Considering a S60 2.4D Auto

[sami100]

Hi,

I am new to the forum, so first like to say Hi.

I am considering moving into the Volvo world and considering a S60 2.4 Diesel Automatic 2000 - 2009 model.

Currently I drive a Mk4 VW Golf 1.9 TDI (143k mileage), which is fantastic on its MPG. I return around 540 miles from a full tank costing £70, which is predominately 80% motorway miles and 20% standstill traffic.

I commute a round trip of 110 miles a day, so will be looking at about 25-30k mileage a year.

I have a budget of around £3,500 give or take a couple hundred and I am considering an S60, due to wanting a bit more of a smoother, more comfortable ride, being the bigger car and wanting an automatic.

My last memory of a volvo was the 440 when my older brother had one many years ago.

Now I want an S60, with less than 110k mileage on it, but it has to be an auto and diesel.

Now my questions to you fellow users are:

1) What should I look out for when going to view these cars? What are the key things to look out for and what what are the common problems?

2) What is the economy like on one of these 2.4D Auto S60 cars? How many miles could I expect from a Full tank of diesel and how much does it cost to fill?

3) How much does the cambelt cost to replace?


All help is much appreciated, thanks in advance!

[pphilpot]

Hi – here a few things that were wrong with mine when I bought it. All common.

http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=215407

As an average from a >2004/5, you can expect 45mpg (ish). Drive carefully on cruise, and you should get more. After 2005 and the mpg reduces slightly.

[EDIT] hmm, I was thinking D5. The 2005- 2.4D is the 163bhp engine I believe, and so you'll see the 45mpg figure. [/EDIT]

[blueacid]

I've a 2004 S60 with the 163bhp Euro3 diesel, and an automatic.

On the motorway you can see around 50-55mpg if you're happy to cruise at 60-65mph. If you prefer to tank along at 80-90mph (I presume you're in Germany for this part, your honour) then you'll get closer to 45mpg.

So in real terms, a full tank from when the warning light just comes on will cost around £80-85 and I get around 600 miles from it when commuting in stop/start traffic, but closer to 800-850 miles when mostly on the motorway.

Most of my motorway driving is done on cruise control, with the aircon turned on.

[sami100]

Ah thanks for the swift responses.

I wasn't sure if the 163 would be enough power so was considering the 185.

I generally tend to drive at 70mph due to build up of traffic, but then do go beyond this now and again.

I'd be happy to get 600 miles off £80/85. And I do use aircon a fair bit myself.

I have never driven an s60, so I need to get out and see a few examples first. The auto box is what worries me the most as I don't want to buy something and the box just dies! How are they compared to the DSG boxes?

How good are they against road noise?

Is £3,500 reasonable?

[Rossi-fan]

The gearbox in the Auto's is fine, as long as the oil has been kept good. Its the old oil that starts to cause problems. I think Saab, which used the same gearboxes, recommend changing it every 60,000 miles.

[Coventry]

The auto boxes are good but can be a money pit if they haven't been looked after. A simple way of checking is taking any car for a *long* test drive in plenty of lovely stop-start, slow annoying traffic. Rush hour in town is ideal. Get it moving up and down those gears constantly (1st to 4th is ideal) and if after that long and vigorous test drive you still cannot detect any rough changes, flaring, knocks or banging then you have found a good one. If you buy it, it'd be a good idea to change the fluid with the correct stuff and then keep doing that as part of your regular maintenance schedule.

[coughlanc]

Originally Posted by sami100

Ah thanks for the swift responses.

I wasn't sure if the 163 would be enough power so was considering the 185.

I generally tend to drive at 70mph due to build up of traffic, but then do go beyond this now and again.

I'd be happy to get 600 miles off £80/85. And I do use aircon a fair bit myself.

I have never driven an s60, so I need to get out and see a few examples first. The auto box is what worries me the most as I don't want to buy something and the box just dies! How are they compared to the DSG boxes?

How good are they against road noise?

Is £3,500 reasonable?

£3500 should by you a good example S60. I 've got a 2005 D5 163 with over 200,000 mile on the clock. I paid less than £2000 for it.
I didn't think the 163 would be "adequate" for me after my V70 T5, but on a motorway it low down torque is superb.
:thumb s_up:

[blueacid]

Originally Posted by sami100

I wasn't sure if the 163 would be enough power so was considering the 185.

I generally tend to drive at 70mph due to build up of traffic, but then do go beyond this now and again.

I've never found it wanting. Alright, you'll lose in an all-out 0-60 drag race versus a brand new 320d or an A4 2.0TDi but in terms of coming down a slip road and thinking "oh, need to clear this truck with room to spare" and giving it a bootful, it will quite happily do the same.

Similarly if you need to accelerate hard to join a busy lane 3 to avoid some witless moron sat in lane 2 doing 67mph it'll quite gladly do that as well. Okay, while I'd quite prefer a Merc E63 AMG, the 163 D5 is more than ample.

I personally went for the Euro 3 engine (black plastic engine cover - the euro 4 has a grey cover) because you don't have half as much of the various anti pollution gubbins which can leave the engine vulnerable to big bills. While one might argue I should run a cleaner newer car, on the other hand we should get the most possible out of the effort (and energy spent) making these Euro 3 ones

[oragex]

I would suggest looking for a 2004+, or even better a 2005+. 2001-2003 models had issues with the automatic transmissions (but newer years as well if the transmission fluid was never replaced, as mentioned above) and with the instrument cluster. Look for a drivers seat that is not too 'weakened', a heavy driver will get the seat foam crushed and the seat will get uncomfortable.

[Mikethelaserman]

Originally Posted by sami100

Ah thanks for the swift responses.
I wasn't sure if the 163 would be enough power so was considering the 185.

163 HP is very drivable.

My previous car was a 225hp Saab 9000 auto and I don't find the V70 disappointing at all.

The apparent power of my V70 2.4D auto is only very slightly less than my wife's C70 D5 (185hp) auto. (Part of this will be the gearing - V70 6-speed v C70 5-speed).