I totally appreciate the center stack with its hard buttons for HVAC and audio controls. The interior is sleek, modern and very Scandinavian. Lit up at night, they scream 'Volvo' from a distance. Then there are those mesmerizing taillights. It cuts a different profile than a lot of the sedans currently on the road, providing a unique stance that is immediately recognizable as a Volvo. I like the way the S60 Cross Country looks. #cardujour #volvo #s60Ī photo posted by jill ciminillo on at 12:15pm PST Now, I think it's fair to say these two things are not mutually exclusive. I remember when the Volvos of yore were ugly boxes that people bought more because of safety than attractive styling. The overall exterior styling of the S60 Cross Country falls in line with the rest of the Volvo lineup, which has gone more and more mainstream over the past several years. To me that's the best of both worlds: You get slightly better visibility because of the higher ride height, but you can still slide into it like you would a regular sedan. The great thing about the S60 Cross Country, however, is that you don't have to climb up into it. The 7.9-inch ground clearance is pretty aggressive considering that much larger vehicles, such as the Toyota Land Cruiser, have clearances that are just an inch more.

In addition to some rugged exterior cladding, the S60 Cross Country gets beefier 18- and 19-inch tires and ground clearance that's comparable to a small SUV. Volvo has dubbed the S60 Cross Country a 'sedan crossover,' trying to differentiate it in a growing crowd of cars equipped with all-wheel drive. Overall, it's a great car for someone with an active lifestyle who still wants the finer things in life. To top it off, the S60 Cross Country is as luxurious as it is capable.

And those Midwestern snowstorms? Piece of cake in this rugged sedan. Plus, I just like the idea that I could drive off the beaten path if I wanted to. But, I will say the urban jungle fraught with cavernous potholes was a little easier to traverse this week.

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