Volvo has continuously boasted more safety features than the majority of automobile manufacturers, but better handling, better acceleration, handsome looks? Hardly. With a few exceptions, it seems as though Volvo has ignored the fact that many people who plan on spending $30,000 on a vehicle also might want a sporty appearance, excellent handling, and powerful acceleration; not just a bunch of boring safety features. While Volvo has produced the speedy C70 since 1997 (the car Val Kilmer drove in The Saint), the S60 R is perhaps one of the first affordable fun-to-drive Volvos.
For the 2004 model year the Volvo S60 R is available with no engine options; a 20 valve 2.5 liter turbocharged inline 5-cylinder powerhouse is standard. This 2.5 liter inline 5 pumps out 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque (258 lb-ft with automatic). Transmissions include a standard 6-speed manual (equipped) and an optional 5-speed automatic (add $1,300 to the MSRP). If you like 2 doors, too bad. The 2004 S60 R is available only in the form of a 4-door sedan (or a 5 door wagon titled V70 R).
Driving Impressions:
Unlike the only adequately performing base S60, the S60 R is fast. Turbocharged Volvos of the distant past were never known for their amazing power delivery, however the 2004 S60 R exhibits no turbo lag whatsoever and offers throttle response that is instantaneous. Volvo reports that their new S60 R can reach 60 MPH from a standing start in just 5.4 seconds. While this may be true, the Volvo S60 R does not feel as fast as the reported specs (as another reviewer noted). Don't get me wrong, the Volvo S60 R is fast, it's just that 5.4 seconds from 0-60 MPH seems a little out of this car's ball park. Similar to my impressions with the Honda S2000 and the Neon SRT-4, it seems as though the specs for the Volvo S60 R are a bit over exaggerated.
As with most vehicles equipped with small displacement multi valve engines, the Volvo S60 R loves to be revved and is essential for the driver to get the most out of this engine. Unlike many up-level automobiles with larger engines i.e., the BMW 540i, the S60 R requires the driver to use all of the 6 gears offered for good acceleration. For example, if you skip from 1st gear to 3rd gear the 2.5 liter 5 bogs down considerably.
A major difference with the Volvo S60 R versus many vehicles equipped with small displacement engines that produce this type outrageous horsepower is the lack of obtrusive engine noise in the cabin on full throttle takeoffs. Even when dumping the clutch and taking the Volvo S60 R to its rev limiter the cabin is kept relatively calm.
As expected with a sports sedan the Volvo S60 R comes with a sporty transmission. Throws of the standard 6-speed manual are short, gearing is excellent, and the clutch is fairly light. If you are a newbie to manual transmissions this combination should make for a pleasant learning experience.
Highway cruising is, for the most part, a smooth event. Whether you have the multi adjustable suspension set in soft mode or advanced mode, the S60 R offers a stiff yet compliant ride. Even at very high speeds, wind and engine noise are kept isolated from the cabin.
Even though the S60 R has a true overdrive 6th gear (ala Corvette), the engine still has enough oomph in top gear to move the S60 R's 3,800 lb mass up steep mountainous roads with little fuss. The S60 R's generous low end torque can undoubtedly be given credit for both its good top gear hill climbing and passing power.
Thanks in-part to AWD combined with standard 17" 235/45 Pirelli P-Zero Rosso tires (18 inchers are optional) and Volvo's anti spin system, the S60 R is a handling champ. The Volvo S60 R feels extremely stable during high speed runs through the twistys. Unlike cars that are just FWD or RWD, reaching the AWD Volvo S60 R's limits of adhesion is not exactly an easy task. As mentioned, the Volvo S60 R does boast a multi adjustable suspension (soft, sport, and advanced), though each mode offers basically the same ride quality. To explain, advanced mode offers slightly better road manners on the twistys and the ride is a tad more harsh than soft mode. For the most part this adjustable suspension feature is more of a novelty feature than a safety/performance feature. To insure that you can stop as good as you can go, Volvo makes 13" disc brakes coupled with ABS standard on the S60 R trim level. Volvo claims that these brakes can stop this heavyweight from 60 MPH in just 118ft.
