Volvo S60 (2000 - 2008) D5 SE (185bhp) 4d (2005/55) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

Nothing, it sits in the work car park and no one notices it. People don't even know whose it is.

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

They see it and think "oh look, its a black car. How lovely.", they get in it and think "this is actually very plush I do like the two auxillary sockets and 13 speaker surround sound system, and how many cup holders did you say it has? That many! Wow, who needs 6?", I get going and show off that unending torque curve and they all say "ooooooooh". You couldn't ask for much more from a mid-range saloon.

Would you buy this car again and why?

No. I honestly wish I had saved a few more pennies and bough a new S80. There are so many flaws on the S60 due to it being an old design (only a facelift in the last 8 years)

What are you likely to buy next?

I have no idea. In an ideal world a new Mercedes C220 CDI or C200K. I really like Volvo's as the bits that haven't gone worng or fallen off work remarkably well and in all the car is lovely. But I would not buy another.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchise

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£15,000

When did you buy the car?

July 2007

Did you get a good deal and why?

Not a brilliant deal, it was on sale for £15995 and I got it for £15000

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

I wanted something better than my previous Vauxhall but without going the usual BMW, Audi, Mercedes route.

What was the dealer like?

A bit pushy, they wanted to come to my house and finalise the deal on the same day I had seen the car.

What's it like to drive?

Great for cruising down motorways and it can be a bit of fun if you find yourself on a nice empty stretch of sweeping A-Road. It won't do as well as a BMW or Audi if you want to chuck it about though, but then again if you wanted to lob you £15k saloon around you would already have bought an Audi or BMW

What's it like to park?

Awkward. It goes into a space better backwards than it does forwards, bizarrely. It would seem that Volvo had designed it to sit on the drive rather than in the car park.

Have you had any problems with the car?

Yes, plenty. On the second day of ownership the ABS and airbag sensors failed. But this was fixed under warranty. Since December 08 the rear passenger side door lock fails to activate on the first press of the key fob and refuses to work when you lock the car from the inside. This poses a huge security risk if you forget to check the car. The clutch failed over night for no apparent reason, apparently it is quite common that the hydraulic fluid just leaks out and the clutch can't be used. Before I had the day running ligths switched off by the dealer it was burning a set of bulbs every 3 months.

What's most practical about your car?

The boot space, the room in the cabin and the ridiculous amount of cup holders. Seriously, who needs 6 cup holders?

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Electric memory seats that remember which key is being used. There is a foot difference in height between the girlfriend and I so it means I don't have to fiddle around when i get in the car after she has driven it