Long gone are the days when Volvo’s were purchased purely for safety and solidity. Style is a major consideration for buyers of Swedish products – Volvo, IKEA, and the Sedin twins not excluded. The previous generation Volvo S60 hung around for a decade. Forgetful people that we are, the consumers’ collective beholding eye no longer sees the visual appeal of the P2-based S60 of 2000. Think back to your first sighting, however, and you’ll remember how shocked you were that Volvo, the box builder, designed a car with such strong shoulders and so pugnacious a rear end.

The glamour of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class doesn’t match up well with the new S60. BMW’s otherwise excellent 3-Series doesn’t utilize simplistic design any longer, certainly not in sedan form. The Infiniti G will come across large in the S60′s presence. Inside the Audi A4, a potential Volvo S60 customer will find life dark and dour. Is this all to mean the 2011 Volvo S60 is better than the Marketplace’s best-selling alternatives?

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