In the interest of full disclosure, I'm a relatively new driver looking to buy my first car. Given my personal preferences I know I want an AWD manual car that can go fast while still being somewhat refined. I looked at some alternatives, Imprezas, Infinitys, Mazdas, and a few Saabs (I won't be going German), but I think I have narrowed it down to a used, likely high mileage, S60R. I've done a lot of reading on them, and they seem to fit my taste and aesthetic, but I am missing something in terms of advice from actual owners.
I expect my price range to be in the 10,000 range (I hope to purchase in the mid fall/winter), so I'm expecting something like an '04 or '5 with upwards of 80-100k miles, is that reasonable?
What kind of condition should I expect? I would hope for the maintenance to be done, but realistically I wouldn't be surprised if it would need a new clutch, timing belt/tensioner, oil, and maybe angle gear. Am I missing something glaring? What else should I be planning on if I go with something so high mileage?
What should I explicitly check out before buying one?

I would love to be able to do my own maintenance, but I know I am not setup for that, so I would love any advice about a good shop in the Boston area, I'm aware of Boston Volvo, but I don't know any Indy places.

In the future I might like to play around with some aftermarket things, but that's probably getting way ahead of myself.

Really anything anyone has to contribute would be appreciated.

 

maintenance,maintenance,maintenance Is what matters on an R and all Volvos for the matter. Getting the service records and makin g sure that all scheduled maintenance was done on time you should be good to go.
You will not be disappointed with the R . Its a great car very fun to drive and Moding while expensive there are plenty of companys out there and plenty of thing that you car do to the car. GL

 

Refer to your post on Swedespeed. Along with what MYS6T said, The replies on SS are Spot on and will give you the info you need to be aware of before buying an S60R.

 

The only buyer beware I will give you on an R is insurance can be high, especially for younger drivers. Make sure you shop for insurance. It might take you by surprise.

 

Be ready to spend a LOT of money on maintenance after you buy your "R" (especially since you won't be doing it yourself, and most were bough by boy-racers and were driven hard) and keep a few thousand handy for paying tickets and the rising insurance premiums they bring.

I have a S60 T5, and more than that is overkill IMHO, especially for a new driver.

Not to lecture, and I am sure you have good reflexes and all, but there's a reason when I was a fighter pilot it was the youngest and least experienced who always seemed to get into trouble and got themselves killed.

26,000 flying hours and 40 years later later, I am still alive, and a whole lot more careful than when I thought I was bullet-proof on the road and in the air. I lost lots of friends in BOTH places, and mostly it was what was between their ears, and not anything else that got them in trouble.

 

As bad as I hate to say this. I always tell new driver's that if you want a really really fast awd turbo car get a 89 to 93 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX. Stock they run 13's with the 5 speed. Those cars will turn you into a auto tech after doing the maintenance on them.

I have owned a few and currently have a 92 that is a monster on the streets with 457 awhp and runs a 10.31@136 mph. My budget was 8k. I have spent around that including the price of the car.

They are great first cars for new automotive enthusiasts and once you find a vehicle of you like you will have the basic knowledge of tastefully modding your car without blowing it up.

 

Hi,
my 1st post...

If I refer to the main subject, can you be more specific on what are the main problem on those car.

If I take my daily car for exemple, a 1996 maxima with a lot of mods; the maxima.org are saying that car is bullet proof, low maintenance, low cost, lot of fun, lot of torque. But in reality, the tranny is weak for oil leaking, the body rust fast as an F18 ( quebec montreal = snow), the evap problems is what keep nissan alive, a bad ground cause starting problems ( about 90% of maximas has this problem), etc. Overall its a tank( famous vq30de), but you have to do some work to keep it perfect.

In that way, what should I know about the s60R?
I need a list of big problems and the small tricky one.

Actually, I cant decide between Legacy SpecB, audi A4 sline or the s60r.
I need a clutch, awd and more that a 4cyl N/A.

Thank you

 

I love my S60R MT (2005), and bought it for all the same reasons you desire: AWD makes this handle great (and I'm in Florida, where I don't need the snow protection. Still it corners marvelously.) In fact, I used to sell them. And sold more R's than anyone else in the store. I used to tell clients, on our demo route, "hit this first corner aggressively." And invariably, they would go around the first two or so of the corners lamely -- and I would say, "no, hit this corner aggressively." By the time they hit the third corner and really laid into it -- where the car just tracked phenomenally -- I usually had a sale. I remember one guy, on that third corner, raise a hand and say "sign me up."

But back to the question, I also loved that it didn't LOOK anywhere near as powerful as it was. Still, I knew.

The AWD is great, the MT is great (I wouldn't desire otherwise), and the power is great as well. (Again, I drove all the models 2.4 through T5 all day long; and this is significantly different.) As others have said, the key is the maintenance. In my experience, not every buyer was a heavy-footed young hotshot. Most, like me, simply wanted superior sports-car performance. AND, if they did all the maintenances, the Volvo will likely last you for years. (My last one went 300,000 miles before I gave it away, and they drove it another two years.) Now, one thing to look for is the EXTRA maintenance: What OTHER things were done to the car. If it was factory maintenance, they you're golden. If it's a lemon, it'll show early on; and if it's solid by 50,000, then you're in good shape. So, shop around a little and look for these things over price. Good price for a bad car is no deal. A good car is worth a few extra bucks -- and in the end would likely sell for roughly the same price anyway. Now, in my own experience, even if you have some repairs it's not necessarily a deal-killer. My own 2005 had significant repairs early on, including a moon roof motor, and more significantly the angle gear that you'd mentioned. This is not a small repair, as it would have been in the $5,000 range for just this alone, had it not been under warranty.

But the S60, for my preference at least is the perfect car: All the sports performance, and STILL all the Volvo safety features. --But now I'm starting to sound like a salesman again. Best of luck.