There are only a handful of wagons in our market, and the 2023 Volvo V60 Cross Country is a pretty damn good example.
There’s something odd about the 2023 Volvo V60 Cross Country wagon, when you look at the competition. It’s not the cheapest, nor is it the most powerful. It’s not the roomiest (especially in the back seat) and its design is pretty mellow. Yet, despite what I just wrote – I simply adore it, warts and all.
Let me explain.
I bet some of you are yelling that the screen that the $48,800 base price, and the nearly $60,000 as equipped is way too expensive. That’s especially true when you look at the Audi A4 Allroad’s base and loaded prices – which are both cheaper. Hell, the 2023 Subaru Outback Touring XT is more powerful, larger and comes in at $44,226 – fully loaded.
At 8.1-inches above the ground, the Cross Country isn’t exactly tall in the saddle. Yet, that’s a good height for snow country, like our Rocky Mountains. Sporting a 250 horsepower, 2.0-liter four cylinder, 48V lithium-ion the mild hybrid system combines to make 258 lb-ft of torque. That power shoots through an eight-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels. EPA numbers are decent, with 22 mpg city, 31 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined.
It weighs about two tons, so the power to weight ratio isn’t the best, but it’s surprisingly fleet of foot.
Driving the 2023 Volvo V60 Cross Country is far better than your family hauling crossover
As I stated, there are less expensive alternatives that are more powerful, yet they cannot match the character of the 2023 Volvo V60 Cross Country. Seriously, if you want to blast through corners, slice through traffic and still carry stuff – you could do a lot worse. I especially like the comfort and quality of the Volvo’s interior. It’s a nice place to spend time, and the seats hold you even when you get spirited behind the wheel.
The Volvo communicates well. Feeding extra power is easy, especially in corners. Suspension tuning is an excellent mix of comfort and sport, without being too complicated. Breaking is top-notch and fade was minimal, despite some aggression during testing. This is a compliant, yet tossible little wagon. It’s far more engaging than an SUV or crossover.
Then, things come apart…
Yes, our tester gets Google built in, a powerful Bowers & Wilkins audio system, and a head-up system. On top of that, you get an advanced safety system and air purifier. All of which are nice, but you get a small back seat that can’t hold an adult over six-feet tall. In addition, it has 22.9 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats and 60.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. That’s on the small side, to be sure.
One thing I will say about the Volvo’s utility: it’s a snap to access the roof compared to any SUV, crossover or minivan.
Yay!
My bottom line: if you want something more rewarding to drive daily, that has utility and snow battling capability, this little Volvo may be worth a look.
