The Day My Volvo Briefly Defied Gravity (and Saved Me Mid-Air)”
After six years behind the wheel of my 2020 Volvo S60, I can confidently say that this car has turned me from a Volvo owner into a Volvo evangelist.
This is my third Volvo, and over the years I’ve driven my share of luxury and high-end cars. They’ve all had their charms—beautiful interiors, impressive badges, enough electronics to launch a satellite—but when it comes to safety, Volvo plays a completely different game.
The moment I became a true believer happened on a highway curve. I hit an unexpected bump while negotiating the turn and, for what felt like a nanosecond, the car actually became airborne. Not “Hollywood stunt scene” airborne, but airborne enough for my heart to relocate somewhere near my throat.
Before I could even process what had happened, the seat belt tightened instantly.
Not after the fact. Not eventually. Instantly.
Apparently the car had already decided that things were getting interesting and took protective action before I had finished saying, “Oh dear.”
At that moment I realized that Volvo’s engineers spend their days imagining scenarios most of us never think about. Somewhere in Sweden, a group of people apparently sat around a table and asked, “What if a driver unexpectedly leaves the surface of the Earth for a brief period?” Then they designed a solution.
The S60 has been wonderfully comfortable, remarkably solid, and a pleasure to drive. The seats remain the gold standard for long trips, the cabin has aged beautifully, and the car still feels substantial in a way that many modern vehicles do not.
But the feature I appreciate most is the one I hope never to fully test. Volvo’s obsession with safety isn’t marketing fluff—it’s woven into the DNA of the car. You can feel it.
After six years, countless miles, and one brief attempt at flight, I remain thoroughly impressed.
Five stars from a driver who accidentally discovered that her Volvo was paying attention even when gravity wasn’t.
Recommended
Verified Owner
