Times sure have changed from my days of Volvo ownership. I had two old-school, mega-mile Volvos: a 1984 240GL sedan and a 1987 740 turbo wagon. Volvo built these models essentially unchanged for decades. These were introduced back in the days when Volvo’s image was built on two pillars: the turbos were fast, and--their biggest claim to fame--if you had to crash, you wanted to crash in a Volvo.

But what happens now that the much of the competition advertises 5-star crash test ratings or “Top Safety Pick” Insurance Institute for Highway Safety status? Beyond air bags and stability control, the next frontier in automotive safety is electronic aids that try and improve--or sometimes work around--the biggest variable in the system: the driver. Indeed, our XC60 has piles of electronics to improve safety, partially contributing to Volvo calling it their safest car yet.

But once you strip away all of the electronics, and get beyond considering how the car crashes, what remains is this: how good is the car? That’s been something of a problem for Volvo, since while their cars are mostly solid mid-pack performers, they haven’t really stood out.

The XC60 continues this tradition. It’s certainly not devoid of charms: the interior is very well finished, the turbocharged inline-six pulls well, and the XC60 is a handy size. But it still has Volvo’s typical stiff ride, and handling isn’t sporting. Despite Volvo’s reputation for creating great seats, these leather seats are too slippery, causing fidgeting.

Like a lot of other upscale compact SUVs, the Volvo ultimately gets squeezed from both directions. The larger three-row Acura MDX drives better and costs about the same if you skip all of the electronic doo-dads. From the bottom, loaded versions of the Toyota RAV4 and Subaru Forester Turbo have similar space and pace yet cost much less. (But they won’t beep and flash a light at you if you’re tailgating someone.)

Learn more about the Volvo XC60, with road tests, pricing, and more, in the model overview (available to online subscribers). 

Also, see our related blogs:
Driving the Volvo XC60 with City Safety
From the logbook: 2010 Volvo XC60 
How I learned to stop worrying and like distance-sensing cruise control

—Tom Mutchler