Volvo S60

Our long time use of Volvo – We are long term Volvo owners and presently own Volvo S60. We are retired and use the car for local transport and also for holidays. These days we do not tow a caravan but have in the past with a previous S60 which travelled long distances both paved and gravel roads as it was a cross country model as is this car. Would have liked a better spare wheel for outback travel though. The car is serviced once a year Show details

Volvo S60T 2003 – I bought my 2003 Volvo S60T Sedan when it was 5 years old, 50,000 km It was a very well built car with lovely upholstery and solid exterior. It travelled lovely on the road , handled well and was economical on a trip. Even though it was only 2000cc with the turbo it had good acceleration for passing. On the negative side it did have some issues:… Read more

*It was expensive to service, the suspension bushes and rubber components needed replacing quite regularly *Engine was a little noisy under acceleration. * My biggest complaint was that a seal on the fuel tank stated leaking, which caused a strong smell of petrol in the car, This was supposed to be fixed under a recall but Volvo NZ would not repair it as the car was fully imported from Japan. This repair cost me near $2000, as the rear seats had to be removed along with all the rear airbags etc. I was not happy and from that day said I would never by another Volvo. I have since bought a Lexus 250 and a Honda both fully imported cars from Japan, and both have had recalls that have cost me no money. On the positive side the car was well built, good solid feel to the doors and fittings. But overall it was a expensive to maintain when compared to the Lexus.

Amazing car – I got this car a month ago from Great Buy Autos in Cabramatta +61 406 312 522 .For a 20 year old car it runs like a pearl no issues and all original parts even the spare tyre in the boot is the original. Our mechanic Mic from Essential auto repairs was brilliant and came out for free and checked it over the car yard gave us free rego and free 2… Read more

years warranty and roadside assistance. So pleased with the value and quality of this purchase it even came with an up to date Log Book.

There are better choices – The very basic Volvo S60 T4 in base trim sedan and dark blue. First thing is the dark paint shows every stone chip and scratch and also the attempts to use cover paint. If you have a choice stay away from the darker colours in this car. It is build like and armoured car, unfortunately it also steers, brakes and changes direction like one. … Read more

Handling in this specification wallows with pronounced understeer and it dose not like changing direction in wet weather. The car is fitted with Michelin tyres at this point and these are near new. The car dose not like tight parking spaces and has a larger than expected turning circle for the vehicle class. The steering feels heavy to use in tight spaces and at low speeds however dose however come into its own at higher freeway speeds.

For a car brand that has a primary emphasis in safety and that sold for about 50k when new the only real safety extra it brings to the table is the City Safe system for fontal crash mitigation and avoidance. Other systems such as radar cruise, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and reverse parking camera were all extras that whilst available were big money items on this car when new and are not fitted to this vehicle.

Another equipment anomaly for an Australian specification vehicle that you need to be aware of is the fact that on the 2012 version, no spare tyre was provided at all. There is no spare tyre wheel well so if you get a spare as an option or aftermarket it sits in the boot taking up a lot of space that may be needed for lugage on longer drives reducing the practicality of the vehicle. What is supplied is a can of goo and an air compressor. Whilst the air compressor can useful, if you puncture or rip a sidewall (such as on a broken road or pot hole or traffic island) or if a tyre valve failes you are truly stranded. A repaired tyre is only rated to 80kph and for limited distance so again not perfect in country areas.

The transmission is a Ford/Getrag Powershift 6 speed unit and shows Fords ownership of Volvo when this car was made. This is an automated manual rather than a conventional automatic and has a computer controlled clutch and twin shaft gears rather than a torque converter and cyclic gears. It is smoother and better than the unit in the Ford Focus to which it is related (Volvo used a wet clutch design), it dose however in this example suffer from difficulty engaging at slow speeds on steep hills and dose not cope well with unexpected use of acceleration or braking getting confused and hesitent to engage a gear. It also when engaging first tends to drop into gear like its dropping the clutch causing wheel spin in wet weather or on low traction surfaces. The sports mode holds gears to the redline refusing to change up in cruise and is very slow to kick in for a down change, it seems only calibrated for hard acceleration. In manual mode the gearbox often overrides the drivers intent changing up or down against the drivers wishes and without input.

