Volvo S60 Review: America’s Last Scandinavian Sedan — And a Used-Car Bargain

The Volvo S60 spent two decades as the thinking person’s alternative to the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4 — a safe, comfortable, quietly handsome sedan that reviewers praised but Americans kept walking past in favor of SUVs. Then Volvo killed the S60 in the United States after the 2025 model year, redirecting factory capacity to electric SUVs. That makes this a used-buying guide first and a review second — and honestly, that’s good news for you, because depreciation has turned a $36,000–$58,000 car into one of the better values in the used luxury sedan market.

A Sedan’s Life, in Three Acts

Volvo has been selling the S60 for a quarter century, and the nameplate has lived three very different lives — built on three different continents.

The second generation (2011–2018) was built in Ghent, Belgium: the 3.0-liter turbo inline-six T6 (300 hp, 325 lb-ft; R-Design 325 hp), then Volvo’s Drive-E four-cylinders — 240-hp T5, twin-charged 302-hp T6, and Polestar variants (345 hp in 2015–2016, 362 hp in 2017–2018). The budget play — but early Drive-E cars have a known oil-consumption history, covered below.

The third generation (2019–2025) is the one to buy. It rides on Volvo’s SPA platform and was built exclusively for the world in Volvo’s first-ever US factory: the Ridgeville, South Carolina plant, which opened in the summer of 2018 with an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles. The S60 rolled off that line until mid-2024, when Volvo retooled for the electric EX90.

Third-Generation Powertrains, Decoded

Volvo renamed its engines mid-run: T5 and T6 were the 2019–2021 names; B5 and B6 are the same basic engines with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system added for 2022. The plug-in hybrid T8 got a much bigger battery for 2022, taking EV range from 21 to 41 miles.

Two things jump out. The T8’s jump from 400 to 455 horsepower for 2022 — plus EV range doubling from 21 to 41 miles — makes pre-2022 and post-2022 plug-in hybrids feel like different cars. And the B5 is barely less powerful than the T5 it replaced while being smoother and slightly more efficient: 23/34 mpg city/highway (FWD) or 22/33 (AWD).

What It Costs on the Used Market

A 2019 S60 started at $36,795 new; by 2024 the range stretched from roughly $42,000 (B5 Core) to about $58,550 (Recharge T8 Ultimate Black Edition). In 2026, typical asking ranges on major listing sites look like this:

Typical asking ranges on major US listing sites in 2026; individual cars vary with mileage, trim, and region.

A three-year-old B5 costs roughly what a new Honda Accord costs, and a used T8 Recharge undercuts a new Toyota Camry XSE while offering 455 horsepower and 41 miles of electric range. The S60’s below-average resale value, which hurt new-car buyers, is exactly what makes it a smart used buy.

How It Drives

Volvo sedans have always prioritized composure over theatrics, and this S60 is the best-driving expression of that philosophy the brand ever built. Light, accurate steering, a genuinely supple ride over broken pavement, and the segment’s quietest cabin at highway speed — this isn’t a BMW 3 Series rival in the sporting sense, but the car you buy to arrive relaxed.

The B5 is the honest powertrain: 247 horsepower is plenty for real-world driving, and the mild-hybrid system smooths stop-start transitions. The T6/B6 twin-charged cars add real urgency — the supercharger fills the low-end torque hole before the turbo wakes up. But the T8 rewrites the car’s character: 455 horsepower, 523 lb-ft, 4.3-second 0–60 pace, and the ability to run your entire commute on electricity.

Inside, the S60 wears its Scandinavian minimalism well: a 9-inch portrait touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and seats that are legitimately the best in the segment. The back seat is snug for six-footers and the trunk is merely adequate — the T8’s battery eats cargo space — but standard equipment was generous, with a panoramic moonroof and the full City Safety suite included from the start.

Reliability and Common Issues

This is where the used-S60 story gets encouraging. RepairPal gives the S60 a 3.5-out-of-5.0 reliability rating, ranking it 11th of 31 luxury midsize cars, with average annual repair costs of $750 and low repair severity. J.D. Power scored the 2020 S60 84 out of 100 for quality and reliability. UK warranty-claim data from MotorEasy rates the S60 better than average, with roughly two-thirds of claims involving suspension and brake components rather than powertrain failures.

The engine-specific notes that matter: the twin-charged T6/B6/T8 four-cylinders carry a supercharger in addition to the turbo, and supercharger failures — while described as relatively infrequent — are a more expensive fix than anything on the simple turbo-only B5. That’s a quiet argument for the B5 if long-term simplicity is your priority. On the second generation, the 2015–2016 Drive-E four-cylinders were part of an oil-consumption class action (piston-defect settlement with extended 8-year/100,000-mile coverage), and the 3.2-liter six (2009–2012) had its own piston-ring oil-consumption issue. The 3.0-liter turbo six T6 (2010–2016), by contrast, has one of the cleanest records in Volvo’s modern history.

Recalls — check both before buying. In 2025, Volvo recalled certain 2020–2022 plug-in hybrids over a high-voltage battery module that could short-circuit while parked and fully charged (recall R10312). NHTSA advised owners not to charge affected vehicles until dealers inspected and, if necessary, replaced the module. There’s also a rearview-camera software recall covering 2021–2025 models over a display glitch. Run the VIN through NHTSA’s free recall lookup and ask for documentation that the battery-module work was actually performed.

The 2026 Used-Buying Checklist

Shopping an S60 in 2026 is straightforward. Target 2022 and newer: the mild-hybrid B5 and the 455-hp/41-mile T8 are both meaningfully better than what they replaced, with real factory warranty runway left (4-year/50,000-mile basic; hybrid components 8 years/100,000 miles). Pick your powertrain by personality: B5 for the set-and-forget commuter, T8 Recharge for the enthusiast, B6 if you can find one. Verify both recalls via the VIN — especially R10312 on any plug-in hybrid. On 2019–2021 cars, check service records for oil-consumption history and confirm the Sensus software is current. Then get a pre-purchase inspection focused on suspension bushings and brakes.

Should You Buy One?

The Volvo S60’s American story ended not because the car failed, but because the market moved on — and that distinction is everything for a used buyer. You’re getting a genuinely premium sedan with best-in-class seats, top-tier safety equipment, and powertrains ranging from sensible to startling, at prices that reflect sedan depreciation rather than sedan quality. The B5 is the rational choice, the T8 Recharge the emotional one, both backed by above-average reliability data and a parts ecosystem that outlives the nameplate’s US presence. Run the VIN, check the two recalls, buy on records.