Volvo’s S60 is a medium-large sedan that sells well in Australia. It has much more interesting styling than many of the Volvos that preceded it in recent decades so led to the revival of the Swedish marque in Australia. The best news of all is that it even has a touch of sportiness in its makeup. Indeed, there are a couple of full-on sports variants, more about them later.

The Volvo S60 sedan has a station wagon brother in the Volvo V70. This is a popular vehicle and dominates its class in Australia, however it deserves a feature in its own.

The S60 is a medium-large car aimed at the upmarket buyer, often a family-car person looking for something a little out of the ordinary. In particular something that isn’t German is provided by the person who wants to stand a little away from the crowd.

Ride comfort is good as are overall refinement and attention to detail. Handling is pretty well neutral for a front-wheel-drive car, though those models are really intended to be driven hard and they will eventually generate understeer.

Australia first saw the Volvo S60 sedan right at the start of the third millennium in January 2001. From the start it was sold with either a naturally aspirated engine or the extra torque provided by a turbocharger.

There are a couple of full-on sports model in the Volvo S60 range. The Volvo S60 AWD (for all-wheel-drive) is a hot machine with a turbocharged engine to give it plenty of straight-line poke, as well as the chassis dynamics provided by driving all four wheels through firmer than standard suspension.

Sitting at the top of the Volvo performance tree is the S60 R, with even more performance and seriously good electronics to enhance the already-good handling. They have sporting add-ons in the way of larger wheels and tyres and a body kit, but are much more subdued than the previous ‘R’ models which went for the over-the-top look. The Volvo S60 R is in the mould of the BMW M series and Mercedes AMG models and gives you a lot of performance for a relatively modest outlay. They were only sold between 2003 and 2005 so are few on the ground.

Most Volvo S60 engines imported to Australia have the same capacity of 2.4 litres and have a straight-five layout (five cylinders in a straight line). However, the turbo is offered in various stages of tune and outputs ranging from 125 to 184 kilowatts. An exception is the 2.5-litre unit used in the hot S60 R. It manages a spectacular 220 kW.

The great majority of S60 Volvos sold in Australia have a five-speed automatic transmission. In the sporting and/or upmarket variants this offers sequential operation to give the drive some degree of manual control.

Manual gearboxes are a rarity and may be hard to resell further down the line. They have five speeds and are good enough units. An exception is the close-ratio six-speed manual that’s an option in the ‘R’.

Insurance is normally in the mid-range as is to be expected in a car in this class. Be wary of companies which take a stand against turbocharged engines. Volvo is unusual in building turbo engines for everyday cars as well as for high-performance ones and this can cause confusion among insurance companies. Talk to your local Volvo dealer for advice on turbo-friendly insurance companies.

We have heard very few complaints about availability or prices of spare parts. Volvo has been well established in Australia for many decades. The dealer network is large and generally widespread, though there's a natural tendency for it to concentrate in major metropolitan areas.

These upmarket Swedish machines are complex in their makeup so are best left to the experts when it comes to repairs. By all means do minor servicing yourself if you feel confident and, as always, have a workshop manual on hand before opening that bonnet.

As is the way with all upmarket cars look for one with a full service history. This may add to the used-car price, but it’s money well spent.

 

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
An engine that hasn’t had its oil changed at the correct intervals may have sludge buildup in the sump. This issue is amplified if the owner uses poor (cheap) oil instead of that recommended by the factory.
 
Check the engine starts easily and immediately settles into a steady idle.

Wear at the top engine mount may lead to a slight harshness, best checked by an expert.

Feel for less than smooth gear changes from the automatic transmission as they can be a sign that work is required.

Sway bar links may have a clunking sound. They are easy to change.
 
In a turbo engine feel for lag that’s overlong and listen for any whining from the turbo itself. Some lag and sound is acceptable, too much could mean expensive problems. If in doubt go to a Volvo dealer.

HOW MUCH?
Expect to spend from $14,000 to $21,000 for a 2001 Volvo S60 SE; $20,000 to $29,000 for a 2002 S60 2.4T; $24,000 to $34,000 for a 2003 S60 AWD; $31,000 to $44,000 for a 2005 S60 AWD; $38,000 to $52,000 for a 2003 S60 R; and $48,000 to $64,000 for a 2005 S60 R.

CAR BUYING TIP
Before buying a European car try asking around at your local clubs for advice from existing owners. Golf clubs are particularly good sources of information.