Hi all- looking at getting a used V60 (last gen). Test drove a 2015 yesterday and loved it, but still shopping in general and have two concerns re: reliability and gas mileage. Never owned a Volvo and don't really know anyone who has either, so was hoping for any general anecdotes on mpgs and common service issues to help with my decision. Thanks!

 

My 2015.5 V60 returns very good fuel mileage on the road - interstate 33-35 mpg @ ~ 70-75 mph. Short trips in town at a guess (don't make many) ~25 mpg. I have issues with Volvo - electrics are a weak point and the local dealer is very expensive but, as a car, considering the overall driving experience - performance, comfort, convenience, etc is is probably the best car I have owned - and this includes 3 Mercedes, 4 older Volvos, A Saab, Toyota SUV etc. Just be aware that, in my experience, Volvo "technicians" are not mechanics - they are money harvesters who only know how to plug the car into their Vidas computer system (at $100+ per connection) and throw parts at whatever the black box tells them.

 

Thanks Pretorian, appreciate the insights. I'm coming from a Hyundai (replacing a 14yo Sonata) and Mazda so we're a bit spoiled on the reliability end. That mpg isn't horrendous, just trying to keep it up there, another reason I'm looking at a wagon vs. SUV. Just need to decide if I'm talking myself into it, or can genuinely deal with the potential issues.

 

I think all current cars have reliability issues stemming from heavy reliance on electronics - example: My daughter had a Mazda 3 - with what should have been a straightforward "find and fix" - frequent but random blown tail light fuse - dealer, even with the aid of factory "experts" could never sort it.

 

As a general rule European cars, including Volvo, and more expensive to repair and less reliable compared to Japanese and newer Korean cars (the very early Kia/Hundais were not good cars). So you might be shocked at repair costs if you keep your 5 year old Volvo 14 years.

 

Hoonk: yeah, I always assumed that with the Brits and Germans, wasn't sure if true on Swedes as well, so thanks. I'm a believer that any car these days should make it to ~150k with no major problems, maybe this still fits in that realm?

 

There was a reason my Shop specialized in Volvos and not Hondas/Toyotas/etc. Granted I drive two, a 2015 xc70 and a 2020 xc60 - but the later is leased, it goes back before anything breaks. And what's a major problem? A $2000 control unit repair? A $1500 haldex repair? I will be curious to see how long the 2 liter engines pumping out 250-320hp last - and they use the same electric waterpump as BMWs that lasts 60k miles. That's a ~$1000 repair on a BMW.

 

I wanted a v60 polestar, but for commuting, got a 2018 s60 t5 fwd. I bought primarily due to the EPA mpg rating of 29 (25 city-36hwy.) It gets 22-24 in mixed driving with the best ever all hwy of 27. It also has an unbearable smell comming from the floor foam insulation that can't be diagnosed, my head hits the sunvisor if I lean forward unless the visor is rotated to the windshield (seat all the way down and I'm only 5'10".) It's a bit of a climb out of the low seat and I'm quite fit. The front tires are bald on the inside (second pair replaced under warranty and only 11k on car.) The brake rotors are vinyl records on the left, but smooth on the right. The infotainment is akin to an Atari 8-bit. Doubtful if I will own past the warranty. It does; however, drive very comfortably and has the most comfortable seats. My wife has a 2017 xc60 t6 R-design, that aside from being a gas guzzler, is fantastic. I bought an extended warranty for peace of mind because we love it so much and plan to keep until they ban gasoline. Our old 5 series BWM was about $2000 per year for maintenance once out of warranty. I would never own any German car out of warranty. The smart bet is a Toyota Prius. Great mpg, lowest overall ownership cost. On a scale of Prius to S-class, I'd rate the fwd v60 as closer to a German car in terms of performance and out of pocket expense, but with a few nods to the frugality of a Prius. As you can get a low mileage V60 for the same price as a used Prius, the choice should be pretty easy! Just remember to budget a few grand here and there for services planned and not.

 

I had a customer with a 71/2? year old Prius. Their battery was bad, just outside warranty. $4000 later at the Toyota dealership they were back on the road. That will make you pucker - a $4000 repair bill on a 7 year old car.

 

I was using the Prius reference as a bit of a joke... as I feel Volvo's are the sensible German car. In California a Prius battery is guaranteed for 10 years or 150k. $4000 is what the ol 528it would drink for a brake job at the dealer, then come back hungry for an electrical or air suspension fault for some serious cash!

 

I would consider those to be major- though I'm not looking for AWD, so I don't think the Haldex would affect me (understand the example though ). Right now my top-runners are the V60 and a Civic Sport. I like the V60 because it's obviously more refined and different, but it may not fit the bill (as I joked to my wife the other day, I'm at the point in life where buying a Volvo station wagon is a wild idea). The Civic is also more consistent in the gas mileage, though it does have cylinder deactivation and a turbo, which I've generally tried to stay away from.

 

The Civic is a better car in terms of depreciation cost, gas mileage, regular maintenance. Buying a used Volvo will mostly even out the depreciation. For such a powerful and heavy car, they get good mph expect (22-30.) Most of the forum stuff is from people with problems (like my stinky s60), so you're really not getting a full picture. Buying a low mileage car is usually a good bet in that the typical early failures have been fixed under warranty. If you are tight on money and can't do maintenance yourself, the Civic is the way to go. I would much rather drive a V60 than a Civic because they are: much more comfortable, better performing (save the Type-r) better looking, much safer, don't dent in the parking lot easily, and make you feel good about your car- unless you end up with a stinker (literally.) The Haldex pump went bad in our xc60 at 7500 miles. Dealer took two visits to both confirm and replace. Would have cost $1150 to replace a $375 dollar part. The awd's are nice, but realisticly, a fwd v60 will get you just about anywhere an awd could, better mpg, less maintenance cost.

 

hwy1north: understood, and appreciate everyone's comments. I live in Phoenix, so no need for AWD. I wouldn't say I'm tight on money, but I am particular about where I want to spend it, and I've never done complex maintenance myself (just the basics). I just wanted to make sure it wouldn't be a money pit like the German cars friends have owned. Not too many people go Volvo, even though I think they look among the best (especially the current ones!) I like the way both the V60 and Civic drive, but the Volvo is definitely a more refined choice, so we'll see! May just come down to availability of a good one when I'm ready to buy.