Used Volvo XC60 cars for sale

There's just one version of the Volvo XC60 and it's a five-seat, five-door family SUV with a hatchback bootlid. It's the smaller sibling to the seven-seat Volvo XC90 and bigger than the city-friendly Volvo XC40.

The XC60 is a fairly big car, measuring in around 4.7 metres long. It's within a few millimetres of its key rivals including the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Mercedes GLC, and a little shorter than the Range Rover Velar.

inside, there's lots of space for passengers, even with five adults on board thanks to the wide rear row. Parents will appreciate the extra room to manoeuvre when loading kids into their child seats, and the boot is enough for most families' day-to-day needs.

While we'd always be tempted by the T8 plug-in hybrid and its sub-five-second 0-62mph time, you really don't need that much performance in a family SUV and the purchase price is noticeably higher.

For the majority of buyers, the entry-level engines are likely more than powerful enough – especially the T5 or B5P petrols that have 250hp for impressive acceleration. If you're a high-mileage driver, the D4 or B4D diesel engines will give you a respectable cruising range.

Most models in the XC60 lineup are offered with all-wheel drive. In fact, front-wheel drive is only an option on the petrol powered T5 and B5P version. All plug-in hybrid versions power the front wheels with the petrol engine and the rear wheels with an electric motor.

Like lots of premium brands, Volvo's performance in reliability surveys leaves a little to be desired. This is generally because upmarket models include more features and on-board tech than affordable cars, thus introducing more potential points of failure.

For greater peace of mind, add an extended warranty when you purchase your XC60 to protect you from unexpected repair bills.

Volvo has built a strong reputation as a safety-focused company and the XC60 lives up to this standard. All the expected seatbelt and airbag technology you'd expect is present and correct, plus you get extra overwatch thanks to standard-fit automatic emergency braking and lane-keep assist.

The XC60 is a large, premium five-seat SUV. Cars that compete in the same class include the BMW X3, Audi Q5, Mercedes GLC, Range Rover Velar, Lexus NX, Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Jaguar F-Pace.

Volvo has positioned itself as a premium brand. That means you get posh touches and lots of kit but you should budget a little more for annual maintenance and any extra repairs needed. Not only will parts be more expensive than most mass-market models but garage labour will also cost more. It's worth spending the money, however, because a well-maintained car should be worth more than one with a patchy service history.

We think the XC60 is a great car. It'll suit you down to the ground if you're looking for a posh SUV with a unique style that's refreshingly different to the typical, conservative German rivals. The Volvo's focus on comfort both inside and out is commendable and there's a generous amount of standard equipment.

All XC60 models can tow more than two tonnes, including the plug-in hybrids so if your loaded horse trailer weighs less than that figure, you should be fine to tow it with your Volvo. The majority of XC60 models also include all-wheel drive, which makes driving through muddy fields a little easier.

You can only fit two child seats to the Volvo XC60 because it only has Isofix fittings on the outer rear seats. Even if you use a non-Isofix child seat for the centre position, you'll still struggle to fit three across the rear row because the seat bases aren't wide enough.