2004 VOLVO S60 NEW CAR BUYER'S GUIDE

What's New for the 2004 Volvo S60?
This year's big news pertains to the Volvo S60 R, a 300-horsepower, all-wheel-drive sport sedan built to take on the Audi S4, BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz C32 AMG. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard. The optional five-speed Geartronic automatic can be manually shifted if the driver desires. The S60 R also includes an active chassis system called Four-C, which employs four electronically regulated shock absorbers that vary dampening according to vehicle speed and road surface conditions. In other Volvo S60 news, the 2.4-liter light-pressure turbo engine is replaced by a larger 2.5-liter unit cranking out 208 horsepower, a new ZF rack-and-pinion steering unit is added for increased responsiveness, chrome instrumentation rings have been added to the gauge cluster and bi-Xenon headlights are optional.

Advantages of the 2004 Volvo S60:

• Awe-inspiring performance from the Volvo S60 R
• Comfortable front seats
• Long list of standard safety equipment
• Available all-wheel-drive

Objections to the 2004 Volvo S60:

• Limited rear seat room
• Slightly downmarket interior materials
• With the exception of Volvo S60 R, lacks ability to match German rivals in terms of luxury and performance

Editor's Advice:
To our eyes, the 2004 Volvo S60 is one of the most attractive luxury-sport sedans on the road. However, it lacks the dynamic refinement and performance of true luxury vehicles, continuing to rely instead on its extensive safety engineering as the primary selling point. The Volvo S60 R is a bona fide sports sedan, undercutting its primary competition on price to create a strong bang-for-the-buck equation.