I recently got a 2007 S60 2.5T with 80k miles on it. Had a few issues with oil leaks but I fixed them all. I'm now looking to get the most power and ride quality out of this car and just an overall new look. Any suggestions on performance and cosmetic mods? I would prefer cheaper options but I'm willing to work towards more expensive options.

I also recently bought an ultra racing strut tower brace as well as the conversion kit.

 

Tune or Polestar tune (if available) is a good start -

 

an ECU tune is a fast way to add 30-40 HP but comes with the down side of having to always use 93 octane but it will put your 2.5T on par with a T5. You can find larger downpipes and intercoolers if you want to add more HP or even installing a bigger turbo (the 2.5Ts use a different turbo size for faster spooling than the T5s) but those $$ add up. After the tune, I'd look at the suspension beginning with after market sway bars - start by checking out IPD's site and volvo tuner stores. Next is to consider upgrading the struts/shocks since they start to get tired after 100K miles. Bilstein B6s (aka their Heavy Duty model gas shocks) would be my first choice. I would not advocate for lowering springs but I value the day to day ride quality. I'd also go for summer rims - ie upgrade to 17s or 18s with summer sport tires and leave the current rims for winter/all season tires. Next is to improve the brakes. Volvo often uses different size rotors for different trim models so look to see what the biggest rotors available for your model is. You may have to swap out the caliper carriers to deal with the larger rotors but those can be sourced as well. When buying the rotors you can also opt for slotted or cross-drilled rotors to help vent the gasses that case brake fade in hard stops. Plus they look cool :-) Not sure what's available as options for upgrading the audio system - you may find a Grom adaptor to add blue-tooth etc - check out Crutchfield.com for ideas there.

 

Thank you for the advice I was looking at the Polestar review but I was wondering if the benefits from that would outweigh those from a local tune shop? And I don't have access to a lift so for now I've started working on my struts to help with handling as well as doing basic maintenance before I start trying to increase the hp.

 

Polestar or a tune company such as Hilton - is just software. Installed Via the OBD port. No other adjustments needed. (other than it's best to make sure your car is at stage 0 before)

A "local tune shop" may not have expertise with your car - but I'm sure they would like to learn!