Volvo S60 (2000 - 2008) 2.3 T5 SE 4d (2003/03) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

It says allot to people who dont know about them. Its a executive looking car so people suspect youve got money ( far from it) i actually heard one couple as me and the mrs got out the car say " how can he afford a car like that" ime 21 so you can understand where they were coming from but they are actually fairly practical. I pay £2500 on insurance and a subaru of the same spec like a WRX would cost my £6000 and allthough the impreza is much more fun to drive ( i test drove one before we got this) i would dare to say that on the motorway a scoobie will not keep up with you. My t5 is limited and at 155mph its at just over 5,000 rpm it can rev to 7,500 rpm which would give you a top end of around 190 mph. You can see why the police have them on motorways.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Mates love it down at the cruise because i show all the school boy racers up on the strip. Family loves it because its executive and gives an impressive image to our freinds and distant family.

Would you buy this car again and why?

Yes and no. As a family car its abit too powerfull and heavy on fuel, but the same model with a the deisle engine would be excellent. And when i can afford a subaru i will have one so no neet for the performance family car then.

What are you likely to buy next?

Subaru Impreza either a P1, UK300 or an 05 STI.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Independent

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£4,200

When did you buy the car?

April 2010

Did you get a good deal and why?

Not really a good deal 80 od thousand on the clock but it came with the 18" bbs nebulas that look really good and are worth a few quid alone.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

I have allways wanted a subaru impreza sti but cannot yet afford to insure one and found these cars relativly cheap to insure for such a high performance car. The police have these for a reason !!!!!

What was the dealer like?

The same as all stealers !!

What's it like to drive?

Considering the market it was aimed at volvo have done a good job, for the price its much better quality than the bmw and merc rivelries, and its faster aswell. However with a massive turning circle heavy on juice if your lead footed like me it can be abit pricy. Also the suspention is far from set up for handling and the brakes fade quite quickly if you drive it hard, saying that i had the disks glowing orange on all 4 corners after racing a subaru and he didnt get far infront through an industrial estate !!!!! Another point to mention for all you petrol heads is that once the engines hot and you have give it some welly the intercooler gets really hot and is hard for it to cool because its sandwiched between the radiator and the air con radiator.

What's it like to park?

Easy when you get the hang of it, hard to see out the back window properly

Have you had any problems with the car?

Not yet but the fly wheel is getting worn out if not allready fully worn out as it clunks every time you let the clutch out just as it takes up the play in the transmission.

What's most practical about your car?

The comfort.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Theres many like the parking ticket holder, funky designed cup holder or the on board computer. One thing i do really like about it is the sound system its top notch for the bassey sounds.