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New here... picking up an R in a few days! A couple of questions.

6K views 56 replies 17 participants last post by  prienzo 
#1 ·
Hey everyone.

Long story short, I'm looking to get something smaller and more fun than what I drive now to bring to school with me. Last year, I had a 2001 Audi A6 2.7T and fell in love with it. Unfortunately, they aren't really designed to be owned by human beings; in the six weeks I had it, it caught on fire, threw a CEL about five separate times, had a valve cover gasket replacement, and a new cat. This sort of turned me off getting another Audi. Its life was cut short when my best friend plowed into it with his Dodge Ram -- the car was totaled.

Our family (well, not me) does a bunch of stuff with horses, so I've been driving our 2006 Jeep Commander for over a year that we use as our tow rig. It's nice, but it gets about 10mpg(!) in the city, which is where I do most of my driving. Plus it's no fun.

I've been looking at lots of things: VWs, Saabs, and even a C30. This process has taken about six months, and I had intended to buy a car quite a while ago. Finally, I went to a dealer in Greensboro last Saturday to check out a 2006 S60R in silver (Titanium Metallic?) on Nordkap with the Geartronic. Forgive me for not learning all the lingo yet, but I've been lurking for the last couple weeks and I haven't caught onto all of it yet. Here are some crappy pics from the dealer's website:







It's got 74k miles and appears to have been pretty well-maintained. The dealership is asking $14,500, which doesn't seem like a bad price, from the research I've done. The 60k service was done at a Volvo dealer (We had them call the previous owner's dealer that they used and check) and the car actually has a powertrain warranty on it until 100k.

That said, I just had a couple of questions:
-- I read about the "exhaust bracket of death". That'll be the first to go if it's still on, but is there anything else simple to do that most R owners do once they get their cars?
-- This is a really stupid question, but the car has nav and I couldn't find the button to get the damn screen up. Where is it? (By the way, this is great. I hate nav screens being the audio controls too. I love the R's separate audio controls.)

I've been lurking for a while, and this seems like a great forum. Hopefully I'll be able to be a part of it for a long time, as this thing has to last me through college and beyond!
 
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#5 · (Edited)
:D thanks! I can't tell if it has the 17s or optional 18s... I forgot to check.

Nav controls are on the back side of the steering wheel and are operated with the right hand. Kinda funky but you get used to them.

Looks like it has an aftermarket grill... be sure to inspect for other aftermarket "goodies"

Good luck with the purchase!
Weird. I just couldn't get the screen to pop up. I noticed the aftermarket grill and that'd be nice if someone had already done some mods. Aside from a stupid sunroof visor thingy and a trailer hitch for a bike rack, there wasn't anything I could see.

- I say demand an OEM grille - those things cost close to $300
- the car does appear to be lowered; try to beat the price by claiming the the existing shocks have been worn out by aftermarket springs; each chock is $600 at the dealer
- the GPS is a bubble that sticks out of the center speaker. The controls are in the back of the steering wheel

Good luck
Now that you mention it, the wheel gap does look a little bit lower than it should be. Unfortunately, I did my research AFTER I went out to see the car a week ago, so I forgot to play with the Four-C very much. I think it works, though; there was a difference between Comfort and Sport and there were no error messages on the dash or anything. As for the OEM grille and shocks, I'll see what I can do. I don't think they know very much about what they're selling.
 
#3 ·
Nav controls are on the back side of the steering wheel and are operated with the right hand. Kinda funky but you get used to them.

Looks like it has an aftermarket grill... be sure to inspect for other aftermarket "goodies"

Good luck with the purchase!
 
#4 ·
- I say demand an OEM grille - those things cost close to $300
- the car does appear to be lowered; try to beat the price by claiming the the existing shocks have been worn out by aftermarket springs; each chock is $600 at the dealer
- the GPS is a bubble that sticks out of the center speaker. The controls are in the back of the steering wheel

Good luck
 
#13 ·
OMG 4x4 status!!1 Actually, I don't see a whole lot of point in going terribly low. Speed bumps are prevalent both here and on the campus of where I'll be going to school. I'm sure the mod bug will change my mind though.

Really nice car, by the way. I wish mine would have the more prominent spoiler. Also, did you paint the B-pillar trim?
 
