[iliketurtles]

The more I read your thread, the more Volvo seems to be an appealing option for my next steed (even though the time for such thoughts is far, far away). Keep the updates coming, this thread has been superb thus far, no pun intended.

[Doc_nikhil]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Dear Doc, spoken from the heart like a true cardiologist . I hope your dream of buying a XC60 comes true soon.

Thank you sir, even I hope it becomes a reality soon.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

I talk to my cars, pat them, stroke them and in turn they serve me well. My wife talks to her plants. Once in a while we talk to each other too

This had me laughing for a good five minutes. Literally!

So keep updating the thread as much as possible sir, I think your thread is the longest active thread on a XC60 and its long term ownership experience.

[Raosaheb Desai]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

The brown Swede has covered a little over 20,000 kms this week and is due for its second servicing. I will put up a post on the second service and status of the car in the next few days with photos. If there is something any Volvo user or aspirant wants me to cover please do let me know.

Great going. Mine did 56 k in 18 months. Happy Volvoing !!!!

[Anurag1973]

Any owners of the XC60 Momentum FWD on this forum?
I would appreciate feedback as I am confused between going for a model with a newer engine or sticking to D5 AWD (older engine)
I don't drive outside the city, so I don't forsee a need for AWD

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Anurag1973

Any owners of the XC60 Momentum FWD on this forum?
I would appreciate feedback as I am confused between going for a model with a newer engine or sticking to D5 AWD (older engine)
I don't drive outside the city, so I don't forsee a need for AWD

Anurag1973, I dropped into the Volvo showroom from whence I'd purchased my XC60 D5 AWD. Here's what I gathered. The XC60 Momentum FWD has a lower horsepower at 190 hp versus 215 hp for the D5AWD version. However the 4 cylinder engine is a new one and different from the D5's 5- cylinder powerbox. With Volvo I would assume new means better. Two features missing are the reverse camera and paddle shift. More importantly the interiors' quality is the same. But all said it is Rs 5 to 6 lakhs lighter on the pocket and depending on your negotiating acumen you could get a discount of Rs 1 lakh or so. If your driving is largely on roads, as is the case with most of us, I would say the XC60 Momentum FWD should be a good buy. For city driving the difference, in my view, between 190 and 215 is not so relevant - torque matters more. My experience with the XC60 would say, if it suits your needs and pocket, then go for it. Best wishes, Narayan

[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by Anurag1973

Any owners of the XC60 Momentum FWD on this forum?
I would appreciate feedback as I am confused between going for a model with a newer engine or sticking to D5 AWD (older engine)
I don't drive outside the city, so I don't forsee a need for AWD

I don't own an xc60 but my honest opinion is that you buy the new 2l VEA engine over the older 5 cylinder as it is more refined and has the newer better 8 speed AT. It's gonna be supported longer too as the d5 5 cylinder has been removed from vehicles sold in the EU since it's not euro 6 compatible.

[V.Narayan]

Dear BHPians, the aim of this article is to act as a log book of key events in the life of my XC60 which would be of interest to other owners of XC60s both current and future. Last few days the car had been showing up a signal stating the coolant is running low. I was a little surprised as, according to Volvo, the coolant is supposed to last out for the first 60,000 kms. Anyway Volvo helped over the phone with the suggestion I top it up with water and observe over the next couple of weeks. If there is a leak we will know. Will keep the forum updated. If any other Volvo users have faced this please share your thoughts. Otherwise the brown mare is running just fine having clocked a little over 25,000 kms.


The coolant top up tank


Fun with cars - she is throwing a tantrum by letting everything hang out like the hippies of the 1960s. The benefits of a quarterly visit to 3M show in the sheen. The lady likes a wax and wash every 3 months. My wife and grown up daughter like a wax and perm every month. Gotta keep the women in my life happy. Did a few out-station work trips to Chandigarh, Sonepat and Rewari. The ergonomics of the seat make driving less tiresome.

Off topic - I cannot decide on whether I should refurbish my Skoda Superb M/T with a paint job or just let it be till high end hybrid sedans come to the market (beyond Camry I mean).

[earthian]

It is 1.18 am and i just finished reading your log. Thank you for sharing your experience. I got on to your log since a couple of BHPians recommended the XC 60.
Must admire your cool demeanour even when that idiot broke your OVRM. I would have lost it.
Hope the business has picked up and you are researching for another addition to the stable.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

The more I read your thread, the more Volvo seems to be an appealing option for my next steed (even though the time for such thoughts is far, far away). Keep the updates coming, this thread has been superb thus far, no pun intended.

