Replace a S70 with a S60 2.5T

[patcal]

Thinking about replacing my 98 S70 GLT with a 2004 S60 2.5T. Wondering what I am getting into. Looks a lot nicer & more modern. Here is a link to the car. The higher mileage concerns me a little. Looking for your thoughts. Thanks.

https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/cto ... 61468.html

[bmdubya1198]

S60s are good cars, not much different than the P80s as far as maintenance goes. 2004 is about the oldest year S60 I would recommend, the earlier ones had a lot more issues with the transmissions, among other things.
I wouldn't worry too much about the mileage, 182k isn't too high for these. However maintenance history is important to know.

As far as the biggest differences, the rear seat space in these is awful... practically no leg room. The S70 has a much more spacious rear seat. The S60s are much more modern overall, and feel great cruising on the highway. As with any car of this age/mileage, the suspension is the most important thing to refresh. New tie rods, control arms, ball joints, etc. help ride quality tremendously. The struts and shocks have been changed already, so that takes one thing off the list for this particular car.

Engine-wise, these are just as bullet proof as the older cars. It'll run forever with the usual maintenance items taken care of on time.

[patcal]

I noticed the back seat. Not a big deal for me since I'm single. I also read that the turning circle is quite a bit larger then my S70. I'm am going to check all the usual Volvo stuff. He says the t-belt was done in 2013. Probably due soon. Anyway, thanks for the info. going to see it at 2:00pm.

[scot850]

The P2 is generally a good car and when maintained last well. I have seen several for sale with over 500,000km up here. Has the advantage of the FWD chassis so no AWD system to service and maintain.

Comments about similar to P80 cars is a good one. Issues to watch out for are:

1) Coil spring condition - For some reason they have a reputation for breaking, especially at the front.
2) Has the transmission ever been serviced? These are from around the age when Volvo was still claiming the trans was a sealed for life unit. Should be serviced every 50,000 miles. Check for rough shifting. Trans issues are mainly due to lack of maintenance.
3) Suspension, in particular the front control arm bushes and spring seats. The Lower control arms are different to P80's and seem to wear more easily.

2004 on are the best to go for and while not a 'green' color person I do like the color! That front passenger seat needs some stitching but otherwise it looks pretty clean. The odd ding or dent means you don't have to be too precious with it.

Good luck!

It may be worth having a dealer inspect it if you trust them. Up here it costs around $220 CDN for a full inspection but it has saved me over the years way more in repairs, or gives room to haggle price.

Neil.

[scot850]

Last thing I should add is that personally I do not find P2 seats particularly comfortable as they lack sufficient thigh support. We have a 2006 XC70 and I find the seats uncomfortable over longer distances, but then I am a large person!

Neil.

[bmdubya1198]

Yes, the turning circle is hilarious compared to the P80 chassis... that's gotta be the worst thing about these cars for me. Keep the suspension and steering parts in top shape, and you'll be okay. My brother's is worn out and is AWFUL in a parking lot.

[patcal]

Thank you for the help. I will update when I get back from looking at it.

[patcal]

Well, I am proud owner of a 2004 S60. The car is pretty spectacular for the mileage. PCV system was done. Car seemed to run well. The only thing I noticed was the pedal response seemed very sensitive. Kept spinning the tires. Maybe just the electronic throttle which I am not used to. Few little cosmetic things on the inside but nothing I can't fix. I will try to get some pictures up tomorrow.

[scot850]

Well done. Good luck!

Neil.

[bmdubya1198]

Nice! Sounds like you found a nice S60!