Hey everyone,

I'm new to the forum and specifically interested in the S60R. I currently own a 2003 VW GTI and am the original owner. I am looking to sell my car and get something different. It's time for a change for me. I'm looking for a reliable car that is fun to drive. I plan on doing some autocross and maybe even an occasional day at the drag strip. I am an avid cyclist so I do a lot of traveling as well (with my bikes). I would like to be able to tune my car to get more out of it.

I am looking at the Subaru WRX (cheap, easy to tune, reliable, lacks class) and the S60R. The S60R is a far more luxurious car from what I can tell. I want AWD, performance, and reliability. I have always loved Volvos but I can't pinpoint why. I would probably want the 6 speed manual if I can find one. How strong is that drive train? How much tuning can actually be done to this car? Is it simply intake, chip, exhaust or can you go a lot further? How is the aftermarket performance market? How reliable is the car as a whole? How expensive are most repairs and what is common?

Enlighten me.

To give a little more perspective I was also considering the Audi S4 (the twin turbo V-6 to be exact) and decided against it because of major reliability issues.

I welcome any information that you can give me.

Thank you,
Dan

 

Audi.....expensive to tune.
Volvo.....just as or a little less expensiveto tune.
EVO's and STI's.......pretty reasonable to tune.

Honestly.....I hate to say it, but an STI or EVO would do you a lot better.

The evo's and sti's can handle a S*** load of power stock. The S60 R will probably do 375+HP/TQ stock, but once you go over 400+...you might look at internals/driveterrain.
The EVO's and STI's have one of the best if not thee best AWD in the world. Volvos AWD is pretty go, but It is not an All time LSD like the EVO or STI.
I haven't found any real aftermarket coilover kits for the R's, but there is a good set of springs and swaybars from IPD or EVOLVE.
I love the EVO for It handles a little better then the STI, and it feels faster (and it can be).
Your choice though. I love Volvos, but If you want to get a good reliable "track" car...well you know .

Edit: hereis the list of aftemarket tuners and shops for volvos: https://volvoforums.com/m_38606/tm.htm

 

You can make the R a pretty good car for tracking but it won't be as easy as the others.

 

So realistically without going to any huge lengths to modify the car (custom work, etc.) I would end up topping out in the range of 350 HP and TQ? How's the weight on the S60R? I'm sure it would be fun for a while, but I'm worried I'd want more. It sure would be comfortable though. Haha

And I'm not looking so much at the STI and Evo as I am the regular WRX. I have found several '02-'03 WRX's with significant amounts of work in the $12,000 range.

 

Weight is what matters to me and the WRX wins....It only wieghs ~3200-3300pounds, while the Volvo R weighs in at 3850pounds.
Yeah the stock R should handle ~380hp/tq on the stock motor. I know that EVOLVE's tuning is ~360hp/tq: http://www.evolvecars.com/site/index.php?_ng9BUT EVOLVE is expensive. IPD will do about ~350hp/tq:http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-S60/Performance/c-1-74-403/
Those Power numbersinclude: 3"-3.5" downpipe to a3in cat-back Exhaust, air filter, and the ECU upgrade.

I would be really nervous about buying a used evo or wrx with any modsdone to it. Unless thepreviousdriver was a good driver and didn't beat the S*** out ofit Imight buy one. I would lookfor a stock car if you go the WRXroute (unless you know the history of the car).

Conclusion:
So a stock R is 300hp/tq. AWD and is a very comfy ride, and is pretty damn reliable to about ~380.
And a stockWRX is ~300hp/tq. One of the best AWD around, and is a descent ride quality, and are really reliable for tuning.

My dad has a 07V70 R and I love it. and we test drove the STI's and EVO's and really like them also.
Don't just listen to me on.

Did I metion I love Volvos [sm=lol.gif]

Good luck and hope you get what suits you best.

Edit: there are many other Volvo tuners in the link I listed in my first post.