#18 ·
looks lowered, aftermarket grille, nav controls are above the volume controls on the steering wheel(behind it) or a controller for it should be in your car somewhere. pegs are definitely 18s, may be peg reps, can't tell because I'm on my phone. looks nice though


Sent from my Air Portable
 
#19 ·
looks lowered, aftermarket grille, nav controls are above the volume controls on the steering wheel(behind it) or a controller for it should be in your car somewhere. pegs are definitely 18s, may be peg reps, can't tell because I'm on my phone. looks nice though

Sent from my Air Portable
Thanks for the link. Looks like they basically have the OEM sport kit for sale in little bits too.

I remembered something else-- it has aftermarket tint. Nothing crazy, but I live in NC and it gets unbearable when you leave your car in a parking lot.
 
#20 ·
doesn't look lowered to me, it could be the angle of the shot making it appear lower. The left front looks lower than right, but these are pictures and it can be hard to tell. Just be sure to check the shocks to make sure they aren't leaking before taking it.

I'd actually look for fluids on rear haldex unit and leaking angle gear- Though with warranty it's probably not as crucial-sounds like CPO. Maybe the volvo dealer would be willing to give you a print out of work done there. It wouldn't be a bad idea to do oil change asap and give a trusted mechanic a once over on it as well.

enjoy!
 
#21 · (Edited)
Hey guys... bad news. The dealership had people swarming over "my" car and they had sold it about an hour before I called, even though I registered kind of a lot of interest.

I know what I want now, though; so this should be pretty easy.

My two best options now are:

- 2004 black/Gobi (ugh) 6MT, 116k, timing belt/water pump recently done, $11k



- 2005 dark blue/nordkap GT, 96k, $11,500



I would get the 04 in a heartbeat except a) I never learned to drive a stick (don't laugh! All the cars in our family are autos and my dad sold his last car with a stick when I was 14 or so.) and don't want to not be able to drive my own car until I get the hang of it. b) Gobi isn't exactly my cup of tea.

As for the 05, the torque limited auto is pretty slow, I hear. It seems like it's actually slower than a T5 to 60mph. Can anyone chime in on this? Thanks!
 
#23 ·
Hard to tell from internet pics, but the '04 looks a lot cleaner. Also consider that the actual cost of the '05 is more like 12,500-13,000 because it really should have the TB/WP done pretty much immediately. Either that or make them do it before sale.
 
#25 ·
wait for the one that has what you want for color combo. I wouldn't get gobe if you don't want it-sounds like you don't. Although, i suppose that depends if you need a car in short order. R's always come up for sale. also don't forget to check for heated seats if you want them. some R's didn't have it, though rare it's worth remembering to check.
 
#26 ·
To the OP, have you checked the classifieds here? There are some great caRs for sale, you might have to travel a bit to get the right one, but trust me it'll be worth it :D
 
#29 ·
before my S60R the only manual trans. I had operated was on forza 4 racing simulator lol. stickshift isn't that hard, but it takes a few tries to get a hang of it. By my third day I didn't stall out at all.

good luck
 
#31 ·
Sorry to keep bumping this thread, but I figured it would be stupid to make another one.

I drove both the dark blue/nordkap/auto/05 and the black/gobi/6M/04 today.

The 05 seemed like it had rockets strapped to it or something. Significantly louder and I think it pulled harder than the 04, even though the 04 was a manual. Bad curb rash on wheels, and apparently the front was lowered so the tires rub and make a squealing noise on the front right during left turns at full lock. Interior pretty worn, scratches on console, etc. Man, was that color combo sexy though, and it was fast. The dealer is going to call me on Monday when they fix the rubbing, assuming they can.

The 04 has just had the timing belt/water pump/tensioner/AC compressor replaced. Unfortunately, it's a manual so I had to have my dad test drive it, because I didn't want to ruin the dealership's car learning. It was very clean both inside and out, even though the inside was Gobi. :( Wheels are very curb rash-free but are 17s. Way cleaner than the 05.

Call me an idiot, but the 05 was my favorite. I don't know what these people were smoking when they claimed low 7 second 0-60 times for 2005 automatic R's.

I just have to figure out which one of the two is actually the best now.
 
#34 ·
If the 05 is faster, there is either something very wrong with the 04, or the 05 has a tune. 04-05 Auto's are substantially slower in 1-2 gear.

