Thanks to its redesign, the S60 is not the boxy Volvo from days of old. Sure, it's a midsize sedan produced by the brand that built its name on safety, but the S60's exterior looks verge on sexy. It has a low roofline, curves in the front and rear, and a compact body. Of course, my test car's Passion Red paint color only added to the S60's sex appeal.

The doors were heavy, but my older children managed to open them independently and were easily able to climb in and out of the S60. Given the car's low lines, the trunk also sits low, which made loading things in and out particularly easy.

For someone used to a minivan's minimum cargo volume of almost 40 cubic feet, the prospect of the S60's diminished 12-cubic-foot trunk was daunting. The front passenger seat tries to make amends for the meager trunk space as it folds flat to allow for more interior hauling space. Truthfully, the 12 cubic feet weren't horribly paltry. I did fit enough groceries in the trunk to feed and refresh my whole neighborhood as I was in charge of a neighborhood party.

The upper-level S60 T6 R-Design that I tested comes with a turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine that delivers 325 hp. Moving down the trim level ladder from there, the original T6 — now the midlevel trim — has the same engine but delivers 300 hp and the new entry-level T5 has a 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine that produces 250 hp.

The S60 with the 3.0-liter engine gets an EPA-estimated 18/26 mpg city/highway, and the smaller engine gets 20/30 mpg. Both engines use premium gas.

SENSE AND STYLE

Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Fair
Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Groove-On