Impressions of an S60 R AWD Test Drive

C@lvin · Post by **C@lvin** » 13 Apr 2010, 12:22

I spend all my time over on that "other", "older" 5 cylinder forum. As you can see from my signature, I've owned a few Volvos over the years. I have been rather fond of them all (well except for the 760 - that in-line 6 was a dog). But my favorite was the 96 850 Turbo. I am a huge fan of the 5 cylinder engine. Anyway, in recent years I have carefully cultivated a fantasy that one day I will get an S60 R.

So.... I am driving to work this morning and see an S60 R at a used car lot. I had actually never driven one, so I just turned around and pulled in for a test drive. It is a "one owner" 04 S60 R AWD with 119K. The lot manager looked me over and, seeing my not so youthful hair color (at least I still have most of it), said he'd feel OK about letting me taking it for a drive.

I drove it about 10-12 miles including a couple of miles on the Interstate and, well now I am conflicted, so I thought I'd come to you folks for a little Volvo therapy.

Here are my impressions (in no particular order):
- I am not a race care driver or rally driver and I can't afford speeding tickets. While I admit it is exhilerating, what practial use do I have for 300 horsepower? Am I just getting old?
- AWD Part 1 - very little driving in the snow here in East Tennessee and I am not an off roader. What use do I have for AWD?
- AWD Part 2 - does the 04 MY have the newer, more reliable AWD tranny?
- Newer, more reliable Part 2 - what about the electronic throttle, was that fixed by the 04 MY?
- AWD Part 3 - Do they even make 2 wheel drive Rs any more?
- See 300 HP and AWD above, do I care if my fuel costs go up 25%?
- As usual with Volvo, great seats. Wide range of adjustments and lots of lateral support.
- Noticed lots of noise at the back which I interpreted as noisy tires, should rear end humming raise a red flag?
- After about a half mile I quickly concluded I am not a fan of the "comfort" suspension setting. The other two setings are....NICE!
-The handing is absolutely amazing. That car is nailed to the road (see suspension comments above)! Now I can see a practical use for that. Is it really as great as it felt or is just because my daily driver is a 12 year old S70 with 193K and all original suspension components?
- While this car is a much newer model than any Volvo I've ever owned, it still felt very comfortably familiar....Volvoish if you will.
- In recent years, I cannot afford to own Volvos unless I can work on them myself. Could I do most of the diagnosics, maintenance, and eventually repair (with help from my MVS friends)?
- DIY Part 2 - What percent of my DIY knowledge from my 98 S70 NA and 00 V70 NA will be "transferrable"?
- Even if I can do the work, will parts costs eat me up? I know brakes and tires will be lots more expensive and the AWD tranny adds complexity, what about other parts?
- Why did Volvo put that clear plastic film on the front of the hood and the rear view mirrors. It was cracking all over. Is it possible to remove it without damaging the paint underneath?
- Smoking dip stick! Wasn't the PCV puzzle solved by 2004? Or does it mean something different in an 04?
- Did I miss something about the appeal of this vehicle? How much allure does it hold for the "average" Volvo enthusiast?

Anyway, as is often the case, the reality wasn't quite as romantic as the dream but I am still holding on somewhat tentatively to my S60 R fantasy. At the same time, that back up fantasy of a 98 S70 T-5 is looking a little stronger.

What wise counsel can you offer?

FCPEURO · Post by **FCPEURO** » 13 Apr 2010, 18:16

I went from a 94 850 to my current DD, a 2004 S60R. I have to say, I love the car. Mine only has 64K on it so it is still a baby considering how long they last.

The AWD is the newer Heldex system which is ten million times better then the first gen AWD system. They say it is not as good as the AWD that is in the 2006 or newer volvos, but I have not had any issues. The one issue that people seem to run into is the gear between the transmission and the angle gear. As long as you don't do donuts or anything crazy in the car, it should not be an issue.

The throttle body is not an issue with the 04 model Volvos so no worries there.

The 2004s do still clog if the PCV is not working. That is a problem no matter what car you have if it clogs up.