With tall gearing usually comes good fuel economy and the S60 R is no exception. Even with the S60 R's 2.5 liter turbocharged engine, the Volvo S60 R still can achieve 30 MPG on the highway with the 6-speed manual (26 MPG with the automatic) according to the EPA. These fuel economy numbers make the Volvo S60 R one of the most powerful fuel efficient cars currently on the market.
Interior:
A huge gripe I usually have with Volvo/general European car's interiors is the push button gadgetry and the cluttered dash fascias. While the push button controls still dominate a large portion of the Volvo S60 R's front dash fascia, it certainly is more user friendly now'a days. The interior of Volvo S60 R also seems surprisingly up-level which almost matches the quality of BMW's 5 series sedans. From the S60 R's adequately bolstered rich Gobi soft leather seating surfaces to the titanium on blue instrument gauges everything in this Volvo looks and feels well executed.
Note: You may want to avoid the Atacama natural hide option. It may sound fancy, but in reality it's just a mix of brown and orange colored leather which quite frankly makes the car's interior look fresh from 1982.
As expected with a $35,000 luxury sports sedan, the Volvo S60 R is loaded to the brim with luxury items. Standard on my S60 R's list of equipment comes a leather wrapped steering wheel, a decent sounding single disc CD player with 8 speakers (a 13 speaker 4-disc in dash system is available for $1,200), 12 volt power outlet, 6 air bags, power everything, and much more. Interior options that are available on the S60 R include an optional navigational system ($1,900), a glass sunroof ($1,200), emergency communication system, etc. For a complete list of standard and option equipment you can visit Volvocars.com.
Both head and leg room in the S60 R is beyond adequate. If you are 5'4" or even 6'4" you should have no problem with the spaced offered in either the front or rear of the cabin. Some smaller adults may feel the front bucket seats are tad bit wide, however this enables both slim and not so trim adults to drive the S60 R comfortably.
Exterior:
Though Volvo has made some dramatic improvements in the appearance of their vehicles since 1997, this company has yet to produce anything close to what I would consider eye candy; the S60 R is unfortunately no exception. Even with the S60's relatively curvaceous body and modern styling cues, the S60 R still lacks character and appears more of point A to point B middle class commuter than an upscale or sporty luxury sedan. While the design may be on the edge of boring looking, it is also a design that should not suffer from premature old age (does the 1996-1999 Ford Taurus body style come to mind)? Instead of making the S60 R look completely different from the lesser trim levels, the S60 R looks very similar to the rest of the S60 line-up. Volvo does work a little harder to segregate the sportier R trim levels by using a duo of R badges (one of the front grille, one on the trunk), larger 17" 5-spoke alloy rims, and a modest spoiler.
Note: With an odometer reading of only 200 miles on my Volvo S60 R it already had a rust spot (to the metal) on the driver side of the trunk; something you might want to look out for when making a final purchase.
Price/Warranty:
If you don't mind not having a sunroof, a navigation system, or even the IAQS air quality control system, then one should expect to pay around $38,000 for a well equipped Volvo R. Like many luxury sedans, however, the S60 R can rise considerably in price ($43,000 ) if ordered with just a few of the options available. If anything happens to go haywire, your new Volvo S60 R comes equipped with an adequate 4 year 50,000 mile warranty and a generous free maintenance program. This free maintenance provides the owner with free scheduled maintenance for the first 4 years or 30,000 miles of ownership.
Final Verdict:
I enjoyed my time with the Volvo S60 R. The R definitely showed me that the C70 is not the only fun-to-drive Volvo on the market. Although I do feel that Volvo should go with larger power plants (similar to BMW or MB), as it stands Volvo has done an exception job with the performance of the S60 R, especially considering that just 8 years ago Volvo sedans were just adequately performing boxes on 4 wheels. My final recommendations for this car go out to those folks who are not wanting to be noticed yet still want premium performance. Before purchasing the Volvo S60 R I highly suggest visiting your local BMW, Mercedes, Cadillac, or Audi dealership to do some comparison shopping.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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