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What other cars did you look at before you purchased?

17K views 94 replies 49 participants last post by  madmike 
#1 ·
I find it interesting that the S/V60's seem to have a wide list of competitors. Personally I looked at the following cars:

VW Golf R (almost put money down in order to get on of the first ones)
Subaru STI (My wife said that it looked like a car 12 yr olds have posters of)
Audi S3 (Didn't like the look and there was more value on the Golf R, as the cars were similar)
Audi A4 (Looked and felt a bit dated)
BMW 328i GT (Interesting, I really like hatchbacks - my favorites were some of the Acura Intergra's I have had)
MB C400 and C300 (very very nice, but the S60 T6 AWD seemed to offer better value at the time)
MB GLA (With the AMG package I looked at, it was a bit to "boy racer" - like the STI)

....and after 5 months I don't regret my decision to buy the S60, I think it was the perfect choice :)
 
#80 ·
I just joined this forum and i'm glad to see so many happy Volvo owners. Actually i always went for german cars and love BMW and Audi. My last car was BMW 325i but i recently sold it and was looking for a replacement. As usual i started testing the 3 series of BMW and A4 for Audi. I even tested Mercedes C class until i reallized the new S60 doesnt look to bad and since my father has an old S60 i wanted to see how well the new models can compete with the Germans.
To my surprise i actually think the new engine found in D4 (190hp) and the luxary feeling, the sits and Four-C made me decide on the new S60. I'm actually in the process of purchasing the car. It will take me another week to go through the process and most likely about 2 month or so to get the car :(
It seems most of you guys/galz are going for T5 or T6! IS there anyone here with the new D4? Its a sweet engine really, it has 190hp but with software update (through Volvo) they can upgrade it so that you pretty much get a D5 performance :)
I never owned a Diesel engine but it seems this is the most efficient engine they have in term of gas usage and performance. What do you guys think? Any tips and ideas are welcome.
 
#81 ·
Welcome! I think most here are in North America, so the T5 and T6 engines are the only ones available. I do wish we had a diesel option though!
 
#83 ·
Yes indeed its a great car :) i test drove all 2 cars for the last time just to be sure i'm making the right choice. I even brought my brother for a second opinion. We both agreed Volvo had the best comfort. Engine wise BMW and Volvo was neck on neck i think (at lease judging from the short test, we did go on the highway and up to 170ish km/h) and all cars felt stable and quiet.
The display of Volvo is really great also, specially the Eco, Sport mode, pretty simple thing to add really but it makes a big impact, BMW felt stone-age in comparison :)
Overall i'm glad that we both agreed Volvo was the right choice. Now my problem is color :) i had selected the power blue but in reallity it did not "WOW" me so i'm back to regular white or regular black i think. Not sure adding metallic for those two colors makes a big impact. Now days the premium cost of metallic (a bit over 1000$) just doesn't feel justified, what do you guys think?

ps. i can tell you more once i get the car about the details and how it feels to drive and consumption and all.
 
#85 ·
I have the Savile Grey, which I really like I think the power blue is also a great choice, it will be available only on the Polestar cars in the future from what I read, so it will be rare. Have a look at some of the threads that show pictures of S60's http://forums.swedespeed.com/showthread.php?182610-What-did-you-do-with-your-s60-V60-(2011-)-today.

Colour is a personal preference in the end. Which interior are you looking at? I got the black leather interior with the white stitching but if I were to do it again I would have gotten the Beechwood interior....
 
#86 ·
[/QUOTE]Colour is a personal preference in the end. Which interior are you looking at? I got the black leather interior with the white stitching but if I were to do it again I would have gotten the Beechwood interior....[/QUOTE]

I have the Savile Grey with the Beachwood interior. Great color combination. I wasn't going to get anything other than the Beachwood when I bought. I just wish they had the sport seats back in 2012.
This is my third grey car. Next time if I have the choice I'll get another color for a change.
 
#88 ·
Exactly, the Polestar blue is really nice! I saw the power blue on a new car a few days ago and it didnt wow me exactly :( Blue is my favorite color but it has to be the right blue. Shame i cant get the same as polestar blue. Now i'm considering Black or white actually. I was going for the "Ebmer Black" but its not available for 2016 cars. So now its Onyx black.
For interior i'm looking at Black leather.

See how it looks like :)
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/kid1fb3yp63o82j/AACgAbDNw7wdXPv9EWMPohR5a?dl=0
 
#89 ·
@Almaz: i got the sport seats, allot better compared to regular one even if Volvo makes the best seats in general, the normal is even better then all other cars i tested. Not sure what makes the volvo seats so nice to sit on but its just more comfortable then any other brands i tested (bmw, mb ....)
 
#91 ·
Audi A4 - I liked the looks of the black ones exterior more than the S60. I thought it was a bit more fun to drive. Wife hated it said it looked no better than my Toyota Corolla. Interior was dated looking and not near as comfy or roomy as the S60. Reliability worried me.
BMW 3 Series - Nice but too pricey.
Subaru Imprezza - Too Fast and Furious looking, I am almost 40.
Toyota Corolla - I had a 2005 XRS with 170hp. The new ones are too gutless.

I wish I would have test drove an Acura or Lexus just to see how they were. I got too good of a deal on my S60 and jumped at it.
 
#92 ·
BMW 550i M-Sport: Advised by a friend who's the Service Manger at the BMW Dealership to avoid the new 4.4 V8TT, as they're having many issues with the engine.
Lexus ISF: Suspension was overly stiff for it to be a comfortable daily driver with the family.
Chevrolet SS: Very good power and good handling, 14mpg wasn't going to happen when I commute 70 miles per day.
Cadillac CTS-V: Again same as the Chevy SS

Volvo won due to past experience with the brand, and the is only one other Rebel Blue S60 RD that I know of in the Atlanta area.
 
#94 · (Edited)
For this most recent lease, which replaced my 2013 S60 T5 AWD, I looked at and test drove the Mini Countryman Cooper S (liked the manual transmission), the Mercedes GLA (pretty mediocre), the BMW X1 (actually a lot of fun), the Audi A3 2.0T (bad lease deals and pretty small, but nice), Jeep Cherokee (did not like). I wanted something a little more practical than the sedan, and really liked the V60 for its combination of looks and versatility. I love how the sport package and Bore wheels really makes the car looks special. Volvo gave me a good deal so I am paying a little less per month than I was on the S60, and this is a Premium one which includes the Sport Package and Sport Seats, and the last was a more basic Premium, but was AWD. I went with Caspian Blue with off-black leather interior. There were not a lot of options out there for a V60 T5 Drive E with Sport Package and Seats, lol
 
#95 ·
I considered the last year of the Saab 9000 (my favorite car ever), new cars: Diesel BMW Wagon, Jetta diesel wagon, Test drove the V60 and it was all over...love the fuel economy, sportiness and comfortable seats of my V60. If only it came with a manual transmission here in the states. Ordered my car OSD and got exactly what I (well actually my wife) wanted in terms of options making it a truly special car.
 
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