Volvo S-60R - opinions?

[Volvohead]

I've owned two Rs, an '05, and an '06 that I still have. These are not your typical Volvos. A very fast, limited production, near track car with serious performance bits. The colder it gets, the stronger it runs. And comfortable too (at least in comfort chassis setting).

I would take a stock R over a standard A4 quattro from a performance standpoint. Modded up, it can run with same-year M3s and S4s. Whether your wife wants that much sport in a grocery-getter is another story. OTOH, a V70R is the ultimate sleeper wagon.

Because of their low production numbers and low market attraction, they are underpriced for what you get. But at over 70k miles, I would take a very close look at the service records, particularly fluid changes. The turbo is nothing compared to all the other complex systems on an R that can go wrong with poor or neglected maintenance. If it's been modded, be especially careful. A blast to drive, but a very expensive car when it breaks.

Find a very good Volvo independent if you can't afford the stiff expense of dealer servicing an R. And be aware that few dealers know how to competently work on them, because there are so few of them out there. They are very different from standard P2s. Either way, be prepared to pay a service premium.

If you can afford the service, then go for it. It's a small cadre that owns one.

 

[Volvohead]

Originally Posted By: Familyguy
A LOT more comfy than either an A4 or ANY Volvo.


If you ever drove cross-country in a Volvo, you would NEVER make that statement. Best seats in the business, bar none.

 

[ryan2022]

Originally Posted By: CivicFan
Subaru has an image that doesn't fit us. Volvo is a stretch - it's the 300 HP that caught my eye.


No offense to your wife, thats just a strange way to look at things.

A fully loaded legacy, would probably turn her head quite nicely.

Brand image does hit the women pretty hard though. My wife would buy a bicycle if it had a mercedes emblem on it.....gotta love 'em.

 

[Volvohead]

A Civic fan with image issues . . . interesting.

 

[bdcardinal]

i love my R, it has issues, but every time i hit full boost i forget about them.

i just had a new angle/bevel gear installed under extended warranty. i completely destroyed it, yet the collar gear which is designed to break was fine.

service history is a must. the previous owner of mine did oil changes at the dealer, but thats about it. they also smoked like a chimney in the car.

if you mod the car, its expensive. i have front and rear sway bars sitting in my garage for when i feel like dropping the subframes to install them. the dampeners are about $400-500 each and you can only use OEM due to the Four-c suspension system. i have front and rear dampeners waiting to go in as well.

for fluids, there is a Ford version of all the Volvo fluids which can save you $$. i had Ford PTU fluid put in my bevel gear and Ford Full Synthetic Manual transmission fluid put in my 6 speed. i use GC and change the oil whenever the light comes on, usually around 7500 miles regardless of driving style. i use OEM filters.

there are no turbo issues that i know of really from normal wear and tear, just from lack of maintainence.

so far all i have done to mine is replace rotors with new OEM, Hawk HPS pads, IPD Heavy Duty Turbo Control Valve, IPD Boost Gauge (not a mod really but matches the factory gauges), titanium pad shims, braided stainless brake lines. the slave cylinder is a common fail item and usually takes the clutch with it. mileage always sucks, i have managed to get 23mpg on long highway trips, but its usually around 17-18mpg with my lead foot. brake pads swaps are about the easiest i have done on any car since i have the correct tools, the calipers stay bolted to the uprights. i need to switch to a more aggressive pad since i am getting wicked fade from the HPS pads on spirited mountain drives. Centric finally makes rotors which eliminates the need to go to the dealer for the ungodly expensive factory Brembo rotors.

btw the Four-C suspension is probably the most fun part of the car, when i give friends rides thats the thing that entertains them the most. the stereo is awesome, although only a 4 disc changer.

i need to do tires at some point soon on mine, and i have the 18" wheels. you have to do 4 tires at a time, no exceptions, which hits the wallet hard. my car currently has Capitol Negotiator tires on it now which the only positive thing about them is they have actually lasted 25k miles which is almost unheard of on a R car. i am trying to decide between BFG KDW2 or Michelin PS2's for replacements.

 

[CivicFan]

We went to see what Audi offers as suggested above. Checked out the A4 and then...

