What’s it like to live with?
Fashionable car owners who like driving, upon the arrival of the first child, proclaim, “It’s not going to change me.”
And they trade their sports car for a high-spec, alloy-wheeled, cool brand, family hatchback. Practical, but still fun you see.
When the second child comes along and the enforced insomnia really starts to take hold, they forget that they used to be car snobs and just plump for something to make things less stressful. But there is no need to ‘give up’ anymore.
It would be easy to overlook the Volvo XC60 when drawing up a shortlist of low-stress and enjoyable-to-own cars. Firstly, appearances suggest a stumpy version of the XC90; implying all the problems and none of the benefits.
While it is not easier to park, as it has a similar footprint, it is in many ways an improvement over its bigger brother.
The XC60 is a mine of little design touches that take the pain out of day-to-day family chores: There is a fold-up panel in the boot floor, which provides a belt and hooks for your shopping bags; so the bag with the milk will stay upright and the bad with the eggs won’t slide about. Never again will you have to clean an omelette from your boot.
If you are going to the dump, or taking some furniture from your parent’s house, then don’t worry about wrestling with the seat belts to fold the back seat down. Worry not about the latches being tough. Simply touch a button and the head rest, seat and belt all slide swiftly flat. All that is left for you to do is emit a little, “Ahhhhh.”
The added extra of a hands-free Bluetooth is something worth looking out for too. It works reliably and provides a clear reception in both directions. Plus it works with your existing phone without anyone having to drill a holder into the dashboard.
Volvo seats, if you haven’t tried them, are among the most comfortable chairs in the world. Not just in cars, but when compared to anything.
The XC60 is on similar wheels to the bigger XC90 but is 250 KG lighter. I suspect that this is the biggest factor in delivering the smoothest ride of any car I can remember driving recently. Forget pot holes, I suspect you could drive over black holes in this machine.
The handling, while very light and a bit lacking in feeling, is pin-sharp and the car offers surprising grip through B-road corners, as well as unquestionable stability on long motorway runs.
I predict that in just a few years, fashionable car owners who like driving, upon the arrival of the first child will proclaim, “change me – I want an XC60.”
What’s the right time to buy?
A brand new XC60 will cost you around £30,000. But a 12-18 month old car is a much more reasonable £24,000 with just 12,000 miles on the clock.
So it’s hard to see how you will regret buying a car that is 18-24 months old. Check the latest Volvo XC60 prices in our price guide.
What else does this budget buy?
Not a lot. BMW and Nissan both offer these kinds of cross-overs. But Nissan’s build quality and badge are not really in the same league as the other two.
While BMW’s X6 may be comparable to the XC60 in my eyes, it is £6-7,000 more if you compare two year old cars.
Summary
A wonderful ride, a beautiful interior with practical gadgets, this may be the ultimate family car.