Used Volvo V60 2018-present review

Like a lot of modern Volvos, the Volvo V60 is a snappy dresser. Inside and out, this estate car looks properly premium and, fortunately, it's not all style and no substance.

Unlike its predecessor, the 2011-2018 Volvo V60, it can truly bring the fight to its German competitors, namely the Audi A4 Avant, BMW 3 Series Touring and Mercedes C-Class Estate. And now, it makes a great used buy.

Engines & Performance: The V60 comes with a large range of sensibly sized 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engines. The range kicks off with a 148bhp version, badged as the D3, while you can go for a more powerful 187bhp unit, designated D4.

For petrol lovers, there’s a lone 247bhp engine called T5, or two plug-in hybrid T8 models in standard 385bhp or 399bhp Polestar Engineered forms. All diesel models can be specified with either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic gearbox, while petrol and plug-in hybrids are all autos.

In late-2020 the range was tweaked to include only petrol and diesel engines incorporating an electric motor to make them mild-hybrid cars, badged with a B. From 2022 the line-up became petrol only when the diesel option was dropped. The range from that date on consisted of a 2.0 B3P, a 2.0 B4P, a 2.0 T5 and a 2.0 T6 RC PHEV.

Ride & Handling: With many illustrious rivals in the mix, the V60 needs to be decent to drive. Fortunately, it is. As long as you stick to the standard suspension setup and either 17in or 18in alloy wheels, it strikes a great balance between ride comfort and precise handling. Larger 19in wheels are best paired with the sportier suspension of R-Design models, because the adaptive dampers fitted to some V60s can't cope with vertical movements very well.

Despite weighing some 300kg more than the regular V60, the T8 hybrid (particularly in Polestar Engineered form) doesn't lose its composure over rough, bumpy roads and is actually rather agile.

Not to be outdone by the competition, you can personalise your driving experience with the various driving modes available. You can make the steering lighter or heavier, alter the brake pedal feel and also make the accelerator response sharper.

Interior & Practicality: Where the V60 differs most from its predecessor is inside, where there’s far more room for both people and luggage. The driver and front passenger have very comfortable seats with plenty of leg, head and shoulder room. The raised centre console and well-padded door-mounted armrests are great for long journeys, too.

Rear seat occupants also get lots of space to spread out, although fitting three adults across the rear bench would be pushing it. The boot is one of the biggest in the class, and it's very well thought out, aside from a rather awkward parcel shelf, with a flip-up divider to which you can strap shopping bags.

Trims & Equipment: Even the entry-level Momentum model gets many luxuries, such as a sat-nav, LED lights, a powered tailgate and a 12.3in digital instrument display. Momentum Pro adds leather trim inside, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, adaptive LED headlights and a head-up display. R-Design is for those wanting something sporty, because it has lowered suspension, larger (18in) alloy wheels and gloss black exterior pieces. Inscription is the even more luxurious model, with wood inlays inside and plenty of chrome outside, while Pro adds 19in alloy wheels and ventilated seats with nappa leather.

The plug-in hybrid Polestar Engineered T8 version has 19in alloys, a heated steering wheel, an upgraded Harman Kardon sound system and a set of expensive Ohlins adjustable dampers and a bespoke suspension tune.

Buyers also have the option of the V60 Cross Country. Essentially a raised-up and slightly more rugged version of the V60, it was designed to give you a little extra ability if you head off-road. It sits 60mm higher than the standard car.

Interested in buying a used Volvo V60? Visit our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.

Prices for the Volvo V60 start at around £11,000 for an early car with a high mileage, so it's best to budget for a spend between £12,000 and £14,000 or more for something with a more average number of miles from early 2019. Spend between £18,000 and £24,000 on a used 2020 or 2021 car, and around £24,000 to £28,000 on a 2022 or 2023 model.

Petrol examples are rarer and much more powerful than the diesels, and this is reflected in the price; a T5 starts from around £12,000. Rarer still is the T8 plug-in hybrid, so you'll need to spend around £19,000 for one of those.

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MPG: Unless you plump for the T5 petrol, running costs for the V60 are pretty reasonable for the class. Both the D3 and D4 diesel engines have a combined (WLTP) fuel economy figure of 55.4mpg when equipped with a manual gearbox but drop to 51.4mpg and 52.3mpg respectively when paired with the eight-speed auto.

Four-wheel-drive Cross Country D4s are thirstier still at 47.9mpg. However, this isn’t as bad as the 38.7mpg combined figure for the T5. Four-wheel-drive T6 and T8 plug-in hybrids are the economy stars with figures of 156.9mpg and 128.4mpg, respectively. That will rely on you regularly charging them and taking advantage of the 30-mile electric-only range both these models provide.

Road tax: All versions of the V60 fall under the flat-rate fee of the current road tax system, unless it was worth more than £40,000 when new (including any factory-fitted optional extras). If it was, you will have to pay an additional surcharge every year until the car reaches six years of age. The current fees are £190 a year for the flat rate (£180 a year for the hybrids) and £410 a year for the surcharge.

Insurance: The cheapest V60 to insure is the D3 diesel, which is in group 25, while the D4 is in 31. A T5 petrol is in group 34 and the plug-in hybrid T in 42. On the whole, the V60 sits in higher insurance groups than the Audi A4 Avant and could cost you more per year to insure.

Servicing: Volvo's servicing certainly isn’t the cheapest around, but you can spread the costs with a monthly service plan.

Reliability

The Volvo V60's reliability receives mixed reviews from owners, highlighting a generally dependable performance with a few notable exceptions. Real-world owner reviews, as seen in our annual What Car? Reliability Survey, reveal that while many appreciate the V60's solid performance in the early years, some have encountered issues such as faulty warning lights, electronic glitches, and drivetrain problems, occasionally resulting in expensive repairs.

Dealer service experiences also vary, with many praising Volvo's professionalism and support, despite some frustrations over long waits for appointments and parts. This suggests that while the V60 is largely reliable, there's a need for improvement in service efficiency and parts availability.

Explore the detailed reliability of the used Volvo V60 on our dedicated reliability page.

Engine: The diesel models make the most sense for the majority of people. In terms of which engine to go for, there isn’t a huge amount of price difference between the lesser D3 and more powerful D4 and running costs are similar, so you might as well go for the latter and enjoy the extra performance.

Specification: Momentum trim is very well specified, but we’d suggest seeking out Momentum Pro, because you get a bit more kit for similar money. We’d also suggest finding a V60 equipped with the Intellisafe Surround system, which adds blindspot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

Our favourite Volvo V60: 2.0 D4 Momentum Pro (Intellisafe Surround)

Despite having a slightly smaller boot than the Volvo V60, the Audi A4 Avant has a more flexible layout, thanks to standard 40/20/40-split rear seatbacks. There are also more engine options available, particularly on the petrol side.

The BMW 3 Series Touring is a fine-driving estate car. Again, it’s not the biggest around, but it does have a very easy-to-use infotainment system and a window on the tailgate that opens separately – particularly useful in tight parking bays.

Despite not being great to drive, the Mercedes C-Class Estate is spacious, well equipped and very efficient in C220d diesel guise.

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Interested in buying a used Volvo V60? Visit our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.