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So.. I'm finally driving a volvo

5K views 23 replies 11 participants last post by  Bmo Pete 
#1 ·
After long deliberations, going back and forth between a number of vehicles (Forester, WRX, Toyota Highlander), planning on doing OSD for a few months, then finding out that we need to get 2 vehicles instead of 1 as we are going to have start commuting (>20k miles/year), my wife and I finally got our first S60. It is a black on black CPO 2013 S60 T5 AWD Premier w/ heated seats w/ only 16k miles and we already love it.

Love the T5 rumble and its pull. I also like the amount of grip this car has, it's a lot of fun to drive! We did a 4.5 hr drive back from the dealership and the S60 proved itself to be VERY comfortable. Seats are great. I averaged 30.4mpg (per car's computer), drivng 70mph majority of the trip. Wish it was more like 35, but I know, it's the cost you pay for having a heavy but powerful AWD vehicle. Will see what happens once I put ethanol free 91 in it. Have I already mentioned that I liked the T5 rumble?? :)

Extended Safe&Secure (7years/100k) cost us $2,995 (comes to 56 bucks per month at 2.99% interest rate). The idea of not having to put any extra money into the car (other than gas and tires) is very comforting, but I'm starting to second guess this decision. I think it's possible to get out & get the money back -- what do you all think?
 
#2 ·
Congrats! I have hit 34 MPG with the cruise on over an extended highway run of about 4 hours. We debated extending the warranty back at 24k, for about what you paid, but ultimety decided against it since the car has been dead reliable, and the long history of reliability with the T5. Statistics are also in our favor, since most people never recoup the money. Others will be along shortly, some with actual facts about them using the Volvo warranty past what they paid, others with just speculation (like me!:)). Ultimately its your money and your decision, assuming its Volvo VIP.
 
#3 ·
Congrats! I have hit 34 MPG with the cruise on over an extended highway run of about 4 hours. We debated extending the warranty back at 24k, for about what you paid, but ultimety decided against it since the car has been dead reliable, and the long history of reliability with the T5.
Thank you! I would just like to point out that I get extended warranty through Volvo Certified Pre-Owned Program (7yrs 100k). The above cost is for Safe&Secure, which is basically wear & tear maintenance program (so 40k through 100k service)

All: Another random question -- how exactly does safe&secure work? Let's say I'm low on wiper fluids and a lightbulb burns out at the same time --can I just run over to the dealership and have it topped off / changed? Or would they only do it during a scheduled maintenance? I have a Volvo dealership literally 4 minutes away form my work and "free stuff" is always nice haha.
 
#5 ·
I would not even hesistate to keep the S&S coverage. We beat that on our XC60 in under 50k miles! Does it cover wear items like it does on our '10 XC?
 
#6 ·
OH and they replaced wipers, lights, pretty much anything that came with the car that wasn't working was replaced on the spot even with no reservation for the smaller stuff or they set us up with a reservation the next day for the bigger stuff and overnighted the parts.
 
#9 ·
...my wife and I finally got our first S60. It is a black on black CPO 2013 S60 T5 AWD Premier w/ heated seats w/ only 16k miles ...Will see what happens once I put ethanol free 91 in it. ...Extended Safe&Secure (7years/100k) cost us $2,995 (comes to 56 bucks per month at 2.99% interest rate). The idea of not having to put any extra money into the car (other than gas and tires) is very comforting, but I'm starting to second guess this decision. I think it's possible to get out & get the money back -- what do you all think?
Congrats on the hot girl in the black outfit. She loves her premium Texas Tea and runs like a beast on it--enjoy the massive torque steer;). The peace of mind is worth the $2,995, which, now that you have it, you won't need...:facepalm:
 
#10 ·
--enjoy the massive torque steer;).
He has the AWD version, torque steer is a non-issue; at least for us it is not on our T5 AWD.
 
#11 ·
Massive torque steer? Please, the FWD T5 has massive torque steer.... The Drive-E T6 itself doesn't have massive torque steer and it's got 50 more HP. These cars have open diffs... You want to see torque steer, try a Mk 1 Focus RS (very rare) or MazdaSpeed 3.
 
#22 ·
Test drive vs. road test? Spirited driving around bends or hard acceleration from stops for example. I doubt you were able to give it a good flogging? I think we all deal with some form of torque steer with these front wheel drive biased higher powered Volvo's. My RD's pull on the steering to go straight when driving on highway curves is bothersome, especially if cruising longer distances one handed; actually adjusted the steering effort at minimum on trips with the S60, as it's 18" tires seem to cause more tugging (just my unscientific assumption). It's basically the nature of the beast.

My biggest concern is the lack of traction (even w/ TC) with all that power only on the front wheels, and how the torque is delivered by the SC and/or turbo. I can not stand spinning the front wheels when driving these FWD cars, especially in the rain when needing to accelerate from a stop. My favorite example is sitting at a stop light or stop sign on an incline in the rain. You have to play tippy-toe to get the tires to hook-up when accelerating; this is a non-factor with AWD. Maybe it's my personal pet peeve?
Wheelspin, easily. I turned off traction control in the wet once and gave it about 50-60% throttle to show my brother how easy it was to spin the front tires. Indeed, the revs rose to about 5K RPM and we were probably going about 5-10mph. Though, according to a few reviews the Drive-E T6 has minimal wheelspin (in the dry at least, I'm sure all bets are off in the wet). Though I've never read any reviews that said that the torque steer even on the Drive-E T6s don't have any torque steer that's scary or anything like the other cars I mentioned.
 
#24 ·
Wheelspin, easily. I turned off traction control in the wet once and gave it about 50-60% throttle to show my brother how easy it was to spin the front tires. Indeed, the revs rose to about 5K RPM and we were probably going about 5-10mph. Though, according to a few reviews the Drive-E T6 has minimal wheelspin (in the dry at least, I'm sure all bets are off in the wet). Though I've never read any reviews that said that the torque steer even on the Drive-E T6s don't have any torque steer that's scary or anything like the other cars I mentioned.
Yeah, I don't think the torque steer is a safety concern, unless you accelerate hard without your hands on the wheel of course. ;) It's more of an irritation to me; especially on longer trips or back road fun.
 
#13 ·
Your 2013 already has Safe and Secure for 3 services (if it had been leased originally) or 5 services (if purchased originally) in all likelihood. Demos may be different as may former rentals. Call the dealer or Volvo NA (with the vin) and figure out exactly when Safe and Secure ends without the extension. I also suggest you read exactly what Safe and Secure covers in your paperwork - it is not bumper to bumper on wear items. Then figure out what the specific service is going to cost - the dealership can quote you a 60k service and a 70k service, etc. Then make your decision! Good luck.
 
#14 ·
My FWD T5 (5 cylinder) has some torque steer, though I wouldn't call it scary. The thing that is more annoying is wheel spin off the line, especially on anything less than smooth, level pavement, and really is the only thing that would have made me prefer the AWD model. That said, once moving it pulls hard and is an absolute joy on long trips. I recently had a trip where most was with a 20 mph tailwind and got nearly 36 mpg, so the car is very capable of exceeding its EPA ratings. Congrats on the new ride!
 
#17 ·
Congrats on the new car.

IMO you have the perfect car combo (Real T5 w/AWD). Gotta be a fun setup. Enjoy it!
 
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