V60 D3 (163bhp) - 24,000 miles report

[craigv60]

I've just clocked 24,000 miles in 21 months in V60 D3 ES manual (163bhp, it's the old D3 ), so here's a report on it so far.

Performance
My stopwatch gives 40-60 in 3rd gear in under 4 seconds, and in 4th gear in 5.1, giving brilliant A- and B-road punch and very relaxed overtaking when 'making progress'. On motorways, 60 - 80 in 5th is 7.2 seconds, which makes resuming cruising speeds quick and easy.

Economy
From new it's averaged a genuine 46.9mpg (about 35% motorway / open road, 65% urban journeys of under 10 miles). The mpg computer is 6% optimistic. Needs no oil between services.

Handling / ride / comfort
Overall, very good. Motorway cruising is very hushed and relaxing. Easy and fun to hustle around on twisty roads: torque-steer can intrude in the lower gears but it's easy to control. Factory-fit tyres (Michelin Premacy 215 / 55 16") still have 5+mm of tread on the front, negligible wear on the rear.

Practicality
Seats are fantastic and comfortable even on 9-hour, 500+ mile days. Family reports the rear seats are very comfy. Boot takes a lot more stuff than you'd think with the underfloor storage and the built-in cargo net: it takes the same amount of family luggage as my previous Mondeo IV estate, and no-one ever says they have a small luggage area!

Reliability
A seatbelt sensor failed after a week, causing an SRS warning light on the dash: sorted in 30 minutes at the dealer. After its first service it developed turbo lag which the dealer sorted. It's a known issue with the D3 motor and there is a service bulletin (link here: http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showth...ght=adaptation)

Niggles & irritations
No clutch footrest -- a glaring error. Also the ridiculous need to press AND hold the power switch for 3 seconds to turn the radio off.

While assembly and under-bonnet work was good, I have found an improvement in throttle response and performance by tightening all the hose clips on the pipework from turbo to intercooler to inlet. From the turbo outlet to the inlet manifold, there are 10 joints with clips that have to withstand boost pressure. Because Volvo uses flexible rubber hoses, the hoses compress under the clip over a period of months, meaning they're not as secure on the joint. This may cause minor leaks under full boost. Some of the clips are easy to get at, some need small hands, flexible joints and a range of 7mm spanners. Happy to advise anyone who wants more info about where the clips are.

Conclusion
I'm very, very happy with this car, and when the 3-year contract hire is up, will be getting another one.

[Harvey1512]

Craig - Interesting to read your report. I'm in total agreement with all of the shared issues, no clutch rest pedal and great seats for example. I have the 1.6 Drive model, primarily for better mpg. I have done around 11,000 miles and my real mpg is around 49-50mpg so the difference is not that great. Looking at the information on the Volvo site the new D2, D3 and D4 engines, yours would now be classed as D4, all give the same emissions and mpg. Staggering. Why would you get a 1.6d when you can get a 2.0d giving 163bhp? The price difference is not that great either. Am I sounding bitter? No just bemused why I did not notice this when I ordered mine. I think I got caught up in the whole eco model marketing. Anyway, when my 2 yr deal is up I will probably go for another V60, this time with the engine you are using.

Keep the reports coming, it is good to get comparisons of the engines on offer. I did one at around 8,000 miles and will do another after my full first year is done. People can then compare the D2 and D4 engines (and then choose the D4!)

[Crockers]

Harvey
Think you will find that those emissions are for the new models. When you bought yours it was different.

[Harvey1512]

Originally Posted by Crockers

Harvey
Think you will find that those emissions are for the new models. When you bought yours it was different.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I didn't think I would have missed that but you never know. At least the choice I made had the logic in it that I thought at the time. I still don't get how they can have improved the 2.0d engines so much and where does that leave the 1.6d now? Anyway, that is for another thread. No hijacking here.

[craigv60]

As 30,000 miles has ticked up, a quick update. Nothing much to add, apart from performance is still excellent, as is the economy -- 46.85mpg measured brim to brim.