 

I can't get over how nice the Volvo is compared to the Subaru. On one hand I want to tell myself that I will be happy with the power that I will get out of the S60R and that I will appreciate driving a Volvo, and on the other hand I know that I will always want to go faster and won't mind sacrificing some class or style to get there. I'm really not sure.....

 

i have 2 friends with STIs and they really like them except once they got over 380 to 400 horse they ran into tranny problems.. even the 6 speed manual.. but with any high horsepower vehicle especially AWD your gonna find the weak link in the drive train eventually.

 

I recommend the Koenigsegg CCXR...it might set you back a bit though,[8D]. But seriously, i would go for the Subaru over the Volvo, because i think you'd have way more fun with that than the S60. Not that the S60 is boring or anything, but Subaru is just awesome, you can't do much better for AWD with a company like that too.

 

Personally, if you are looking for a car to autocross and especially drag, don't get the R. It's not a drag car. You'll end up destroying the clutch in no time, which is around 2k to replace alone. The AWD is not really set up for racing, and the angle gear is the car's acheilies (sp?) heel. And before you start thinking about it, there are no upgrades to the AWD system like on Audis/VWs. Volvo put the quash on that a long time ago.

Don't get me wrong tho, I love mine. It's a shame they discontinued the R. I have a dp/exhaust,DIY CAI, and ECU upgrade. Could still get by with an intercooler upgrade without touching the internals. I wouldn't go much beyond that tho.

As far as how much can be done, it all depends on what you want to spend. Volvo perf parts are more expensive because the market is less compared to WV/Subaru/etc. I would think stuff like bigger turbos, stronger internals, etc will get quite pricey.

Only other advice I can give is as with any car, make sure you find one with complete service history. And go with the manual!

 

That is a nice car in all, but if you want a REAL Preformance car.....Get an Ultima GTR. It is still the fast car in the world....maybe the Koenigsegg would have a little better top end speed, but who cares....You will never use it. The ultima GTR cost~$50,000 but if you go all out it would set you back~$80,000, and you get the fun of building the car your self.

 

I definetly agree, my friend was just talking about the GTR the other day and it really is an amazing car for the money. Not to mention the money you save not buying the 2 mil CCXR can be put into making your GTR the beastest car ever! Did you hear that apparently it has way more HP than in the original specs? thats wha ilike to see!

 

How did this turn into a thread about supercars after asking about WRX's and the S60R?

 

Sorry for jacking your thread. It is just fun I guess talking about fast cars in all. [sm=sorry.gif]

Anyways...
So the conclusion for you FreeRideJunkie would be that the WRX is you car of choice. It might not have the class of the Volvo, but it will make up for it with it's level of preformance.

Good luck with you buy and Hope you get what you really want.

 

Considering that you guys say the WRX would probably be best for me, and I want something a little more classy, I guess I will just go with the Saab 9-2X. I can get a fully loaded '04 or '05 with about 50k miles for about the same price as an '02 or '03 Subaru with near 100k miles. The Saabs have more options too. Seems win win to me.

 

I haven't tried out the new Saabs, so I won't comment on them. They look like nice car, but If ita similar design to Volvo (suspension and drive terrian) I would say that it wouldn'tmakea difference if you just got an S60 R.I know that the R is AWD and Saabs only give the option of AWD.

If you haven't checked out the Saab forums yet...I would Highly recommend it. See what they say and how it compares to the S60 R and the WRX. I am not aware of Saab tuning capabilities and haven't seen much aftermarket support....well...that is not saying much from looking at the level of aftermarket companies Volvo has.

Good luck.

 

That is why I like the 9-2X. It is a WRX but nicer. The car is the same. The motor, turbo, drivetrain.... all the same. You pop the hood and they are the same. The 9-2X has a STI steering rack and a slightly upgraded suspension from the WRX and the interior is nicer. I can get heated leather seats too. I was going to miss those. Haha