Cabin. The cabin is generally made of high quality materials and has no squeaks or rattles on a car with over 100k on the clock. The seats however are hard and feel like sitting on overinflated baloons. The leather is smooth and whilst hard waring and well put together offers no grip and the seats have no lower back support for tall persons (I'm 6'3) 30min driving on a winding or twisty road causes unsupported movement and twisting in your lower back leading to back pain. Entry to the cabin for tall persons is also an issue with you having to twist and duck your head due to the swoop of the roof line betwen the A and B pillar, This would not be an issue for shorter drivers. The speedometer and other instruments look dated in the 1980's however are easy to read. The infotainment system is typical Volvo and is not something to be played with whilst driving as it requires dedicated concentration to navigate the menus and sub menus in the centre screen.

Fuel consumption is dependant on your use. If you just drive to the local shops and railway station it uses in this example close to 10l/100km If on highway cursing however on crusie control it dose drop off quite substantially adding 50% or more to the estimated range. Usual range for this example is 700km per 65 liter refill with mixed driving on motorways and local short runs.

The T4 in 1.6l guise is underpowered and needs to be worked hard just to keep up with Sydney traffic. There is a lack of low down torque and the engine runs out of breath quickly.

The air conditioning whilst apparently performing to the vehicles design standard is not strong enough to cope with Sydney on a 40 + degree summer day and takes 20 to 30 minutes to really get working. The heater is however very good in winter coping with 0 and negative degree temperatures brilliantly.

My final thoughts are that this car is compotent if a family local hack is your need. Anything that requires long distance country driving, particularly by someone who actually cares about driving, look elseware.

DEFINITELY A CLASS OF ITS OWN – Love the power and how precise the handling is especially around bends, it grips the road perfectly. With beautiful Tan leather interior shows off how prestige and its true class. Wish dash was a little more colourful. Its ok on fuel, but could be better. Definite luxury which has blown away the sceptics.  Show details

Volvo S60 Polestar – I have owned a lot of cars, 20 in 20 years...My S60 Polestar is sitting at the top of the pack of the cars Ive owned. The ride is rock solid Volvo, very smooth, very quiet and gives a massive feeling of pure safety.. I bought my wife a new V40 T5 Cross Country last year to replace her much loved Lexus, the Volvo was the only car that came close… Read more

she wanted a GLA250 Merc but we could not believe how cheap and nasty they felt to drive. Since owning hers we have become Volvo fans (I'm normally your Aussie V8 kind of guy) so I researched and decided a S60 Polestar may entertain me. I bought a 2015 3.0L Turbo in Rebel blue and WOW...Its very very quick very comfortable and honestly a very hard car to replace in terms of how many boxes it ticks...Im sold and reliability has not been any issue, its been faultless to date. I 100% recommend this car (any new Volvo really)

WOW – I am in love with this smooth vehicle, so refined and beautiful to drive, very posn and luxurious............................ immaculate, never missed a beat, took out for 5oookms trip.. but except a flat tyre.. everything was working as wonder... proud owner of volvo.. great for short trip as well.. thanks guys  Show details

Happy with the car – Fuel consumption is reasonable. Exterio/interio design is great. Repair is, of course, very expensive. I've got broken light and it was quoted around 800 to replace. Otherwise it all good. I was lucky to buy it with spare tyre (small one). It sits in the boot and takes space, however everyone says it is a better option than this temporary repair system.  Show details

Great Car S60 T6 Awd Not The T5 – Having had volvos all my life and now into my second s60 with all the fruit this car is just as good as my first one and I have kept the first one also have a c30 and xc90 new. Well you love volvo or you don't I supppose I have found the running costs fine and to park no problems at all people saying the servicing cost are high bit this is not a… Read more

lancer its a volvo these cost are not hidden from the buyer so do your home work as for the tyres every 10,000 km not problems at all these cars are step frowrd from s40 hands down and not all the tramission are a problem there were some with certain trans but that has been fixed check the log book if you are buying second hand a trans flush will often fix this, if its balck it needs to be done. The handling is great with the awd a whole different ball game, yes we are us to a 2 ltr and getting good fuel comsuption well thats great but if you have a t6 its a different car to drive its so easy to park try parking and suv that can be a bit harder but with all the cameras etc on board it easy well I love my volvo and have had many through the years its like anything you hate them or you like them.

Simply a Great Car – Years ago I had a Volvo 940. My wife and I ran up 350,000 Klms without doing anything to the engine apart from the scheduled services. I have just bought an S60 Luxury T5. This car handles like a limousine. The comfort is second to none and the turbo has an amazing turn of speed. The interior is set out well and the equipment is mind blowing.… Read more

I do find the low profile tyres a little hard, but the mags wheels really stand out. Everyone that I have shown the car to has said what a 'top' car - boy does that make me feel great.

