2003 Volvo S60

In 2001, Volvo decided it was time to go toe-to-toe with the Audi A4 and BMW 3-Series in the near-luxury segment and the new Volvo S60 was certainly dressed for the part. But how does it measure up to the competition?

STYLE: The Volvo S60's styling was modern and very 'individual'. Audi of course, styles their cars to be as memorable as an egg salad sandwich and BMW made sure that the world knows that you're driving a Bimmer. So the S60 stands out like a Bimmer.

POWER: Volvo employed an inline 5 cylinder which was available in turbo and supercharged versions. Power ranged from 168-hp in the base car, to 300-hp in the R. BMW used a smoother inline 6-cyl which produced between 170 and 333 horsepower and Audi used a 4, V6 and a V8. Horsepower ranged from 128 with the base 4, to 339 in the S4's 4.2L V8. The Volvo engines provide decent power, but the turbo-lag can be annoying and all the engines feel less refined than the German's. Advantage- Germans

INTERIOR: I'm not going to bother with a comparison here because the Volvo will loose. But I will tell you that the S60's interior is very nice. It's got a clean, modern look, the seats are comfortable, and it is roomy. However, the navigation screen is hard to see and use, and there's some cheap plastic bits that don't belong in a car of this caliber. Oh, did I mention there's like 500 airbags in here?

RIDE/HANDLING: The Volvo is front drive, but AWD was an option. As such, front drive models suffer from the usual under-steer and torque steer. Handling is good in the T5 and R, but AWD models handle more confidently and even ride better. The Bimmer drives like it's on rails. The Audi drives like it's on rails. So the handling trophy goes to the Germans and the ride trophy goes to the Swedes.

RELIABILITY: Audi's and BMW's are known for electrical gremlins and other Monday morning problems. Volvos are not. Advantage- Volvo

OVERALL: While the Audi and BMW are clearly superior cars, they cost a small fortune to maintain. Not to mention they cost more than the Volvo on the used market. The Volvo S60 on the other hand will probably be more reliable and cost less to own in the long run.

If you're looking for a Volvo S60, keep in mind that the alternators do wear out prematurely.