If you want to go off-road, your mind probably goes to SUVs, first. Dedicated all-terrainers like the Jeep Wrangler and the Toyota Land Cruiser, for instance. You could also go with a mid-size pickup like the Toyota Tacoma, or maybe a Subaru, be it a wagon or a rally car. But the last vehicle you'd consider taking on the trail would be a luxury sedan, right?Well, Volvo built a four-door with 7.9 inches of ground clearance, the Volvo S60 Cross Country, and, while it might not be ready for rock climbing and crossing rivers, it can certainly get you around safely on broken roads and in terrible weather. If you're thinking "that sounds like an extremely niche product," you're right. A car like this may have very limited market appeal, but, to a certain kind of buyer, it's just the thing they're looking for. Who Needs 7.9 Inches Of Ground Clearance In A Sedan? Volvo The S60 Cross Country was available from the 2016 to 2018 model years. You can have a good time in any of these cars, but the 2016 and 2017 models were among the last Volvos to feature the B5254T12 modular straight-five. Later Cross Country S60s were available with a 2.0 turbo-four.As far as our research shows, 7.9 inches is as high as any production sedan has stood in the US market. At this height, it's closer to a wagon or a rally car than it is to any other sedan on the market. Aside from the high ground clearance, the Cross Country also packs a number of features to give drivers an easier time off the beaten track. Hill-descent control Front and rear skid plates Side scuff plates 18-inch wheels Extended fenders The S60 Cross Country was very capable off-road. Other than its sedan body style, the S60 was really just a sedan with V60 wagon-like traits, so it was a natural fit for trails, mud, and gravel. Of course, everything that made it so capable off the pavement made it a bit unwieldy on city streets. Drivers will note that, while body roll isn't excessive, you definitely feel the difference when going around corners. Limited Production For A Limited Segment Volvo Volvo's initial plan was to stop at 500 units for North America, but the model would go on to sell 1,887 units total. Americans liked this car more than Volvo had predicted we would, but not enough to justify keeping it around for too long. Those first 500 units flew off the shelves, and Volvo sold another 872 in the first year, but 2017 saw just 312 sales, then 203 in 2018, with December of that year only seeing a single sale.This is the sort of car that sells like hotcakes to a very, very small segment of buyers, and, once that segment is tapped out, there's not much reason to keep the car around. Everyone who wants one has one, and it's going to be difficult talking the rest of the driving public into buying a sedan with the ground clearance of a Wrangler.It's easy to imagine the ideal buyer for the Volvo S60 Cross Country. This is someone who might not be in the market for an adventure vehicle, per se. Rather, they live or work rural, and they feel more comfortable in a luxury sedan than they do in a big, bulky SUV or luxury pickup truck. Why give up on the finer things in life over a few unpaved roads, right?The car is somewhat limited if you're looking for something that you can take camping, though. In particular, you've only got 12 cubic feet of trunk space. That might pack a tent and a cooler if you're traveling light, but, if you want to take the whole family to the lake for a weekend catching fish and telling tales by the fire, it's no substitute for, say, a Subaru Outback. What Will A Volvo S60 Cross Country Cost You In 2026? Volvo The Volvo S60 is one of those cars that's rare, but not incredibly expensive on the second-hand market. The 2018 model hit the lots at an MSRP of $44,350 back when it was brand-new. Today, the car is selling for well under half of its initial sticker price.Classic.comlists an average sale price of $17,500 based on every sale for the last 12 months, and by "every sale for the last 12 months," we mean one sale, for $17,500, last August. That's an easy average to tally up. We can go back another year, but that only gives us one more sale, at $18,000. Both of these models are from the 2016 model year, with under 80,000 miles on the odometer. Both sales took place on Bring A Trailer. A 34,080-mile 2016 Platinum is selling for $18,888 in Oregon. A 59,675-mile 2016 Platinum is selling for $15,798 in Colorado. There's no telling if these cars will still be available when you're ready to buy, but these numbers should give you an idea of what's out there. Expect to spend around $18,000 for an S60 Cross Country in good condition, but hope to be pleasantly surprised by something in the $16,000 range. These cars are hard to find, but reasonably affordable should you be lucky enough to stumble onto one. The Volvo S60 Is Remarkably Reliable Volvo Under the hood, a Volvo S60 Cross Country is just a Volvo S60. In terms of the engine and transmission, there's nothing you should be worrying about here that you wouldn't be worrying about with a standard model. JD Powerawards the 2016 S60 a Quality & Reliability rating of 85/100, and RepairPalestimates that you should be spending around $779 a year in maintenance, with the following accounting for the most expensive common fixes. Vehicle speed sensor replacement $1,216–$1,701 Fuel injector replacement $905–$1,064 Air bag clockspring replacement $641–$731 Suspension control arm bushings replacement $429–$546 Engine coolant temperature sensor replacement $341–$419 The only real issue to look out for in any S60, from 2016 to 2018, according to CarComplaints, is potential oil burning in the 2016 model, with one driver blaming this problem on defective pistons at 86,000 miles. Check The Suspension Before You Buy A High-Mileage Volvo S60 Cross Country Volvo If you're looking at an S60 Cross Country with a big number on the odometer, you'll definitely want to check the suspension before you hand over any money. Hit a couple of potholes on purpose if you need to. The car isn't top-heavy enough to experience an F-150-like death wobble or anything like that, but lifted suspension, in any vehicle, can wear out over time, leaving you bouncing like a pinball on every bump in the road.RepairPal estimates that a shock or strut replacement should cost you around $1,071 to $1,242 in an S60 Cross Country. That's based on an estimate of $366 to $537 for labor, and $705 for parts.The S60 Cross Country doesn't tend to experience suspension failure at a higher rate than anything else with 7.9 inches of ground clearance, but drivers have reported shock mounts giving out in the V60 Cross Country, meaning that the same problem can, potentially, affect the S60 Cross Country.Sources: Volvo, RepairPal, CarComplaints, JD Power.