This car is a retirement present to say thank you to my beautiful wife. I now have trouble getting to drive it as she has just fallen in love with the car so much. She finds it so easy to drive and park. We live in Brisbane and we went to Victoria to purchase the car

Terrible, expensive LEMON!!!!!!!!! – The car looks good, but it is extremely heavy and despite the sporty appearance does not handle like a sporty car at all. The interior is very good, but may not be the best in it's class. I don't mind the seats which make me feel like a F1 pilot, in fact I feel very comfortable but I wouldn't feel like that if I was bigger. I must say that… Read more

these cars are not for the people on a budget, because the maintenance costs could run into thousands. You need to like the brand and the type of car in question.

from what I have researched the common problems are the transmission ( design flaw) and electronics, relating to engine performance. I concur these are the problems, on top of leaking oil, and numerous other issues.

Great car but hard to service – Powerful 2.0T that delivers 175KW with fast shifting DCT. Very spacious interior. The car has been solid in terms of mechanics. No faults yet at 65000KM. Seats are super comfy. It's definitely a family car that's got a little kick. I find this car a bit too big and especially maneuvering in tight parking spaces can take quite a lot of back and forth.  Show details

Value For Money Against Other Euro Brands - NOT HAPPY (Anymore) JAN!! – Sep 2014 - This is my third Volvo in 15 years. I currently have an XC70 and recently bought a second car which is the S60. For the level of standard features on my S60 T5, the same price gets an entry level A4 or 3 series. Merc don't even enter the equation. Only gripe was the installation of window tinting. The door panels were not fitted… Read more

correctly and the squeaks became unbearable. This was easily solved by Volvo simply adjusting them back into the correct position. If you can get the free scheduled servicing included in the deal, try. Servicing any Volvo can get expensive with a major coming in at $1400 and a minor at $700. 650-700kms to a tank around the city and up to 950kms on the highway. It is quick, comfortable and looks sporty.

Oct 2015 - Now into my second year of ownership and the S60 is not living up to my expectations when compared to my first Volvo (2001 S40). The build quality and engineering is lacking. I have spent the last 12 months taking the car back on warranty items (30+ hours of labor to date) and premature parts replacement. Of the 20 or so issues, here are the top three.

1) The door seals squeak and rub to the point of aggravation. It may not seem like a big thing but when you pay mid to top end for a car you don't expect something like this to be an issue after 15,000kms. Even after replacing both rear door seals, it has still required regular lubrication to prevent the noise returning. Even the Volvo technician was amazed how noisy it was.

2) Sydney roads are not kind on any car with low profile tyres or a stiffer suspension set-up. The S60 in fact hates Sydney roads. It needs a front wheel alignment every 6-8 weeks. I have made all attempts to avoid hitting potholes, driveways, curbs, surface changes even manhole lids too hard. No point in trying, even the smallest of thumps will see you in for another alignment. Six alignments in 12 months.

Still inside the warranty period, the big costs that aren't covered due to "normal wear and tear" started.

3) At 45,000kms all major components of the rear breaks had to be replaced. Quote: "It has nothing to do with the way you drive the car, it is all to do with the engineering" SVM Lindfield. The city-safe braking system causes the rear discs to wear out early and unevenly. Which means no machining back to working order, you have to replace the entire unit. $1,100 later and you have two new discs, rotor cuffs, pads and the labour. I was lucky to get to 45k apparently as normally 40k is the best it will do.

While it still represents value for money off the showroom floor, the back end costs are now starting to bite. I have just purchased an additional two year Volvo factory warranty ($1900) just in case of more issues and mostly to cover the labour costs.

If I had the option, I would hand this back in and ask for my 2001 S40 back. After 100k it was still a better drive and build quality.

The car is perfect if it's brand new! – Something expensive you can think of in your life. But if you love cars and feel difference you don't mind to spent money given the quality of the car. I always get this car serviced with Volvo but how I had end up in great trouble have no idea. Any thing you can think of in an ideal car, I have drive 2010 Toyota Aurion but when get back to 2002 Volvo I can feel the luxury of Volvo Super expensive

OK – If you get a new one should have 4 years of trouble free driving; be carefull with any that have a bit of mileage as the dealers are reluctant to buy them back off of you and you could be stuck with a very expensive garden feature. Buy new and upgrade every 3-4 years and you should be OK. Volvos have a great safety record and are one of the best… Read more

drives that you will find in a car of it's class; as well as a new shape and the sporty performance. Costs are high for repairs and local volvo service centres can be 100km from home; when over 5 years old various problems with electrical systems and engine management became a very bad experiance which turned me from make of car i have had for the past 6 years.