Used Volvo V60 for sale: everything you need to know
For decades, Volvo has enjoyed a reputation for making some of the best estate cars on sale. The latest V60 doesn’t fall short, helped by a boot that is significantly bigger than those found in any of its rivals. But there’s more to the V60 than luggage space alone. It’s also great to drive, efficient, comfortable, and really very stylish.
If the V60 sounds like the kind of used car you want to buy or lease, you’re in the right place to find out everything you need to know. In this guide, we’ll take you through what the car is like to live with, what the various trim levels are, and the engine options that are available.
Should you buy a Volvo V60?
It’s worth dwelling for a moment on just how good looking the V60 is. There’s a distinctively Scandinavian edge to the car’s exterior styling and interior design that is deeply appealing. Most other large estates look rather fussy in comparison.
Moving on to more practical matters, a good estate needs a big boot and the V60’s is very large indeed. Its 648-litre capacity is much bigger than any other premium-brand estate of a similar size. The boot is almost cube-shaped, it has a large opening, and the floor is level with the back bumper, so packing stuff takes minimal effort. There’s an extra storage compartment under the floor, too, and if you fold the back seats a fridge will go in easily.
There’s very generous passenger space inside the V60. Four tall adults will fit comfortably, so a typical family should have no issues. The well-padded seats are superbly comfortable as well.
Most of the car’s features and functions are accessed via the touchscreen display. You’ll find everything from the interior lighting and radio station menu to the satellite navigation and heated seat controls. A bit of familiarisation time is needed, but it’s easy to use once you’ve learned your way around.
To drive, the V60 is really rather lovely – an easy and relaxing experience. There are more athletic estate cars, but it feels quite agile, the ride is smooth and settled, there’s little body-roll in corners, and the engines have plenty of power. There’s also a lot of safety tech designed to help reduce the likelihood of an accident, or mitigate the effects of one.
All the engines are usefully fuel-efficient, especially the plug-in hybrids. There are four petrol engines, one diesel and two PHEVs. Buyers can pick from four trim levels, too.
The V60's running costs are quite low for this type of car, especially the plug-in hybrids. There are no concerns about build quality or reliability either.
If you judge the quality of an estate car on boot space alone, the V60 is one of the best you can buy or lease. It also offers lots of passenger space, is good to drive and great to travel in. It shows you don’t necessarily need an SUV if you’re looking for an ultra-practical family car.
Other large-ish estates you might want to consider include the Audi A4 Avant, Mercedes C-Class Estate and Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake. They’re all fine cars, but they fall some way short of the Volvo’s boot space which is, after all, the main selling point of an estate.
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What's the best used Volvo V60 model to buy?
With such an unusual engine mix - four petrols, one diesel and two hybrids - it’s not a straightforward choice. We'd suggest the B3 petrol is a good choice if you're not covering mega miles. It has 163PS but is usefully economical. The D4 diesel is a sound choice if you want increased range and better fuel consumption.
The plug-in hybrid models are deeply impressive machines but are expensive to buy used so they are great if you can afford them.
As for trim levels, there’s no shame in sticking with the entry-level Momentum or Core trims which have plenty of kit as standard, while the sportier looking R-Design model also represents good value.
Used Volvo V60 fuel economy and performance
The V60 is available with various petrol engines, diesels, and two plug-in hybrid powertrains. They all use a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine and an automatic gearbox. The difference between them all is how much power they offer. Even the least powerful ones can’t be called slow, but the most powerful ones are very fast indeed.
Volvo V60 T4 petrol – With 190PS, this formed the entry point to the petrol range and offered 0-62mph in a swift 7.2 seconds. Top speed is 137mph, but more importantly it delivers reasonable 157g/km CO2 emissions and 37.1mpg.
Volvo V60 T5 petrol – The 250PS T5 has a very famous Volvo name attached and it lives up to it with 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds and 145mph top end. It can also return combined economy of 38.7mpg mixed with carbon dioxide emissions rated at 157g/km - the same as the T4's.
Volvo V60 D3 diesel – The D3 might not be the quickest V60, taking 9.1 seconds to cover 0-62mph, but it makes up for this with average consumption of up to 64.5mpg and 119g/km Co2 emissions.
Volvo V60 D4 diesel – It's hard to look past this engine choice for many used buyers thanks to its 64.0mpg fuel economy and 119g/km coupled to 0-62mph in 7.7 seconds. With the smooth eight-speed automatic transmission as standard, it's an impress all-round package.
