Your thoughts on Volvo
 

A friend of mine has been downplaying the positives of Volvo due to their supposed low resale value. Spec wise they're good. Not necessarily a Beemer or a Merc but still a good car. So what do you think of the current line of Volvo cars? From the S40 through the XC90.

The Cube 3: Volvo's back :mrgreen:

They have nice cars....but I don't like their Turbo engines.... :roll:

I like the Volvo like a brand in general due to the built quality of the car, the structure or chassis in terms of passive safety, and the solid and robust image that the car gives when riding the car

Talking about the Volvo models in particular.....i find out attractive enough in terms of looking every model except the S80, and in terms of sporty cars, once im a big turbo engines fan, i live the S60R/V70R very much as well

Indestructable...although the engines and electronics go fizz

I loved the old ones with crazy door handles inside

I like what Volvo has been doing except I dont like the fact that they are owned by Ford and that is probably why they have sliping resale value. The S60R is awesome and I would buy one if I could afford it.

I have to admit....volvo's to do have nice cars and the overall aspects of the car is pretty good. but i dont think I would ever get one for myself. 8)

I like the Volvo S60(R) and the C70 coupe. I used to hate volvos during the swedish brick era. Ever since Ford jumped in to smooth out th curves, the design has grown on me. I can see myself driving a S60... although it's a bit overpriced IMO.

I really like them. I like the thought that they're from Sweden and not the typical Germany :P Though i love German cars.

I love Volvo styling, 'specially the S60R. The car also has very acceptable grunt! Specs from S60R with Manual 6 speed

300bhp @ 5,500 rpm

AND

295 @1,950 - 5,250 rpm


http://new.volvocars.com/r/downloads/volvoR_15_B.jpg

I'm a fan of Volvo. First of all, yes they're owned by Ford but all of their current models (except the new S40/V50) were designed and planned before Ford stepped in so the comment about the S60 looking nice thanks to Ford is flawed. Actually, the S60 was designed BEFORE the S80 but due to timing and money Volvo opted to build and market the S80 first, banking on making enough $$ on sales to afford to build the S60.

The new S40 is a nice compact, but personally I think it's waaaay overpriced and looks too much like a Honda Civic (from the rear). The S60 is now a good car for the money since they're selling it at good discount. The S80 without the turbo engine is also good value for your money, but the T6 model is too expensive for my taste, although you do get a lot of car for the money compared to the competition (one of two Volvo models that could be compared to BMW 7 series (the old one) and MB E-class. The other Volvo/BMW comparison would be X5 vs. XC90). However, there are certainly a lot of Japanese cars that are better value.

The R cars (S60 and V70) are really good value for your money and they're a lot of fun to drive. I'm not sure I believe in their longevity though, with that much boost in a 2.5l engine and the very advanced (and IMHO high maintenance) 4C chassis. Of the two cars, I have to admit I think the S60 is very good looking, but the V70 wins out due to the fact that this is a station wagon and it moves like a race car! The shock value is hard to beat.

Volvo's station wagons are in my opinion the best cars they make and the clear winners of all station wagons available. Granted, you don't need one unless you have a family, but if you do you can't go wrong with them. Across the board they're great drivers, with a little nod to the 2.5T since it has gobbles of torque so the power is there when you need it. The current T5 is a performance chaser, i.e. you need to whip the engine to get the reward. The 2005 model has apparently been reworked to deal with that so you'll have the torque AND the power where you need it.

The XC 70 is a bit of a hybrid, being a slightly raised station wagon. Its ground clearance is actually higher than a Ford Explorer, and on snow it's all you need. For serious off roading it will do more than you think, but it's not a real off roader.

The XC 90 is a very nice ride. It swallows the freeway miles while bathing you in comfort. And if you take it off road, as long as just one wheel has grip it will climb up most anything. It's no Range Rover, but it performs better than expected. The T6 is thirsty though, and the T5 is not powerful enough. That will be fixed in 2005 when a V8 powered version will become available.

Across the board I think Volvo's have one of the nicest and most comfortable seats out there, and coupled with safety and practicability they are really great vehicles.

As for the depreciation, some are worse than others. It also depends on where in the world you are. For instance, in SoCal the XC 70 and the XC 90 depreciate very little. The XC 70 is probably one of the best vehicles you could get in that regard.

Owning a Volvo is more expensive than owning a Toyota or Honda, both in purchase price and maintenance, but the reward is a safe vehicle that if maintained well will last you a long time. Volvos are no BMWs or MBs, neither are they Acuras or Lexuses, so a comparison with these wouldn't be fair. However, compared to VW and Audi I think they fend for themselves pretty well. And as I said, as far as station wagons go, they're one big step ahead of the competition. :lol:

I think they are almost at the same line that Audi, BMW, Saab and Mercedes, they are veryo good cars, very safe cars BTW, and the looks are not that bad, great quality

I don´t dislike them but I don´t think they´re that special either and most of them are only FWD which isn´t the sportiest thing in a sedan :? the S60R seems to be a lot sportier but it´s still nowhere near BMW´s M3 or Audi´s S4.

Maybe the one I like the most of the current Volvos is the XC90... oh and they´re supposed to be extremely safe.

all i can think of is ford, and i dont like ford in general.

if there is no danger how is it fun?

Its the perfect "Wifes car" safe, fast enought etc. Unless you're looking at an Audi or something