2001 Volvo S60 T5 2.3 turbo from North America

Faults:

Burnt out lamps behind climate control panel.

Occasionally difficult cold starting.

Intermittent noise from cabin heater fan.

In cold weather (on those -20'C mornings here in Toronto), the gear selector is extremely stiff in and out of each gate before 15-20 minutes of driving.

General Comments:

The car is equipped with premium/sport package and includes all features available except for navigation system.

The creature comforts leave nothing to be desired. The spacious, though supportive sport seats leave both driver and front passenger feeling no ill effects after a four to five hour trip.

All cabin appointments and functions deliver an expected sense of durability and fit with the exception of the access doors/panels to the centre console storage bins. These seem to be fragile and poised to fail at the hinges with normal use.

Plenty of torque at low to mid revs in every gear provides fantastic acceleration. (The excitement fades though once the Turbo bleeds off boost around 3000 RPM with nominal throttle).

Steering and road-handling are well balanced and responsive with cornering that's "not-quite-German" in character.

Braking is solid and consistently well-behaved.

Safety features are unbeatably Volvo - leaving no doubt to the right choice for the sport sedan lover with school-age children.

The delight for this former 850 owner though is the redesigned body. The lines of the S60 are unique - except for what one might interpret as a "distant-cousin" likeness to a V12 Vantage! - with both graceful and aggressive styling in all the right places, shaking-off the "boxy" heritage from this car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st January, 2005

18th Mar 2008, 03:28

Very accurate review. Well written.

I'm a s60 owener too, for about 50,000 kms now... and I share the same feeling.

2001 Volvo S60 SE 2.0T from UK and Ireland

Summary:

It's a 180bhp sports car in a family saloon!

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the car yet!

General Comments:

Well, what can I say?! It's a fantastic car, comfortable, quick, responsive, and most important, very safe!

I have only owned the car a short time, but I can tell this car will last for some time yet, It's a 180bhp sports car in a family saloon!

As part of my job I drive a variety of cars from Ford Focus to Land Rovers.

This is by far the best car I have had the pleasure of driving, bought the car with 48k on the clock and it still smells and drives like new.

So enough from me, go and get your S60!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd August, 2004

2001 Volvo S60 2.4 T from North America

Summary:

The S60 spells comfort, safety and performance

Faults:

At 42,000 kilometers, because of my complaints about noise going over bumps, the dealer replaced four link rods under warranty.

The standard wheel studs were replaced 4 times under warranty because of rusting (which made them unsightly). In the end, I purchased a set of chrome nuts from Volvo at a cost of $90.

Light bulbs keep burning out.

General Comments:

Overall, I am very happy with this car and would certainly recommend it to others.

The PROS: overall finish (doors still close with a solid thump) ; seating comfort (front seats fit like a glove) ; power (I have the low pressure turbo) ; brakes (first class), safety features (they're everywhere), and; styling (I get lots of positive comments when my black S60 is freshly washed).

The CONS: back seating is a bit on the tight side (unless you move the front seats forward), and; ride can be on the hard side on rough city streets (although it rides wonderfully on the open highway).

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd July, 2004

2001 Volvo S60 T5 T5 from North America

Summary:

A solid, safe and reliable car, with some power

Faults:

Only minor problems. The retractable cup holder has broken twice, and the exterior lights have a bad habit of dying prematurely.

General Comments:

An excellent car.

Only minor repairs have been required, though they are more frequent than I would like. Dealer took care of them under warranty with no problems.

Very comfortable and reliable car.

The turbo is great, though the car is so heavy it's still a little sluggish.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd April, 2004