Mother Proof's view

My family put the 2010 Volvo XC60 through its paces. I’m pretty sure the XC60 couldn’t wait to escape our driveway. This test drive was packed with repeated attempts to trigger the City Safety collision avoidance feature and a projectile vomiting incident (we tried to be cool parents and take the kids to the drive-in for the latest “Transformers” movie, but our youngest decided to throw up in the XC60 as soon as we parked!), which probably left the poor XC60 wondering, “Why me?”

Despite the trying circumstances, the XC60 – a mom’s best friend in vehicle form – endured and never failed our family. Like any BFF, however, the 2010 XC60 has a few personality traits I don’t like but would be willing to overlook due to the near-perfection of the overall package.

The small crossover is Volvo’s newest model and sits between the XC70 wagon and XC90 full-size SUV. The XC60 comes with a turbocharged inline-six-cylinder engine that made my heart beat faster every time I started the car. This mom-mobile can haul some serious booty and take on all the curves and traffic chaos without jostling finicky passengers. However, the XC60’s awesome engine will cost you: It requires premium fuel, so you’ll be paying more at the pump

Living in Michigan, I’m a fan of all-wheel drive. It’s available on the XC60, and my test car had it, which made me smile.

Would I buy one? Absolutely. Apparently so would many others: I stopped by my local Volvo dealership to do some research and was told that the dealer’s supply of XC60s had sold out.

Exterior

Maybe it’s just me, but the XC60’s front end with the Volvo emblem diagonally crossing the grille really reminds me of a chiseled lifeguard bounding toward the water’s edge with that floatation device thingy strapped across his chest. OK, maybe it is just me.

The downward sloping hood opens up your view of the road without making you guess where your front bumper ends. Add to that the convenience of large adaptive headlights that swivel in the direction of your front wheels, and you’ve got great visibility.

From the outside, the XC60 is handsome without being flashy; it’s the kind of gal pal that matches your glam-level instead of trying to be the center of attention. However, the XC60’s door panels aren’t fully integrated, which means you or your kids can get your pants dirty just by climbing into the car.

I’m still adjusting to the curvy rear that Volvo incorporates into its wagon varieties. As a fan of Volvo’s boxy butts of years gone by, I’m slowly learning to appreciate that the mostly masculine XC60 exterior now has serious hips.

SENSE AND STYLE

Family-Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Excellent

Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Good Times

Interior

While I appreciate the XC60’s chiseled lines on its exterior, I’d have liked a softer-looking interior. My test car had a black interior that not only seemed too masculine but also made crumbs stand out like florescent clothing under a black light. I’d have preferred the Soft Beige/Espresso Brown combo. I did like the red stitching on the seats and the brushed aluminum trim surrounding the center stack. This isn’t the most feminine style, but it’s edgy and recognizably cool.

The seats are comfortable, but I wasn’t impressed with the crank-style lumbar support. I can’t seem to adjust them correctly in any car. My test car had heated seats in both rows, which anyone who’s out of child-safety seats will appreciate.

The second row is short on legroom, so I can’t say that rear-facing infant-safety seats would fit comfortably. There would probably be some serious pushing, pulling and scooching required to get them positioned correctly. For those with kids in booster seats, Volvo offers two-stage integrated booster seats ($500) in place of the heated seat feature for the second row. While they weren’t in my test car, other MotherProof.com backseat test drivers (i.e. our children) are fans of the seats.

The Latch connectors are buried and difficult to use; this is a problem that Chief Mama Kristin has been harping on for years. Volvo’s reputation is built on safety, and it boggles my mind that such a crucial piece of safety gear would get anything less than a perfect implementation.

For the most part, simplicity reigns within the XC60. Clean, easy-to-read instrumentation created a sense of clutter-free calm. The neatness and order continued all the way through the center stack, with everything easy to find and use.

I struggled a little with the navigation system in the XC60. Side streets were missing from the maps no matter how far I zoomed in. When more than one address was listed on the destination menu, it seemed like the system would try to direct me to all of them at once with arrows and highlighted streets going in every direction. This mapping confusion led to added mileage as I turned around over and over again to try and get back on track. Deleting previous destinations cleaned up the map problems.

There’s a remote control for controlling the navigation system, stereo and other technology features. It took some getting used to, but it was more convenient than reaching for buttons and dials. Still, as many with remotes and children, it could get lost if you don’t keep an eye on it.

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT

Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Fair

Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample

Safety

The most interesting (by far) feature of the XC60 is the City Safety system, which comes standard on the XC60. The system uses low-speed braking to help your car avoid an impact at speeds less than 18 mph. It uses a sensor mounted to the front windshield to sense obstacles in front of the car, and if there’s an impending crash, the system will start braking for you. According to Volvo, City Safety can bring your car to a complete stop if you’re driving less than 9 mph. At 10-18 mph, the system will slow your car to help lessen the impact.

Of course, I wanted to test this system out for myself. All of my family members turned me down when I asked if I could try crashing the XC60 into their car. Instead I chose a car-sized bush at the edge of a parking lot as my potential victim. I later learned that City Safety won’t detect shrubbery or people; it detects reflective surfaces by shooting a laser light forward and looking for reflections on its return to City Safety sensor. Here’s the catch: I couldn’t let myself do it! I couldn’t keep my over-protective foot off the brake. Ugh! Since the City Safety system doesn’t activate until the last nano-second – so it won’t interfere with the driver’s own abilities – you have to will yourself to almost hit something in order to test it. It’s safer to go to Volvo dealership where they’ll give you a hands-on demonstration.

Because it’s a Volvo, the XC60 includes a wide array of safety features as standard items, including antilock brakes, side-impact airbags for the front seats, side curtain airbags for both rows, an electronic stability system with Roll Stability Control, and traction control. I’d definitely consider getting the available integrated booster seats since I had such a hard time latching my own boosters in.

FAMILY LIFESTAGE

In Diapers: Getting a rear-facing child-safety seat in the back would require a lot of effort.

In School: The available integrated booster seats are a big hit with young kids.

Teens: It’s loaded with safety features that will help protect your inexperienced teen driver.