinking there. Im also mystified as to why Volvo has stopped using an engine-coolant-temperature gauge, which is still present in the vast majority of car brands being sold; its useful to know when the cars engine has warmed up. Omissions like this are just huge negatives for me for these new Volvos, and make me look elsewhere more than I would otherwise.
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Mark G
The most intelligent test and review Ive come across on youtube. Thank you for tackling the handling - so important. If a Genesis G70 3. 3T wagon existed, with a sport package, thats what Id buy in an instant. As it is, I think Ill get the V60 T6 Inscription, possibly with the Polestar option. I agree about your regrets about the absence of the 2020 BMW M340i wagon but I saw the new BMW M340i sedan at the LA car show a few weeks ago and to my mind its just beyond ugly. Probably designed primarily for the Chinese. Im also considering the new BMW X2 M35i - I wonder how its handling compares to the V60s? Are you going to test one soon?
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The most intelligent test and review Ive come across on youtube. Thank you for tackling the handling - so important. If a Genesis G70 3. 3T wagon existed, with a sport package, thats what Id buy in an instant. As it is, I think Ill get the V60 T6 Inscription, possibly with the Polestar option. I agree about your regrets about the absence of the 2020 BMW M340i wagon but I saw the new BMW M340i sedan at the LA car show a few weeks ago and to my mind its just beyond ugly. Probably designed primarily for the Chinese. Im also considering the new BMW X2 M35i - I wonder how its handling compares to the V60s? Are you going to test one soon?
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Khaldoon Ahmad
I had a 2015 V60 redesign and while I loved it it fell short in many levels. I wanted to get the new V60 but found the infotainment thing to be slow and complicated. Also the 6 cylinder was dropped in place of a 4. I prefer the smoothness of a 6 cylinder. So I switched to BMW. But its a shame we cant get more wagons in North America such as Audi a6 wagon or bmw 5 series wagon - even if you want one you cant special order it in - which is bizarre. Kudos to Mercedes for keeping the e63 - low volume seller but they obviously care about meeting their customers needs.
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I had a 2015 V60 redesign and while I loved it it fell short in many levels. I wanted to get the new V60 but found the infotainment thing to be slow and complicated. Also the 6 cylinder was dropped in place of a 4. I prefer the smoothness of a 6 cylinder. So I switched to BMW. But its a shame we cant get more wagons in North America such as Audi a6 wagon or bmw 5 series wagon - even if you want one you cant special order it in - which is bizarre. Kudos to Mercedes for keeping the e63 - low volume seller but they obviously care about meeting their customers needs.
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PaoloFrancesco99
The V60 looks bigger than the VW Alltrack, yet the Alltrack apparently has substantially more cargo room with 30 sq ft seats up/66 sq ft seats down compared to 23/51 for the V60. I havent seen the V60 in person but it seems surprising to me. I know the Alltrack is not in the same class, but one needs to be flexible when shopping in the wagon market, and the V60 CC would be stretching up for me. Its nearly perfect for my tastes but a little tight for cargo. Thinking Ill compare the V60 CC, Alltrack, TourX and 2020 Outback XT.
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The V60 looks bigger than the VW Alltrack, yet the Alltrack apparently has substantially more cargo room with 30 sq ft seats up/66 sq ft seats down compared to 23/51 for the V60. I havent seen the V60 in person but it seems surprising to me. I know the Alltrack is not in the same class, but one needs to be flexible when shopping in the wagon market, and the V60 CC would be stretching up for me. Its nearly perfect for my tastes but a little tight for cargo. Thinking Ill compare the V60 CC, Alltrack, TourX and 2020 Outback XT.
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Klas Peppar
Believe it or not but here in Sweden/Europe we also red brake light instead of amber brake lights but we have orange rear indicators (rear indicators are not the same as brake lights in Europe/ Sweden. Here we have the main problem with the S60. As a Swed i wonder why the Fck would you buy it when the V60 exists? And the comparing the V60 to that shit box Buick Opel thing made me laugh so hard that I cried, what a Fcking jokeIt was a joke right? Otherwise it would have been a Fcking insult to all Sweds (my self included.
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Believe it or not but here in Sweden/Europe we also red brake light instead of amber brake lights but we have orange rear indicators (rear indicators are not the same as brake lights in Europe/ Sweden. Here we have the main problem with the S60. As a Swed i wonder why the Fck would you buy it when the V60 exists? And the comparing the V60 to that shit box Buick Opel thing made me laugh so hard that I cried, what a Fcking jokeIt was a joke right? Otherwise it would have been a Fcking insult to all Sweds (my self included.
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Nate Askren
Great review as always Glad to see the review unit was the entry level trim with the city weave cloth seats. Were considering one optioned very close to this configuration, in denim blue. We would ditch Momentum trim and cloth seats for the t8 if it were an option. Our current plan is to wait and see if the t8 will be available as a 2020 MY before upgrading the wifes 2016 V60. So as requested, we are a solid sale if the t8 (non CC) V60 were to come to the US. Do it, Volvo
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Great review as always Glad to see the review unit was the entry level trim with the city weave cloth seats. Were considering one optioned very close to this configuration, in denim blue. We would ditch Momentum trim and cloth seats for the t8 if it were an option. Our current plan is to wait and see if the t8 will be available as a 2020 MY before upgrading the wifes 2016 V60. So as requested, we are a solid sale if the t8 (non CC) V60 were to come to the US. Do it, Volvo
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Jimmy Y
I like the floor height of Sedans and the seating position of SUV. You can call it a CUV. And example of which is Kia Rondo 20072012. I hope automakers move away from sedans and wagons and move towards CUV, which is not only more practical than SUV, but also drives better. I love my 2008 Kia Rondo. Everytime I go to test other vehicles, I always conclude my Rondo is just perfect.
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I like the floor height of Sedans and the seating position of SUV. You can call it a CUV. And example of which is Kia Rondo 20072012. I hope automakers move away from sedans and wagons and move towards CUV, which is not only more practical than SUV, but also drives better. I love my 2008 Kia Rondo. Everytime I go to test other vehicles, I always conclude my Rondo is just perfect.
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