2001 Volvo S60 T5 review from North America

Burnt out lamps behind climate control panel.

Occasionally difficult cold starting.

Intermittent noise from cabin heater fan.

In cold weather (on those -20'C mornings here in Toronto), the gear selector is extremely stiff in and out of each gate before 15-20 minutes of driving.

The car is equipped with premium/sport package and includes all features available except for navigation system.

The creature comforts leave nothing to be desired. The spacious, though supportive sport seats leave both driver and front passenger feeling no ill effects after a four to five hour trip.

All cabin appointments and functions deliver an expected sense of durability and fit with the exception of the access doors/panels to the centre console storage bins. These seem to be fragile and poised to fail at the hinges with normal use.

Plenty of torque at low to mid revs in every gear provides fantastic acceleration. (The excitement fades though once the Turbo bleeds off boost around 3000 RPM with nominal throttle).

Steering and road-handling are well balanced and responsive with cornering that's "not-quite-German" in character.

Braking is solid and consistently well-behaved.

Safety features are unbeatably Volvo - leaving no doubt to the right choice for the sport sedan lover with school-age children.

The delight for this former 850 owner though is the redesigned body. The lines of the S60 are unique - except for what one might interpret as a "distant-cousin" likeness to a V12 Vantage! - with both graceful and aggressive styling in all the right places, shaking-off the "boxy" heritage from this car.