Ride and Drive: Volvo S60 Cross Country

Once again, I recently slipped into a press fleet car and was immediately impressed. This time it was Volvo's 2016 S60 Cross Country T5 all wheel drive sedan.

Just gripping the leather clad steering wheel with thick bosses for the driver's hands starts the experience. Handling is precise and tight, and the ride is fairly quiet. Power from the 5-cylinder turbocharged 250 hp (266 ft-lb torque) 2.5L, 5-cylinder engine, coupled to a 6-speed automatic transmission, adds to driving enjoyment.

On the road, with mostly highway driving, I realized 26.4 mpg. EPA mileage ratings are given as 28 mpg highway, 20 mpg city, and a combined 23 mpg. The AWD system with Instant Traction tackled rough roading on a blocky shale trail competently.

An entertainment feature I appreciated was, when the radio tuning dial was turned, the screen did not just bring up a list of adjacent stations--but rather a listing of what song or program was playing on them. Turning the dial again then scrolls through the list to a desired station.

Any negatives for this car, other than the price ($48,390 list as optioned, $43,500 MSRP)? The trunk is a bit shallow because of fitting in the AWD system and spare tire. And a niggly annoyance was not having any fuel requirement information in the owner's manual or on the filler door--something which accessing the Internet provided. But Volvo aficionados who value driving pleasure, comfort, convenience, and safety will not be disappointed with this model.

--Rick DeMeis