CAI isn't needed for a tune. Downpipe is recommended. This doesn't mean that the guy knew this though. You said it's lowered so it's been touched, I would stay away. You have no idea what that car may have been through.
 
#35 ·
If the 05 is faster, there is either something very wrong with the 04, or the 05 has a tune. 04-05 Auto's are substantially slower in 1-2 gear.

CAI isn't needed for a tune. Downpipe is recommended. This doesn't mean that the guy knew this though. You said it's lowered so it's been touched, I would stay away. You have no idea what that car may have been through.
I will say that I can't prove the 05 was faster, because my dad had to drive the 04. It was VERY clean, but Dad hadn't driven a stick in about six years, so I doubt the car was being driven to its full potential. It pulled hard, but I didn't get to drive it, so it may have just felt slower..

The 04 probably does make more sense, because while it may have 113k to the 05's 97k, it has had a bunch of work done recently and comes with a small 3-month bumper-to-bumper warranty. It's just black/gobi.... hey wait that's what you have! The gobi looked a lot better in person than I thought it would.
 
#38 ·
Depending on your budget, you should be looking at an 06-07 especially if you are getting an auto. The 6 speed auto is much, much better than the 04-05 5 speed auto.
 
#39 ·
And why not talk with Tepper Auto Sales (JRL)? He's a dealer that is active on this board and specializes in Volvos...
 
#41 ·
I figured I'd post a little update for those of you who were wondering what happened, although I'm not sure it's really that important to anyone... haha.

Bought the 113k/black/Gobi/6MT car and sort of learned to drive stick on it last night. Here she is in my driveway.



There were some weird noises coming from the suspension and drivetrain, so we took it to an independent shop this morning. The estimate was over $5000...

- Rear 4C struts
- Rear sway bar
- Clutch
- Spark plugs
- License plate light
- Radio display (worked last night! WTF?)

all needed replacement or repair. The clutch is apparently not awful yet, so the guy told me I might want to hold off on that and get my clutch destruction from learning to drive a manual out of the way, then replace it. The clutch should be covered under the warranty we got with the car, though.
 
#42 ·
Will that 3 month bumper to bumper warranty cover all those items? It sure makes your parents look like geniuses for insisting on purchasing from a dealer, doesn't it?
 
#43 ·
Clutch and spark plugs for sure. Yeah, well we had sort of figured something would need replacement... although this is even worse than my poor A6 2.7T was when I got it. To be fair, they're not entirely worn out, they'll just need replacing soon.

But yeah. I'm surprised we didn't return it under NC's 3-day return law. I've only driven the car once and God knows how long it'll be before I can get it back. I wonder how long it takes to get the struts in?
 
#44 ·
Clutch and spark plugs for sure. Yeah, well we had sort of figured something would need replacement... although this is even worse than my poor A6 2.7T was when I got it. To be fair, they're not entirely worn out, they'll just need replacing soon.

But yeah. I'm surprised we didn't return it under NC's 3-day return law. I've only driven the car once and God knows how long it'll be before I can get it back. I wonder how long it takes to get the struts in?
Make sure you do a search on here for the struts. People have been able to source them directly from Monroe at a steep discount from what a dealer will charge you...
 
#45 ·
That estimate is around 5x what it could cost to do all that work yourself. Not that I'm suggesting you're capable, but:

Clutch/slave parts: about $400 from Tasca (Part #31259889, 30783258)
Struts: about $300 each from Rockauto (Monroe C1501)
Plugs: about $40 from Tasca (Part #30650379)
Plate light: $3 from autozone
Sway Bar: I am assuming he means endlinks here, because swaybars don't need replacement unless they are bent or broken - rear endlinks are about $35 from Rockauto
Radio Display: you're on your own, no idea what that could be.

Total around $1100 in parts depending on shipping costs. If you can get all that warranty covered though, that would be great and it should leave you with a car with a lot of the potentially expensive failures already taken care of.
 
#46 ·
Thanks for the info. The mechanic isn't at a dealer; he's an indy shop that works on Volvo, BMW, Audi, Japanese cars, etc. He told me he'd never even worked on an R with a manual before, so I doubt the estimate will reflect reality; if I can show him those part numbers that might help drive the cost down a little bit.
 
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