Thank you. Glad this thread has been useful to you. Makes the effort of writing & updating worth it. Incidentally my other car is a Superb!

Originally Posted by earthian

It is 1.18 am and i just finished reading your log. Thank you for sharing your experience. I got on to your log since a couple of BHPians recommended the XC 60.
Must admire your cool demeanour even when that idiot broke your OVRM. I would have lost it.
Hope the business has picked up and you are researching for another addition to the stable.

Thank you, earthian, for reading my thread. Happy to answer any questions you may have on my XC60 experience (and which I am competent to answer). Yes business is looking up a bit. The brown girl has completed close to 27,000 kms so hopefully in 2 months or so I will post the 30,000 kms update. The next addition to the stable would be in 2017. I am keen on a hybrid / all electric high end sedan. Till then the Superb will continue. From my father's Standard Herald on which I learnt to drive to an all-electric will be a lot of movement in half a life time. I wonder what car I will be driving if I live to be 85 (2045!)

[earthian]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

From my father's Standard Herald on which I learnt to drive ...

What a coincidence! I learnt on my father's Standard 10.

[asit.kulkarni93]

Every time I see updates on your thread, I am assured of the fact that there is a decent alternative to the Germans. I always loved the simple understated design of the S80 then came the S60 and the XC60. I am not a big fan of fluidic designs so the Volvo design language seemed perfect to me. Finally came the V40 drop dead gorgeous. I simply love the way Volvo has evolved with their designs.

I haven't driven the XC60 but I got a small ride and I was really impressed. The car felt extremely torquey and was surprisingly spacious. The feature list is impressive too and most importantly you can completely use your boot.

Thank you for regularly updating the thread. Hope to see more updates from you.

Btw Congratulations on booking the ES300h.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by asit.kulkarni93

Every time I see updates on your thread, I am assured of the fact that there is a decent alternative to the Germans.

I haven't driven the XC60 but I got a small ride and I was really impressed. The car felt extremely torquey and was surprisingly spacious.

Thank you for regularly updating the thread. Hope to see more updates from you.

Btw Congratulations on booking the ES300h.

It is really nice to meet young members like you with a mature & balanced mind. I will be updating this thread, with lots of photos, in Jan/Feb when the next service and 2nd anniversary come by. Reliability of a vehicle, aircraft, any machine is primarily stitched into it at the design stage and the rest at the manufacturing stage. The fact that some other luxury cars suffer from reliability issues means the root cause goes back to the design board. Anyways its not my place to comment on the German cars as I don't own one. I will write a thread on the ES300H when it commissions.

[V.Narayan]

The Volvo XC60 is about to go for its third service at the 30,000 kms mark. I will post a write up on the service and experience so far in the first 2 years. If any member wishes me to cover a particular aspect in detail please let me know and I will try and do so.

Touchwood, the car is performing flawlessly. The battery gave up at the 28,000 kms mark and was changed under the warranty the same day. So far Volvo have worked hard to provide a very decent service. Their service centre manager remembers me (with positive thoughts)from an earlier car and OEM. It helps. The brown mare has done runs to Chandigarh, Jaipur, Alwar, Moradabad and Agra in recent times. The reliability has held us in good stead.

The plastic coating by 3M has helped keep the paint & skin protected from minor bruises. More on it in the 30k post.

[V.Narayan]

Volvo XC60 at 2 years

The brown mare has completed 30,000 kms and 2 years. These 2 years have meant a lot of pleasant and safe driving and no trouble from the car or khit pit from the authorized service centre. So far all is well and peace reigns in my little corner of earth.

Driving Experience: The driving experience reminds me of the old Hero Honda advertisement -'Fill it Shut it Forget it'. Similarly the Volvo is switch on the ignition & drive without worries and with no fuss maintenance. Now I don’t want to say it too soon kanhi nazaar na lag jaye. Other than the radiator coolant needing a water top up once at around 27,000 kms the car has not asked for any attention other than 3 routine service visits. Driving the Volvo is a delight for me for several reasons such as, the auto gearbox, the muted throaty growl, the solid torque you can feel, comfortable suspension, very well designed seats, effective air conditioning the blue tooth phone connection and the music system. This is a comfortable car for long drives and is equally at ease over rough terrain. I value the fact that the air intake is well above ground level and has saved me from the BMWesque dilemma of getting marooned in Delhi's squall like downpours. I am no racing driver and the acceleration with full bodied torque brings a happy smile. While she does a fair bit of inter-city driving neither I nor my driver exceed 100 kmph for the most part even on a highway.

