Volvo S-60R - opinions?

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My wife has been looking to buy an Audi A-4 but we are having a hard time finding one that fits our criteria. The main reason for looking at an A4 is the all-wheel drive.

A friend of mine, who is a dealer, has a 2005 Volvo S-60R, asking price of $15k. It's a nice car with 72k miles and all the niceties European cars come with comfort wise. It's all wheel drive but what has caught my attention is the 300HP engine. The problem is that it's turbo - gets good mileage when not driven like a mad man but turbo will need to be repaired in the near future as far as I have read about how turbos work.

So, if your budget was $15k and you wanted a European AWD car that is newer model, would you get this or an A4?
 
I don't have experience with the Volvo I5 turbocharged engine. But I like the Audi torsen-based quattro system MUCH better than the Volvo system. For similar or perhaps slightly less money, you might consider keeping an eye out for an '04 A6 with the tried and true normally aspirated 4.2L V8 (340hp). A buddy of mine uses one of these to commute from NJ to Syracuse twice a week. He gets 27mpg with it. A LOT more comfy than either an A4 or ANY Volvo. If you're inclined to tinker and can find one, an '04 A6 with 6-sp manual and twin turbo V6 can be tweaked from stock 250hp to 320hp (and 380ft/lbs of torque) with a simple chip swap. I had one of these and got about 26-27mpg on the highway and 22mpg in mixed driving. It was a real blast to drive and was unstoppable in the snow.

One thing to consider though. Both Volvo and Audi will be comparatively expensive to maintain, mostly due to high cost of parts.
 
IMO, the quality of Audi is slightly on the rise, and Volvo is slipping since their glory days of reliability.

Either one will depend on maintenance, and cost of parts will tend to be slightly higher.

If youre in that price range, Take a look at a subaru Legacy. They'll be reliable, and should cost less to maintain. You can get the GT model with the same engine as the WRX (Turbocharged) Subarus AWD is excellent, and is full time as well.
 
Originally Posted By: ryan2022
IMO, the quality of Audi is slightly on the rise, and Volvo is slipping since their glory days of reliability.

Either one will depend on maintenance, and cost of parts will tend to be slightly higher.

If youre in that price range, Take a look at a subaru Legacy. They'll be reliable, and should cost less to maintain. You can get the GT model with the same engine as the WRX (Turbocharged) Subarus AWD is excellent, and is full time as well.


The Subarus make fantastic beaters and the AWD system works well indeed. Parts are also fairly cheap in comparison to Volvo/Audi. In terms of creature comforts....it wouldn't be on my short list though. :)
 
yeah, that's true. That's the only issue with Subaru.

The Legacys can be loaded up nicely, compared to the Impreza, but still not in the same creature comfort category, as a luxury car.
 
Subarus have it where it counts: driving dynamics, seating position, good ride quality, good build quality, etc. It's just that the interiors feel cheaper and they don't have all the niceties. I love Subaru to death for this, but to each his own. :)

Don't be too afraid of turbos just because they're turbos. Yes, it is more that can go wrong, but it don't think it'll make or break reliability or cost of ownership.

The AWD system on the Volvo S60 R is quite advanced. IIRC it ties in with the chassis management. Either way, I sincerely doubt you'll find yourself in a situation where the difference between it and the Audi's will be noticeable.

The worst I've heard about the S60 R is that it's not particularly comfortable and not particularly sporty for the price. And of course Volvos in general have been somewhat spotty in terms of reliability in recent years. Then again, I've known people who have had S60 Rs and they have loved them.

Normally I wouldn't recommend an S60 R for someone who's just looking for a nice AWD car, but if it's that cheap I'd say it's worth a look.
 
I don't think we will ever have Subarus in our household.

Looks like the Volvo people like their "S-60R"-s motivated by what I sensed was the same minority sense as the Mac users have about their choice.

I'll take the wife to drive an A6 and see how she likes it. But now looks like the choice is between the Volvo and A6 if she can actually reach the pedals and the steering wheel at the same time and be able to see outside as well.
 
I have a 04 Volvo S60 R and love it. I have 93,000+ miles on it and it'll go another 100K. Maintenance and service history is the most important IMO.
 
Originally Posted By: CivicFan
I don't think we will ever have Subarus in our household.


Why not? just curious. Do you have friends/fam who had bad experience with them or what?
I have 2 relatives and 1 friend who have Subarus (2 Forrseters and 1 Legacy GT), and they have been totally dependable.
The Legacy GT is actually pretty nice inside with some option packages, and offer a lot more bang for the $$ IMO than Audi or Vulva
grin2.gif
- but may not have the "name", i guess..

Audi owners often complain of electrical bugs which can be a real pita to repair from what I hear.
 
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Subaru has an image that doesn't fit us. Volvo is a stretch - it's the 300 HP that caught my eye.
 
I don't know, that's what the wife says
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My guess is that it's too utilitarian and is Japanese.
 
Originally Posted By: Blurry
I have a 04 Volvo S60 R and love it. I have 93,000+ miles on it and it'll go another 100K. Maintenance and service history is the most important IMO.


Were there any issues that you can think of during those 93k miles?
 
Originally Posted By: CivicFan
I don't know, that's what the wife says
23.gif


My guess is that it's too utilitarian and is Japanese.


LOL! 2 of the 3 people I mentioned who owns the Forresters are Pharmaists, and the other one is a dentist - they didn't feel that way i guess :)
(Ok one of them does have it as a 2nd car, but still- they love it - and I think they were pretty smart about their choice)
 
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Ive had subaru AWD, volvo AWD, and audi quattros. IMO Subi is the best in the snow and will go anywhere. Audi is the most dynamic driving experience. Volvo is a great highway cruiser and very comfortable. I personally like quattro system better than Haldex (volvo) but that volvo haldex saved my butt once when I hit a deer going 75ish on the freeway and was sliding completely sideways. It does get around good in the snow.

I suggest driving both the audi and volvo, it's just personal preference. I have grown less fond of the volvo 5 cylinder as they get aged but they seem to have fewer electrical problems on the car as they age than the audis in my experience. As someone said above, good maintenance is crucial for any european car.
 
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