Volvo S60 Compared to other Luxury Cars

Is this the only thing they compare? the safety issue? Is there nothing about value, or performance?

Good job Volvo on the safety aspect tho.

That got me - as well as this. The A4 is a superb car that stomps on the 40 series Volvo if you get it without the Quattro AWD. It also costs less in its normal base form.

But CR - seems they purposely test it in the least reliable version.

What's the point having the safest car if it spends one 1/4 of the time at the dealer...

Believe it's a small explosive charge which in the event of an accident it very rapidly takes up all the slack in the seat belt, causing the belt to act considerably more quickly. Might be wrong, but think they're like air bags being single use only before needing replacement, so hopefully they won't act in the above situations, but only in the event of an accident.

Mark

They rated cars on handling, comfort, performance and attention to detail as well as safety and reliability. However they based their "not recommended" on reliability. I selected to order by safety since Volvo did best there and that is where Volvo claims to be best.

It anticipates an accident and cinches up the seat belt. That way, if the belt is comfortably snug, when it counts it is safely snug.

The Volvo was rated at average model reliability, better than Cadilac CTS, Mercedes-Benz C320, Audi A4 3.0 Quattro, and Jaguar X-Type 3.0.

My 10 Volvos have had much better than average reliability.

The Jaguar stomps also, at least when it is running. The same goes for the Audi, when it is running. They removed recommendation based upon a lack of reliability.

Correct idea, but they are spring-loaded and last years. Try this - yank failrly hard and quick on your otherwise loose-fitting belt. Note how it instantly locks up. Then, let go and it is loose again and moves with you.

Neat, really - quite possibly one of the simplest yet most effective safety inventions ever made.

It may "stomp" on the 40 series Volvos but this is talking about the S60 - an entirely different class of car!

Personally I think the A4 is at best a fairly average car, although I haven't driven the very latest version. I recently drove an A4 again for the first time in over a year (well before I got my current 850) and was extremely surprised at how cheap it felt in comparison. Ride, handling, engine, interior - give me the 850 any day! My 850 is also more than twice the age of that A4, and done plenty more miles too...

Cheers,

AJ

That's the "inertia reel" mechanism you're feeling. Most seatbelt pretensioners are pyrotechnic and as far as I am aware are all single-use devices. On my 850 there is a red "dial" switch on the seatbelt receptacle which must be turned to isolate the pre-tensioner before work is done in that area of the car.

You're right though, the inertia reel mechanism is a great thing - anyone who has experienced "static" seat belts will agree!

Cheers,

AJ

Well, DUH. Give me an 850 or even a 940 over most of the new suff - even the new Volvo models.

Exactly. They are fine as long as you stay away from the Quattro suspension and CVT transmission. In their review, the Quattro suspension was cited as one of their "negatives". Well, DUH.

1.8T engine. Manual transmission. No Quattro. Three of the biggest potential problems are no longer a factor.

As an upgraded base Passat, though, the A4 is a nice budget car that rides and feels nice than a Camry or Accord - for only a little more money.

MSRP Invoice $25,250 $22,818(plus $700 or so delivery charge, IIRC)

This is kind of like the BMW 3 series and Mercedes C230K/C230 - they are great cars if you get the minimal amount of options. They are lousy if you get the AWD and virtually any options, as that can add up to another $5K+ instantly.

I do like that they are now offering the C230K in the same 2-door, but with the 6 cylinder engine for a little more money. MSRP Invoice $25,300 $23,529

MSRP Invoice $27,650 $25,715

You can hit 29-32K awfully fast, but in its stock 27K out the door form, it's a good car(the $400 cd changer is a must, as the car is all fiber optic otherwise - aftermarket stereo is not an option). 25K out the door with the 1.8 turbo engine.

*** You have to bargain shop, that's all. If CR was reviewing a base C230 or A4 for 24-25K actual price, they'd probably rate them higher as they are better than a Camry or other 24-25K sedan in how they drive.

Maybe. I know three people with A4's and they all say the same thing: nothing big ever really breaks, but some "little things" go wrong. A door latch stops working. A window jams. An engine sensor fails. Even with an extended or manufacturer's warranty, each time something happens you are spending a day in the shop.

Granted, this is a small sample size, so the results may not be true of the cars as a whole, but it's enough to make me leery of an A4.

Cheers,

-+JLS

What they know is what the owners tell them. That is what they report. Some Audi's are as reliable as the average automobile and some aren't.

Some most likely are, my only experience with an Audi was one my uncle had back in the 80's, it had endless electrical gremlins, most we attributed to poor ground connections everywhere. Probably could have been fixed, but at the time it was hard to track down.