From August 2020:
Volvo V60 B3 (P) petrol – Here we have a 163PS version of the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, fitted with a seven-speed automatic gearbox and front-wheel drive. Zero to 62mph takes 8.6 seconds and CO2 emissions are 148g/km.
Volvo V60 B4 (P) petrol – This model has a 197PS version of the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, again fitted with a seven-speed automatic gearbox and front-wheel drive. It’s a whole second quicker from 0-62mph than the B3 petrol, taking 7.6 seconds, but CO2 emissions are the same – at 148g/km.
Volvo V60 B5 (P) petrol – Now we’re getting into the faster V60 models, here with 250PS. It still has front-wheel drive, but the automatic gearbox has eight speeds, rather than seven. The 62mph benchmark is reached swiftly, in 6.8 seconds, with CO2 emissions of 159g/km.
Volvo V60 B6 (P) petrol – The most powerful petrol engine in the V60 has 300PS and four-wheel drive to go with its eight-speed automatic gearbox. The 0-62mph sprint takes 6.0 seconds and it emits CO2 at 177g/km.
Volvo V60 B4 (D) diesel – The only diesel engine available in the V60 has 197PS, an eight-speed automatic gearbox and front-wheel drive. Zero to 62mph takes 7.9 seconds and CO2 emissions are 145g/km.
Volvo V60 T6 Plug-in Hybrid – The first of two plug-in hybrid V60 models has a total of 340PS provided by the petrol engine and electric motor. It comes with an automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive, does 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds and emits 19g/km of CO2. Running on battery power alone, it has a range of 27 miles.
Volvo V60 T8 Plug-in Hybrid – The most powerful version of the V60 delivers a total of 408PS, 310PS of which is provided by the petrol engine. An automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive are fitted. Standstill to 62mph takes just 4.6 seconds, yet CO2 emissions are only 22g/km. The range on battery power alone is 27 miles.
What used Volvo V60 trim levels are available?
There are four trim levels available on the V60. The entry-level model has more than enough features to keep most people happy. You don’t get a great deal more with the other trim levels, although you do get very different styling packages. The top-of-the-range model is also the fastest, powered by the T8 plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Volvo V60 Momentum – The entry-point V60 comes with a generous quota of standard features, including satellite navigation, a widescreen digital instrument display, climate control air-con, cruise control, heated front seats, an electrically-adjustable driver’s seat and many, many safety systems designed to help you out in an emergency.
Volvo V60 R-Design – This trim level is marked out by a package of sporty-looking styling details: different wheels, deeper bumpers, a rear spoiler and sports seats with part-leather upholstery. Extra features include keyless entry and hands-free tailgate opening. Every engine except the T8 is available.
Volvo V60 Inscription – The Inscription looks more upmarket than other V60 models, with chrome-effect exterior trim, leather seat upholstery and a gear knob made from Orrefors crystal. The driver’s seat also has a memory function. Again, all engines except the T8 are available.
Volvo V60 Polestar Engineered – The top-of-the-range V60 is also the fastest, fitted with the 408PS T8 plug-in hybrid drivetrain. It has a package of unique styling details, a Harmon Kardon audio system, and a heated steering wheel.
Volvo V60 Core – The Core took over in 2023 as the entry point to the V60 range. It still comes with the 12.3-inch main dash display and 9.0-inch infotainment screen with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Google search functions. It also has rear parking sensors, wireless phone charging, rear parking camera, powered tailgate, electric windows all round, and heated front seats.
Volvo V60 Ultimate – This is the top spec V60 that took the car to the end of its life in the UK. Over and above the Core, it comes with a 360-degree view parking camera, Harmon Kardon stereo, active bending headlights, heated front screen, gloss black trim around the door mirrors and windows, and a powered panoramic glass sunroof. Inside, you find heated rear seats to match the front pair, and a heated steering wheel.
Used Volvo V60 dimensions and boot size
The Volvo V60’s exterior dimensions are:
Length: 4761mm
Width: 1916mm
Height: 1437mm
The Volvo V60’s boot capacity is:
Used Volvo V60 road tax
If you pick a Volvo V60 with one of the hybrid engines as your next used car, you will pay annual road tax of £170. However, you may well end up paying a £390 surcharge for cars that cost more than £40,000 when new and this will continue until the car reaches six-years old. All other V60 models pay the annual road tax levy at £180, plus that surcharge for any models with a £40,000-plus original price tag.
How much is it to insure a Volvo V60?
The V60 is rated in quite high insurance groups: 24 to 43 (out of 50), depending on which model you choose. However, that’s in the same ballpark as other large premium-brand cars.
Read our full Volvo V60 review
