Hi Everyone,

My name is Vince and I'm new to the forums. I currently own a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and am looking for something that's newer, gets better MPG, and has more luxury goodies.

While I was also looking at the 2011-14 Chrysler 200 and the 2013-16 Dodge Dart, I came across a local dealership that had 2 S60's in stock, both right around my price range ($13k). I had a few questions about possibly purchasing an S60, and I'm hoping you can provide me with answers:

1.) The VW dealership that has the two S60's for sale has a '13 with 45k miles, and a '14 with 55k miles, both T5's with FWD and the Premier Package (pretty much everything except nav). I'm leaning more towards the '14 model, since the restyling introduced a digital and reconfigurable instrument cluster, as well as an improved Sensus Connect system. Is this a good price for options and mileage? Also, is there any way to check the options on a car via the VIN to make sure I get the options that I want?

2.) What issues should I look for when test driving an S60, if any? What should I replace? Any recalls or campaigns I should make sure were taken care of? How's the reliability of an S60?

3.) How are maintenance costs on S60's? There's a German/Swedish/Japanese Luxury repair place near me that my family takes some of our other vehicles to. They use factory-recommended parts while doing it for less than the dealership, so I'd most likely take it there.

4.) Does City Safety (auto emergency braking) actually work as advertised? Have you ever had to use it before, and how did it work out for you in your situation? Is there a significant insurance discount for this feature?

5.) How's MPG with the S60 T5 FWD? I've heard it's good, but wanted to know what your "Real World" numbers have been.

6.) I've heard that rear seat leg room is not as good as some of the S60's competitors. Is this true? We have an '06 BMW 5 Series E60, and leg room is adequate for longer trips. Do the rear seats fold down?

7.) Finally, I'm kinda confused about the sound system options. How is the base "Premium" system vs. the Dolby Pro Logic II/Harman-Kardon system? Is it worth the upgrade or is the "Premium" system good enough? Does even the "base" radio support Bluetoth streaming audio and SiriusXM Satellite Radio, both of which I need to have?

Hoping I can get some input here. Looking to purchase by the holidays, as my Jeep is starting to age and is showing "Old Car" problems. Looking for something more reliable, as I'm in my mid-20's, and my Jeep isn't the most reliable thing out there, LOL.

Thanks,

Vince

 

A Volvo dealer can give you options information based on the VIN.

I have a 2013 S60 and have had no problem with it. It is a CPO, so the warranty is great.

Maintenance cost are comparable to German cars, but I'm still under warranty, so I've paid nothing.

Not a lot of leg room in the rear seats and they do fold down. Why not get in the back seat yourself?

I do mostly city driving and average about 19mpg.

I would suggest buying a CPO Volvo, which would have to be from a Volvo dealer. That way you have a new car warranty on a used vehicle. And any recalls, items that need to be replaced, etc. will already be taken care of.

 

Unfortunately I can't afford what it costs to get a CPO car.

Thanks for the info.

 

I agree on the CPO approach - did that on a 2012 VW CC which paid off big when the oil pump went at 49K miles. As an alternative, consider shopping an extended warranty. Either way, a '13 or '14 will be way more reliable than an old Jeep. I'd look for a model with moderate miles (under 15K a year), a complete Carfax report and maintenance history (privately owned with dealer service records would be best). These models are too new to worry about long term big ticket repair worries.

 

My Jeep has the "Tank" 4.0L I6 that American Motors (AMC) developed back in the day, so it can go many miles without problems (my Jeep only has 138k on the odometer, which is very low mileage for the year). I will make sure the dealer gives me a CarFax for both vehicles as they are promising on their website. I may also consider an extended warranty. I won't be getting a loan, as I'm not ready to take on a car payment yet, and think I can get enough out of my three vehicles I'm going to be selling (my current Jeep and 2 older vehicles I have that are taking up space more than being used), so I think that I can afford to pay cash, especially if the dealer gives me a better deal paying cash.

Thanks for the info!

 

the 14 sounds better