As for working on the S60R, I have done all the work on it and it is no different then the 850 IMO. Also, I would say 90% of the S60R is the same as your 00 V70. The price for parts are a little more money, but nothing crazy if you shop around.

Overall, I love the car and it always puts a smile on my face. I did buy an Escort 8500 radar detector after I got it because sometimes you don't even realize how fast you are going. If you want something fast and fun, you can't go wrong with the SR.

C@lvin · Post by **C@lvin** » 14 Apr 2010, 07:05

Thanks for the information and comments, Andrew. I still wonder about the AWD - you'd have much more use for it in CT then I would in TN. Is there a S60R model that's not AWD? With all that HP at the wheels with just a twitch of the accelerator, AWD is probably an absolute necessity in the snow and ice. How is the handling for you on plain old wet roads?

I don't know if I'll ever actually own one, but the dream lives for now. This car looked in good condition and recently had the timing belt done. He's got $10,500 on it and said he'd take $9,800 which is pretty good when compared to nadaguides.com at $13K+ for clean retail. Unfortunately, it's still a lot more than I can afford at this point in time (hence the back up fantasy being the 98 S70 T5).

Post by **polskamafia mjl** » 14 Apr 2010, 07:41

I too hope to one day get my hands on an s60R. The AWD as far as I know is still 95%ish FWD until it starts to slip. Most people who drive Audi's don't go off roading but the majority of them are still AWD. The AWD helps with traction in general. I think if you are looking for a fun time then the SR is right up your ally. Did you drive a manual or an auto?

C@lvin · Post by **C@lvin** » 14 Apr 2010, 12:33

It was automatic with the "manual paddle shifting" capability (I don't know what it's officiallly called). I tried it briefly but it seemed like something you'd have to practice with and I wasn't going to be in the car that long.

It was fun (very fun) to drive, don't get me wrong. I guess I am just getting old enough to have a little more "practical" perspective on things. For example, my previous dream car when I was a little younger was a Carrera 911 SC

......

Post by **jblackburn** » 14 Apr 2010, 16:36

For example, my previous dream car when I was a little younger was a Carrera 911 SC ......

Not a bad choice at all. I'd like to have either a 70's 911 or 80's 911 Carrera. Or a 68 Mustang Fastback 302. *drool* Some day...

Most new cars simply have AWD because the power is too much for FWD alone to handle (Taurus SHO, Lambos, Audis for instance). Even with 236 hp (or whatever it's got now), if I put my foot down in corners and it downshifts to 1st, my S70's tires will just light up and spin until it shifts at 50 mph. It's a lot of fun, but the R's AWD helps you put that power to the road at all 4 corners and avoids that. I drove a V70R, and they're firmly planted to the ground in corners, just powering through them with tons of grip. Fun, but for the 260 hp (this was a 2000 model), it felt slower than my S70 because of the AWD system.

If you don't "need" 300 hp or AWD, I'd just go for a regular T5 FWD model. With some upgrades, you can get either an S70 or S60 about 40 more hp easily.

FCPEURO · Post by **FCPEURO** » 15 Apr 2010, 18:08

The AWD definitely came in handy this year for me with all the snow that we got. They don't, unfortunately, make a FWD model S60R. You could always remove the drive shaft and then have FWd but that defeats the point of the SR IMO.

You can easily get 300 HP out of a T5. But, I was able to get almost 400 HP out of my SR with my exhaust, intake, and autotech/elevate tone.

I will be honest, I don't need as much power as I have out of my SR. I will probably go back to a standard FWD T5 after the SR but it is definitely great to have the chance to own one of these awesome cars.

Post by **polskamafia mjl** » 16 Apr 2010, 12:43

I suppose I like the AWD on the s60R because I'm a big fan of RWD and Volvo doesn't make RWD anymore so the AWD is the closest thing to it. This may sound weird but I really don't drool over Porsche's, much less 'stangs. My dream sports car is a manual s60R and I would love to have a nice 240DL and/or 164. Keep in mind I'm a 20 yro college kid, haha. I think my dreams are a little too "tame."