Passenger experience: Seat comfort is rated high both front and rear. Leg space at the rear is okay-okay more like a mid-sized sedan. Suspension is on the comfortable side much better than a BMW not quite as good as a E-class. Quality of materials, finish is very nice and appropriate for a Rs 5 million asset. The metal parts have a buff finish that lends a classy look. The aircon does well for the whole cabin even in the peak of the North Indian summer. There is a remote for the rear passenger to control the A.C. and ICE.

The experience with the dealer/Volvo: So far Swede Auto have been responsive and available on phone & emails whenever I have reached out. For the service I typically drop the car myself as it allows me to talk with the garage manager. On conclusion Volvo drop the car back home (saving me a 90 minute round trip) and bring along their credit card machine for the payment. On a couple of occasions when I have had queries they have answered in full over the phone. I hope they keep their warm and (so far) competent touch and don’t slide down to the level of some other European OEMs. On two occasions I wrote an email to the MD of Volvo on some query and it was nice to see him reply back and continue a correspondence till needed. I like dealing with car companies that reply back; after all many a car costs as much as a small apartment.

The 3rd service at 30,000 kms: Now onto the business at hand - the 30,000 km service.

Jobs done - engine oil change; oil filter and aircon filter change; replacing the washer in the engine oil chamber (part of the routine);top up of all other oils and other fluids; air filter cleaning; wheel alignment & switching; replacement of the 4 brake pads. Normally the brake pads with its automatic gear box need replacement at 25 to 30,000 kms. The garage manager assessed that 2 of my pads will run another 3000+ kms and the other 2 a further 2000kms. As I do not wish to devote time for another visit in 30 to 60 days I requested him to change all right away so we are good till 60,000 kms ie 2 years or so. With the inter-city runs she does there is no point in pinching pennies.

Total cost Rs 44,000 for the core service and for brake pads on all four.
Total cost of maintenance thus far Rs 100,000 over 30,000 kms and 25 months. That works out to Rs 3.33 per kms or Rs 4000 per month.

The PPC: The covering from 3M is holding with perfection. On more than one instance it has protected the paint from scratches. In each such case I replace that particular segment of the PPC as I like my cars to look ship-shape and shining. The PPC costs a bit to start with but in my view was worth it as it protects the paint and looks of the car.

I like the fact that the Volvo is an under stated car. Most colleagues or neighbours don’t recognize it as an up-market ride and do not associate it with a big pocket like would happen with the German III. The next write up will follow at the 40,000 kms mark which I expect will roll along around August-September this year. The untroublesome nature of the Volvo has made me glad I chose it instead of the Mercedes E-class (see post number 1).

I would be pleased to answer questions BHPians may have....Narayan

[GTO]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

The brown mare has completed 30,000 kms and 2 years. These 2 years have meant a lot of pleasant and safe driving and no trouble from the car or khit pit from the authorized service centre. So far all is well and peace reigns in my little corner of earth.

Happy to hear! Volvo's reliability is reported to be superior to the luxo-Germans, so I'm sure she'll serve you well as the odometer keeps ticking.

While she does a fair bit of inter-city driving neither I nor my driver exceed 100 kmph for the most part even on a highway.

Not only are you in a 'safe' car, but even your driving practices are 'safe' . Unbeatable combination for the battleground they call Indian roads.

On conclusion Volvo drop the car back home (saving me a 90 minute round trip) and bring along their credit card machine for the payment.

My weekdays are brutal, hence I used to depend on the pickup & drop service. However, after reading on a couple of experiences, now I go and drop / pick up the 530d myself (as much as I can). Would suggest the same to you. With the Jeep though, I don't bother. It's hard to damage anyway .

As I do not wish to devote time for another visit in 30 to 60 days I requested him to change all right away so we are good till 60,000 kms ie 2 years or so. With the inter-city runs she does there is no point in pinching pennies.

Smart move. Totally agreed.

Total cost Rs 44,000 for the core service and for brake pads on all four.
Total cost of maintenance thus far Rs 100,000 over 30,000 kms and 25 months. That works out to Rs 3.33 per kms or Rs 4000 per month.

It's posts like these that make ownership reviews so useful & informative. Thanks for sharing!

Wish you tens of thousands of more enjoyable km with the XC60.