On the other hand, stoplight starts were gazelle-like, with all four

Special Edition's exterior includes a choice of three colours, and these fantastic looking SENTINAL wheels. (Photo: Kogodos, Canadian Auto Press)

wheels putting power to the ground and leaping gracefully away from traffic. Similarly, I found its cornering ability level and assuring, although the car was so soothing that I generally found myself taking it easy at times when I would normally be pushing a car to its limits--was it that good, or was it just that relaxing? You be the judge.

One thing I was able to judge for and on behalf of any who are considering a Volvo, is that this car needs a driveway. Namely, its turning radius made parking a terror, especially after having the nimble Toyota 4Runner the week prior. That SUV turned on a dime, and it took me half a week to realize that it wasn't my driving skills that had deteriorated drastically but rather that the S60 had to be considered carefully for both its length and its wide turning radius.

Despite

Special Aluminum trim is standard on the SE model, as are the very comfortable Sports leather seats. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

my parking difficulties, this car was such a pleasure to get into every morning. The feelings of solidity and security are backed up by one of the best safety records in the industry; this model specifically coming with Volvo's Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), driver and front passenger airbags, side impact and curtain airbags, seat belt pretensioners and a high strength safety cage for last resort protection in an accident. Helping to avoid the accident are the four disc brakes, which felt supremely reassuring, assisted by a four-channel antilock braking system, electronic brake distribution and emergency brake assist. With all those systems available I'm happy to report that I didn't get into any accidents, so I guess that means they work really well. Or maybe I just had an unadventurous week.

Mind you, Volvo's reputation for safety has recently been eclipsed

You're looking at the back of the front headrest of the S60. Its unique design reduces whiplash injuries. (Photo: Kogodos, Canadian Auto Press)

by some of their competitors, particularly Audi, which recently managed to get three silver medals in the IIHS Top Safety Picks for 2006, while Volvo didn't receive any, so do your homework. Or, you can let me do it for you. Normally, I would shirk the homework and just move on to the beer, but I'm feeling motivated today, and I think the S60 deserves a little love, just because it's so sexy. The NHTSA gives the S60, with side airbags, four stars in frontal impact for both passenger and driver positions, five stars for both front and rear occupants in side impact tests and in the IIHS frontal offset test, the 2005 S60 received the top 'good' rating for Overall, Structure/Safety Cage, Head/Neck, Chest Restraints/Dummy Kinematics and acceptable for Leg/Foot (right and left). Additionally, the European NCAP program, known to be significantly more stringent, awards the current generation S60 (tested in 2001) four stars out of five and an 82 percent rating for overall crash safety, a very respectable score although with room for improvement, which we will no doubt see when the next S60 debuts in a couple of years. All this helps to show that it's not all doom and gloom for Volvo's safety department, nor can it be slotted in with the Hyundai Excels and Ladas of the world.