Hello! I am brand new to this group and very glad to have found it. My son will be getting his driver's license in a hew weeks. My husband and I would like to purchase a used, safe vehicle so he can drive himself to practice, etc. I am searching out pre-owned, high-mileage S60s and XC60s. Any advice on which one would be better in terms of maintenance and overall safety features?
Thanks.

 

The XCs being higher have better visibility but with the AWD, the added complexity means higher maintenance costs. The S60 is going to be nimbler and easier to park. My kids learned on an 850 FWD and an S40 Gen 1. Both took on lots of door dings but they both appreaciated the moderate size of their cars for easy parking and driving vs a land yacht or mini-van. Personally I think either would ba good choice provided you buy a well maintained car.

 

Thanks for the good advice. I'm wondering your thoughts on either one during (heaven forbid) a crash. I know that the Volvo bodies are quite sturdy, but of the two models which do you think is better?

 

both chassis are stout - the one advantage I'd probably give the XC is that with the popularity of SUVs, there's a better chance of going bumper on bumper. A lot of the crash worthiness can be reseached online for both models. I would also favor newer models over old. Ie do you get a 2010 S60 vs a 2003 XC and buy those extra years of engineering advancement?

 

My wife came to the US five years ago - was not a driver by any means - so I taught her.

She drives a 2011 Volvo S60 T6 AWD - and she loves her car. It's quick, stylish, safe, and safe.

S60 -

1.) Better handling
2.) Just as safe
3.) Cooler
4.) Better rear / side visibility (this was important for my wife as she's 5' tall)

The MPGs come back around 19 in town and 28 on the highway.

If you buy a Volvo:

1.) Buy used as they depreciate quickly - like most luxury brands
2.) Buy 1 owner - do your homework online
3.) Ensure the car was meticulously maintained mechanically speaking - preferably at a Volvo dealer
4.) Not a bad idea to have a mechanic check it out - purchase a 3rd party warranty (Route 66 for example)
5.) You better have Geico insurance because your rates will go up
6.) Talk to a Volvo mechanic about the particular year/model you're looking at for specific issues i.e. some had horrible transmissions in 2005-2009 ... every Volvo mechanic I've talked to will point you towards a specific model/year
7.) Beware of those 4 cylinder motors .... I only buy the turbo 6 cylinder motors - those puppies last but probably too fast for a young kid - most of the sedans Volvo makes with that motor will hit 130 mph rather quickly - people fail to realize these cars can run!

These cars are among the safest on the road today - but you'll pay for safety. If you take your car to a dealership for headlights, for example, you'll be forking out $400 on the lower end just for two bulbs installed.

One heads up on the S60s though - the front end suspensions are junk! We're looking at our 2nd strut replacement in two years on the passenger front. Luckily the part is warrantied saving us $200 bucks but still forking over $200 + in shop parts/labor.