No faults or problems, and it proved again in the summer what a capable family load-lugger it is, taking 5 adults on holiday with all their gear.

Having said I'll be getting another one when my lease is up in summer 2014, the introduction of the new 4-cylinder modular engine will no longer make this an automatic choice -- I'll have to test drive it with the new motor first.

As posted elsewhere, I think Volvo is making a mistake by binning its 5-cylinder engine line. The 163bhp variant made my car pretty much ideal for my needs, adding real character with great gobs of wallop when you needed it, which really set the car apart from the 2 litre diesels in VW / Audi / Ford etc rivals. The new engine has a lot going for it on-paper, but whether it delivers on the road is another matter.

I'm hoping I can find an end-of-line 5-cylinder D4 somewhere ...

[craigv60]

Hmmm, had the emissions light come on last week in the middle of a long trip. Drove about 150 miles home, performance didn't seem to be affected much, if at all. No message visible in the dash display.

Volvo Assistance technician came and read the code and reset it (a temp sensor on the DPF had triggered the light, but no details were stored on why it had been triggered).

It came back on again on a trip yesterday. Will report when the fault is properly identified but I suspect it's the dodgy DPF temp sensor problem that's been reported on XC60s etc ... although I'm not getting limp mode or any obvious power loss.

[Brodick]

Originally Posted by Harvey1512

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I didn't think I would have missed that but you never know. At least the choice I made had the logic in it that I thought at the time. I still don't get how they can have improved the 2.0d engines so much and where does that leave the 1.6d now? Anyway, that is for another thread. No hijacking here.

Off the top of me head 1.6 engine has to word harder to pull the bulk around compared to the 2.0.

[Harvey1512]

Originally Posted by Brodick

Off the top of me head 1.6 engine has to word harder to pull the bulk around compared to the 2.0.

That is right but to be fair on day to day driving it is fine. It is only really in the early gears, 1st and 2nd, that the car struggles. Once into 3rd it has a reasonable amount of poke and acceleration is fine. It has to work noticeably hard in hilly areas in all gears, a holiday in the SW exposed this, but in my part of the world it is pretty much okay. It would be ideal in Norfolk! I would say that a regular 2.0d does it with less effort and is less tiring so it then comes down to how many miles you are going to do. If you are doing lots of miles you want to be relaxed at the other end so the bigger engine is a clear winner.

What is slightly frutrating about this whole move towards smaller engines is that the people making the rules, whether in Brussels or the UK are being driven around predominantly in large engined limos or luxury cars. I know the odd Prius is used at lower cabinet level but basically they are making rules for the general population which they themselves will be unaffected by. How long before the biggest diesel engine will be the D2 and the biggest petrol a 1.4? The Americans and Chinese will still be driving big monsters but in Europe a lot of the fun and joy in cars is being removed. Sorry, bit of a rant there.

[craigv60]

An update to the problem mentioned above - it wasn't a DPF sensor, but an EGR flow problem. The dealer has replaced the EGR valve. Let's see if it solves it ..

[simonjedrake]

Originally Posted by craigv60

An update to the problem mentioned above - it wasn't a DPF sensor, but an EGR flow problem. The dealer has replaced the EGR valve. Let's see if it solves it ..

This is a classic example of "teaching an old dog new tricks" as until I googled EGR value I had no idea that they even existed. I know my 1st car engine I worked on - a 1964 Hillman Imp engine - was designed in a different generation before man had even set foot on the moon.

For those readers like me who know what an EGR value is, then read below.

When combustion temperatures exceed 2500 degree F., atmospheric nitrogen begins to react with oxygen during combustion. The result is various compounds called nitrogen oxides (NOX), which play a major role in urban air pollution. To reduce the formation of NOX, combustion temperatures must be kept below the NOX threshold. This is done by recirculating a small amount of exhaust through the "exhaust gas recirculation," or EGR. valve.