posted by
someone claiming to be Mark
on
Sat Mar 10 14:25 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
|
|
My wife and a I just got back from the Colombus, OH auto show and I finally got to take a look at the new S60. I have to admit that I am impressed. I'm glad I couldn't drive it because I probably would be at the dealer right now trying to work out a deal. Of course, now the voices are urging me to test drive one next weekend so I can 'complete' the experience.
Has anyone been able to get a good deal on a new T5 or 2.4T? I've read reviews from all over the place and everyone is impressed with this car. Even though I only sat in it, I found the S60 to be the most comfortable car at the show (my wife and two buddies I was with agreed).
As you can see, this message is rather pointless. I could go on gushing with admiration over the 10-15 minutes I spent going over the car today, but I'll stop. I was really curious as to what kind of deals people are getting on these. Even though the car has been out for a few months, I still haven't seen any driving around. This makes me think that either (a) people don't know it's out there or (b) maybe these aren't as competitively priced as they appear to be at first glance.
Mark
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be Uncle Olaf
on
Sat Mar 10 15:39 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
|
|
....well, I LIKE Swedish cars, even if they're made in Holland. And I would definitely take an S60 as a gift which, sadly enough, no one is likely to give me.
Not everyone else seems to like it, however.
Car and Driver tested it against the usual suspects in their January issue 2001. It came in fourth out of six.
Rodent Track tested it in their April issue. Fourth out of four.
Consumer Reports will publish a test of the S60 against the 330i, C320 and IS300 in their May 2001 issue, and, as you can guess, it came in as a solid 4th...
Amazing, since the competitors like the 330i are comparatively antique designs.
I've said this before, but Volvo still needs to learn how to utilize Ford's resource and bribe the enthusiast press.
-Uncle Olaf
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be Ram Gopalkrishnan
on
Sat Mar 10 19:12 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
|
|
2 of our 3 cars are Volvos, and I have long been and continue to be a Volvo fan. However to describe my new 330i as a "comparatively antique design", even when the object of comparison is the brand new S60, is stretching things a bit. The 330i is an "E46" 3-series which chassis was introduced only 2 years ago for 1999. Furthermore the 330i has a 3 liter engine introduced for 2001 which is an extensively reworked (not just enlarged) version of the previous 2.8 liter engine. The engine management system is new for 2001 and for the first time (in the 3 series) has drive-by-wire. The brakes are substantially larger in 2001 necessitating standard 17" wheels. And I'm probably forgetting other stuff...
Also the statement appears to generalize to the S60's other competitors which is also incorrect. The Mercedes C-class is brand spanking new for 2001. The Lexus IS300 is new to the US, based on the Toyota Altezza which is just a couple or 3 years old. (Although not included in any of the comparisons to date, the upcoming Jaguar X-type and new Audi A4 will be serious competitors too. The S60 has its work cut out for it.)
Truth to tell, I had never owned a BMW before and was a bit nervous about whether or not I had made the right decision. Well, it's been 5+ months now and I'm still grinning ear to ear every time I drive it. And as a bonus the car has been completely flawless from day 1, which is more than I can say for our 1999 V70. It also feels way more solid than either of our Volvos ever felt.
No regrets that I did not buy the S60. Maybe next time around....
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be Uncle Olaf
on
Sat Mar 10 23:59 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
|
|
The IS300 has ALSO been available to the rest of the world for a while.
So Volvo's engineers had a couple of years to think about the competition.
It doesn't appear that they did.
Still, I'd take an S60 for free, if anyone was willing to give me one. (Wolfgang Reitzle, you have my e-mail.) If I actually needed to part with $30k in hard-earned green to buy one, that's another story.
-Uncle Olaf
'98 V70T5M, some mods
Some other cars, too
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be KC
on
Sat Mar 10 15:36 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
|
|
It's a very nice car, but I have to agree in that I havent seen any driving around my area either. And this is strange since one cant go 2 miles without seeing an 850, 70, or 80 series on the road. Not many 40 series either, but some. To me, the 60 seems like a baby 80, and if you're gonna fork up the bucks (for a loaded 60), the 80 (not quite as loaded) is a tempting choice.
KC
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be VolvoFan
on
Sun Mar 11 03:40 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
|
|
KC wrote:
> To me, the 60 seems like a baby 80, and
> if you're gonna fork up the bucks (for a loaded 60), the 80 (not
> quite as loaded) is a tempting choice.
Sure. That's if you want a car that handles like a mattress on four innertubes, overassisted steering and incredibly non-linear brakes. T6 - Amazing powerplant. Too bad the powertrain guys were miles ahead of the suspension, steering and brake system guys on this one.
The S60 is far and away the truer driver's car of the two. The whole thing is tighter, steering firmer, braking more linear and the T5 will outscream the T6 (power to weight ratio) anyways. Besides, if you're comparing the T5 top end S60 to a base 2.9 S80 then you're definitely looking at two completely different cars and with that, two distinct customer groups.
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be KC
on
Sun Mar 11 04:40 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
|
|
> The S60 is far and away the truer driver's car of the two. The whole
> thing is tighter, steering firmer, braking more linear and the T5
> will outscream the T6 (power to weight ratio) anyways. Besides, if
> you're comparing the T5 top end S60 to a base 2.9 S80 then you're
> definitely looking at two completely different cars and with that,
> two distinct customer groups.
I agree with you here, and I'll also go out on a limb and say that customer group most visiting those showrooms will opt for the S80. Demographics. I wasnt trying to say they were equals, just giving my theory behind why I dont see more S60's on the road.
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be VolvoFan
on
Sun Mar 11 12:52 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
|
|
KC wrote:
> I wasnt trying to say they were equals, just giving my
> theory behind why I dont see more S60's on the road.
Let's do the math here folks. Car was intro'd in November. Who buys cars in November???? People let their wallets defrost as the snow melts. April-June. I don't think I've ever purchased a car going into the winter. Just keep your eyes open. As the temps rise, so will the S60 counts.
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be Sin
on
Sat Mar 10 14:48 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
|
|
They're all over the 401 in Toronto/Scarborough.
S80s, S70s, V70's are also huge. The S40 and V40 aren't as popular in my area.
Two years ago, Volvo had the largest gains in sales in the Greater Toronto Area.
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be VolvoFan
on
Sun Mar 11 03:35 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
|
|
Sin wrote:
> Two years ago, Volvo had the largest gains in sales in the Greater
> Toronto Area.
WHAT???????? Compared to whom?
|
|
-
posted by
someone claiming to be Sin
on
Sun Mar 11 06:31 CST 2001 [ RELATED]
|
|
There was an article in the Toronto Star in the weekly "Wheels" section regarding how Volvo had the largest percentage increase in sales in the GTA. It's all relative.
Last year, it was VW.
|
|
|
|
|
