Art of Gears
Fansided

A Completely Subjective and Biased List of the Best Daily Drivers For Car People

By Brandon TeVelde

DETROIT - JANUARY 5: Kyoji Takenaka, president and CEO of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., which owns Subaru as a subsidiary, poses with the new Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT sedan after it was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show January 5, 2004 in Detroit, Michigan. The show, which will feature more than 700 vehicles, opens to the public January 10. (Photo by Bryan Mitchell/Getty Images)
DETROIT - JANUARY 5: Kyoji Takenaka, president and CEO of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., which owns Subaru as a subsidiary, poses with the new Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT sedan after it was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show January 5, 2004 in Detroit, Michigan. The show, which will feature more than 700 vehicles, opens to the public January 10. (Photo by Bryan Mitchell/Getty Images) /
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ATHENS, GREECE – 2021/05/05: General view of a Volvo sign seen in Athens. (Photo by Nikolas Joao Kokovlis/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
ATHENS, GREECE – 2021/05/05: General view of a Volvo sign seen in Athens. (Photo by Nikolas Joao Kokovlis/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) /

#2 2004 – 2007 Volvo S60R 18/24 mpg

The S60R is pretty easy to find for well under our $10K threshold, with prices ranging mostly from $3500 to $8800.

When I think Volvo, I think safety, comfort, and boring boxy station wagons. Oh, and that weird backwards rear seat in the 240 wagon that made me super car sick. (Sorry for vomiting in your car). Volvo is not typically a name that evokes images of snarling and menacing sports cars.

However the 2006 Volvo S60R is just that. With a 2.5L inline 5-cylinder turbocharged engine, it boasts 300hp and was available with a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission. In addition to a surprising amount of power, the S60R is right in line with the rest of the contenders, averaging 18/24 mpg.

My introduction to the S60R came at the hands of a mutual friend who was picking us up to go to a pub. I didn’t hear him pull up and didn’t think anything of his car when we all walked out and climbed in, but the turn of his key, the engine that roared to life was nothing like I expected. He took off driving much faster than I anticipated and it took my stunned brain a few gear changes to register that not only was he manually shifting, but there was turbo and blow off valve noises!We ultimately skipped the pub and geeked out about cars for a few hours. He did not let me drive, but I got to experience one of the most surprisingly quick cars of my life, so far.

Looking online, I see S60Rs with 250K miles or more, so reliability seems excellent. And with it being a Volvo product, you can rest assured that it is a safe to drive, if properly maintained. Being all wheel drive, the S60R is another option for a daily driver that is perfectly suited for any weather condition. I would be thrilled to take off on a road trip in one of these.

The surprise factor when it comes to performance is one of the big reasons this car is one of my favorite daily drivers. It looks good, the turbo powered Inline 5 sounds awesome, and its a generally wicked ride.

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