Opened the door of the latest model of A6.

Oh, mama!

What a handsome car.

Now the hunt for a good deal on an A6 begins. We haven't found any private sellers selling the car and it is not a very common car in the area. Our search will probably take some time and involve 150 miles around where we live. I think a 2005 can be found for a reasonable price - the 2007 we checked out was $32k and waaay out of our budget.

Thanks everyone for their input and pointing us to the right direction.

 

[bustednutz]

Image? I used to be hung up on image as well. And all I drove during those many years were Audi's, BMW's and Volvo's(both turbos) After countless dollars down the drain and many "image" headaches, we went back to asian cars. No they're not the same as the euro's. But they haven't failed to start once and they are a dream to maintain.
I have to say its a hard decision between the Volvo and the Audi as I sincerely love both vehicles. I just don't like the cost of ownership factor.
Check out www.IPDusa.com for all your Volvo needs.

 

[CivicFan]

Yeah, I know. But you can't really argue with the missus. Especially since it's her car. As we age, our needs change - Hondas that we have had have been reliable but it's time for a change.

My solution is to squirrel away a little at a time for the repairs that will eventually be needed.

 

[bdcardinal]

i wish i had never discovered IPD, my credit card hurts.

 

[Stanley Rockafeller]

Originally Posted By: Volvohead
Originally Posted By: Familyguy
A LOT more comfy than either an A4 or ANY Volvo.


If you ever drove cross-country in a Volvo, you would NEVER make that statement. Best seats in the business, bar none.


Totally agree...something Volvo has been known for, for decades!
The only other car IMO that can come close, is the equally undervalued Scandinavian, Saab

 

[bdcardinal]

sit in a S60R or V70R, the seats are super comfortable.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Yeah. Even in the small S40, the seats are fantastic.

 

[stranger706]

I'd never own another Audi. My 2003 A4 had electrical problems out the wahzoo. Windows, moonroof, fuel pump (left me stranded), HVAC blower, you name it, it got replaced under warranty. There is no way I could have afforded that car out of warranty. Parts are $$$

But when it was working it was a blast to drive!

Be careful Audi's are seductive!

 

[CivicFan]

It's been a couple of weeks and still no car. I never realized how rare the new generation A6-s were in the state. There are two in the town and 6 in the state for sale as of today.

The hunt goes on.

 

[Blurry]

I have a 2004 S60 R with manual transmission and 92,000 miles and I love it. I would have bought a V70 R if I could have found one. The S60 R doesn't have much leg room believe it or not...but it fast, great in the snow, very comfortable....consider extended warranty, really know the history of the car your considering or check out some websites because some expensive items can go wrong.

 

[CivicFan]

Looks like we are the proud owners of a 2007 Audi A6 with a 3.2 liter engine. The auction is over but we are still waiting Volkswagen Credit to approve our win.

During the last month or so the prices of A6-s has gone up (I think in anticipation for the winter). We are spending about $8k more than what I had hoped to spend initially for a 2005 A6.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Congrats! Nice car. Is it still under warranty or did you buy extended warranty (CPO)?

 

[CivicFan]

It's near the end of the manufacturer's warranty. We got it through Adesa (a buddy of mine is a dealer) from Volkswagen Credit in MA - it's a former lease car.

I'll see if buying an extended warranty for 3 years makes sense. Given the way we treat our cars, we are probably below the actuarial risk and it probably doesn't make sense for us because we do not neglect service.

Unbelievable that in the US, there were about 20 A6-s listed for auction for the next 2 weeks.

 

[Volvohead]

An off-lease A6 bought through Adesa?

I'd be looking at an extended warranty until you know what you have gotten yourself into.

It has nothing to do with your maintenance or service habits at this point.

It's not unbelievable that there are plenty of 2-3 yo Audis going for auction. People dump them when the lease (and warranty) runs. You really don't want to fix them outside of warranty.

 

[CivicFan]

Originally Posted By: Volvohead
It's not unbelievable that there are plenty of 2-3 yo Audis going for auction.


I found it unbelievable that there were so few in the whole country for 2006 through 2009 models.