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New (to me) Volvo V60 Cross Country
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Posted by Randy Thatcher [Email] (#22) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Randy Thatcher) on Mon, 7 Jul 2025 08:10:52 Share Post by Email
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I just bought the replacement for my beloved 2011 SAAB 9-3x 6-Speed Manual SportCombi unicorn. 8 SAABs over 25+ years - it's been a great run. I was looking for a new or new-ish car that could serve my family for the next 10+ years. It needed good safety, cargo space, winter performance, and long distance road trip comfort.

Naturally I made a spreadsheet comparing type (hatch, wagon, SUV), transmission, engine, cargo space, price, warranty, etc. Going through this exercise made me appreciate even more the SAAB Sport Combi's unique blend of utility and fun vs. what's on the market. I also noticed that the base models of new cars have more bells and whistles than the loaded up cars of yesteryear. Start/stop buttons, Backup/360 cameras, big screens, and the list goes on.

The winner: A used lease-return 2024 Volvo V60 Cross Country Plus with 22k miles. The car looks, feels, smells, and drives like brand new and it came at a nice price compared to new. Cargo size is pretty similar to the SAAB SportCombi and that was a key point. Of course there is the great safety philosophy. The B5 mild hybrid engine with 247HP + 8 speed auto is very smooth. This is the 2nd automatic car I've ever owned, and compared to all rental cars and other automatics I've driven I like how far the new autoboxes have come. The Volvo is not guessing for gears, shifting at annoying times, etc. I think what started me down the path was a S60 loaner I had at an indie shop a few years ago. It might have been the first auto that made me say "this is actually pretty good" Finally, to me the only seats I find more comfortable than SAAB seats are Volvo seats. This will be the road trip machine for years to come.

Runners up:
Mazda3 - manual gearbox option available, really sharp looks inside and out, the Mazda Soul Red Crystal Metallic paint is phenomenal. In the end, I didn't like the cargo capacity.

Volvo XC40 and Volvo XC60 - I probably would have purchased the XC40 in Cloud Blue if I didn't find the lightly used V60. Volvo seems like a pretty natural progression from SAAB. XC60 was also very nice.

Mazda CX5 & Mazda CX50 - I drove a used 2021 CX5 right after driving the new XC40 and XC60. This was a used trade-in on the Volvo dealer's used car lot. The interior was really nice compared to its peers. The ride was less smooth than the Volvos. I wanted to see if that was a fluke or not, but a search showed that was an issue. I think I read the suspension setup was updated in 2022. I guess one person's "sporty" is another person's "harsh". In the end - the Volvo won me over. I imagine many SAAB owners asking "What's next?" will be looking at Mazda. They have an impressive lineup, it really comes down to personal preferences.

Toyota Crown Signia - I drove one of these in April and was impressed. Is it a wagon? Is it an SUV? It seemed almost Lexus-like with a Toyota badge. I have positive memories of the Crown name when I was working in Japan years ago. And Crown Comfort is/was the de facto taxi in Hong Kong when I was working there, too. Toyota recently brought the name to the USA now with a sedan (Avalon replacement?) and Signia (Venza replacement). The Crown Signia has great cargo space, creature comforts, and nice tech (but not over the top). When it came time to buy I couldn't find any within 2 hours of my house. It might have been up there with the Volvos. I have to wonder if this model is going to have a small group of very passionate loyalists, much like SAAB owners. It replaces the Toyota Venza, which is also pretty under-the-radar. I think Toyota hit a homerun with it, but I also know I like weird/quirky/unicorn cars.

Toyota Rav4 - On paper this one ticks many boxes - price, reliability, fuel economy, cargo. It is also available in a really nice "Cavalry blue" color. I never ended up driving one after I fell in love with the Volvos.

I considered many more options but they didn't make the short list:

Civic Sport / Acura Integra - Manual + Hatchback + Fuel Economy + Reliability. In theory - these looked like they should be HIGH on the list. In the end, they simply were not big enough for what I need.

Buick Regal TourX - Lots of shared DNA with 9-3X. Cargo space is nearly identical to 9-3SC. But none were available nearby with low milage.

Acura SUV's - interior was a turnoff for me so I didn't even bother. I sat in a couple in the showroom thought "tech explosion" and "it's doing too much". Stark contrast to the zen-like feeling I got in the Volvos.

Subaru - They got out of the manual gearbox game in the past couple of years - I was considering looking for a lightly used Crosstrek manual, ideally in Orange. No options in any color were nearby with manual and low-ish miles. I have a feeling the last few years of manual gearbox Crosstreks will have a big cult following and hold prices higher than their automatic siblings.

Nissans - Drove a couple of the small and mid-size SUV's. They're not for me. No big turnoffs, but also nothing exciting. It's a matter of personal taste, and they just didn't inspire me.

Lincoln Corsair - my son mentioned I should check this out. Maybe I would have if the Volvos didn't call my name.

Mercedes E-Class Wagon - These seem be the ultimate dad-wagen, but they carry a HEFTY price tag. Looking at the used market I think they're purchased and held onto forever. There simply weren't any pre-owned options in the right age / miles / price / location sweet-spot for me.

I avoided VW and Audi - enough anecdotes from friends about reliability issues made me steer clear. On paper there are some really nice options but I didn't even bother.

Porsche Macan - beautiful machine and it's supposed to be super fun. My Porsche indie shop said to go for the lower trim level with the base motor for lowest running / maintenance costs. I have a 2006 Porsche 911, and my wife's comment was "Do you really want to pay to maintain 2 Porsches?" Point taken, and she's 100% right. Crossed it off the list before a Miami Blue one showed up calling my name. The dealer has as sea of black, silver, and white ones - the crazy blue might have made me throw logic out the window.

One other tidbit I learned in this process - new car sales volume in the US had a major spike after the initial tariff announcement in April. A few dealers said that the month after that announcement was the biggest sales period in their dealership history. Fast forward to end of June and Early July - inventory was down and a lot of "in transit" notes were on dealer inventory pages. In some instances there are now incentives with price breaks and/or financing deals. I don't know if that's a market that is cooling off or maybe it's preparation for model year 2026 cars arriving.

When it's time to replace my wife's 2017 Ford Focus RS I think the discussion will revolve around "What's left that we can get with a manual vs. what's a fun electric car we can use around town?" I hope that discussion is many years down the road. The Focus RS is a hoot to drive.

Randy



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