- sedan 173,673
- 623 below average
- 2,999 good
- Miami, FL
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- autoshopper.com
- 623 below average sedan 173,673 blue
2002 volvo s60 review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Sweden's answer to the bmw 3 series. introductionvolvo's s60 brings the swedish firm's safety legacy and standards to consumers for whom the s40 is too small and the s80 too big. The big difference between the first three models is the difference in horsepower; the awd (all-wheel drive) is new for 2002. the 2. 4 comes with a 2. 4-liter five-cylinder engine (yes, five cylinders) that produces 168 horsepower and 170 pounds-feet of torque. the 2. 4t uses a low-pressure turbocharger to generate 197 horsepower and 210 pounds-feet of torque; and that torque comes on at a much lower engine speed (1800 rpm instead of 4500 rpm), giving this model much better acceleration away from those intersections. the t5 uses a high-pressure turbo to produce 247 horsepower and 243 pounds-feet of torque for quick, turbocharged throttle response. the awd uses the 197-horsepower 2. 4t engine. When volvo introduced this model in september, it was broadly suggested that the 247-horsepower t5 engine would become available in the awd, most likely in less than a year. all s60 models get a raft of safety and security items: front, side and head airbags up front; seats that move to reduce whiplash problems; an immobilizer and an alarm; a safe approach and home safe lighting system; five head restraints; and anti-lock disc brakes. There are no significant mechanical changes in 2002, however a couple of important features that were optional in '01 are now standard: traction control (stc) and stability control (dstc). convenience features common to every s60 include power windows, trunk release and door locks, illuminated visor mirrors, a trunk light, a tilt/telescopic steering wheel, heated seats, headlight wipers, power folding headrests, 60/40 split-folding rear seat, a pollen filter, air conditioning, cupholders front and rear, steering-wheel controls for the audio system, and remote keyless entry. walkaroundthere's a 'honey, i shrunk the s80' look to the s60, which is okay since the biggest and most expensive volvo sedan is widely felt to be handsome in that lars-the-hockey-player-in-a-cable-knit sweater kind of way. There is certainly no sense of the famous old 'boxy but safe' styling that volvo single-handedly championed for decades. The s60's general shape predates the s80, so the bigger car is actually the copy. Volvo crafted this shape back in 1994 but lacked the funds to build both, so they went with the more profitable s80. the man who led the s60's design team, a hungarian named geza loczi, likes to say that its exterior shape is 'the essence of contemporary scandinavian design,' whatever that means. It seems compact at first glance, and there's a hunched-shoulder look to the part behind the rear doors, which makes it seem like it's a hockey player ready to lead a charge up the ice. interioroverall, the s60 interior is handsome and comfortable. The leather-wrapped steering wheel has audio and other controls. The quality of the material used to cover other surfaces is good. The gauges are attractive with their flat gray background, and easy to read, while the switches are intuitive and easy to use. The heating, ventilation and air conditioning controls are well designed, with big buttons that use volvo's clever metaphoric design to direct the airflow. Electric window buttons are conveniently mounted on the door and feature auto down, and the inside door handles are easy to grab. the radio will require the owner's manual to understand, however. And the center console is awkward to reach, as it's positioned rearward. The cupholders mounted just forward of this console have a flimsy lid covering them. There's another mini-cupholder on the center dash. Also in that area, the manual shift lever has a goofy looking silver plastic cover at its base; because the car's leather is so nice, a traditional boot would look so much classier. But perhaps this unusual touch is what's meant by the essence of scandinavian design. there's good interior space up front, but getting into the back seat requires a duck of the head, and an average-sized male will be short of legroom. to get the swoopy shape, volvo had to make certain design decisions that slightly constrict the trunk opening. The trunk itself is roomy and deep, so many smaller bags will fit, but big hard-sided trunks might not go in sideways. The swedes clearly mean for this car to be seen as a sports sedan in the same general class as the bmw 3 series or mercedes c-class, leaders of this segment. but like everyone else who takes a shot at the performance of the bmw 3 series, volvo falls short. The s60 with front-wheel drive and the s60 awd with all-wheel drive have a significantly different ride and steering feel. We tested both models, and we'll describe the front-wheel drive first. the suspension is tuned more for a comfortable ride than for quick maneuvers. In high-speed ripply corners, the s60 t5 with front-wheel drive lets its limits be known early, as the steering definitely lags behind the momentum delivered by the turbocharged engine, which zooms the car forward. The relatively long throw of the five-speed gearbox adds to the retro feel. But in a straight line at speed, even high speeds, it's extremely steady as long as the road is smooth. a heavy application of power can be a little tricky on some surfaces because the front wheels have to look after the propulsion and the steering at the same time. In other words, it suffers from torque steer. When equipped with the manual transmission, the t5 gets 28/23 mpg, which is the same as the 2. 4t, and just one point down from the highway rating for the 2. 4. as for the transmission and brakes, they get less than stellar marks. The shifter has a longish throw and is not particularly smooth, sometimes even a bit clunky. And the brakes are soft, which makes it hard to coordinate heel-and-toe downshifts, for starters. We initially were impressed with the smoothness of the abs, but then realized that maybe the reason they were smooth was because they weren't very aggressive. We didn't feel thrown forward in the seat from intense stopping, as we have with other sports sedans, such as the bmw 3 series. as for the awd, the differences can be pinpointed to firmer suspension and steering. Heated Seats✔ Power Windows✔ Air Conditioning✔ Sunroof/Moonroof
2,999 Miami, FLMiami, FL at autoshopper.com