[SnS_12]

Thank you for sharing your ownership experience of this beautiful car. To the regular Indian the moment you say a Volvo the first image that will pop in their head would be of a big long Volvo bus So it shares the similar curse the Taxi range of car models face in India.

Also, thank you for sharing details of the 1961 Volvo, which has clocked some insane miles. Would be an iteresting read too.

P.S - I noticed most of the parts that you wanted to replace or needed replacement costed the same price of 1.5 lacs?

[s_pphilip]

Wow beautiful review, true from the heart, this is a brand I secretly want to do well, my uncle recently picked a V40 Cross country and what a beauty it is, they seem to be built to last. Apart from the aspirational value it carries, Volvo's are close on value to the big three, hope you have enough reasons to keep this car irrespective of what other wheels you pick. Thank you and look forward to more.

[Raosaheb Desai]

Excellent review of beautiful car.
I test drove new 181 bhp s60, liked overall refinement and 8 speed box.
But v40 won my heart with good ride/handling and that gorgeous looks.

[psispace]

True. Image building is something Volvo Cars need to work on over here.
But awareness is slowly picking up with more cars coming onto the road

Please do google it. They are following its mileage year by year.

Seemed funny (and frustrating) to me too. Most accessories cost around 85000 (Reverse camera, Navigation upgrade, Polestar ECU upgrade etc.) or around 150000(DIM, Radar module, Door panels etc.). Of course these are rounded rates and can vary.

Originally Posted by s_pphilip

Apart from the aspirational value it carries, Volvo's are close on value to the big three, hope you have enough reasons to keep this car irrespective of what other wheels you pick.

I get a little attached to cars emotionally as they are so much there with us through our ups and downs. Sometimes they feel like family.I don't think I'll let her go soon.
I had an Alto VX 1.1 from 2001 to 2014. It was there throughout my higher studies and initial phase of my practice. Just couldn't part with it. It had a change of upholstery, alloy wheels, Michelin tyres, Bluetooth JVC system and a mobile clamp for a Note II. It was all the car I needed for short city drives. Compulsions made me change the car last year. Its not far away though. (Bought by my next door neighbour for his wife)

And yes, my regards and congrats to your uncle. He won't regret his purchase.

Originally Posted by Raosaheb Desai

I test drove new 181 bhp s60, liked overall refinement and 8 speed box.
But v40 won my heart with good ride/handling and that gorgeous looks.

Excellent choice Raosaheb Desai. Like I mentioned in the other thread, get ready to get noticed!

[iliketurtles]

What a wonderfully from-the-heart review psispace. I read this through from start to end, and I'm sure it has given several people much food for thought.

The reliability and safety of Volvos are legendary, and it is only the appeal of the big three plus service questions around Volvo that seems to hold them back. As ajmat said, I am yet to see an unhappy Volvo owner. That counts for a lot.

Hope the Swedish beauty gives you smiles for many more years!

[jfxavier]

Originally Posted by psispace

Thanks rohan cherian.
Although the radar technology used in cars is different from the military, I think Volvo is having homologation issues now. Must be the reason why newer cars don't have them.
(Combination of misunderstanding and red tape)

I think the new cars did not have BLIS due to this problem with the government rules.
As I understand, the spectrum has been released recently.

[psispace]

Originally Posted by jfxavier

I think the new cars did not have BLIS due to this problem with the government rules.
As I understand, the spectrum has been released recently.

Sincerely hope so.

This would help release a lot of safety systems. Not only in Volvos, but also other cars as well.

Apparently Mercedes couldn't include their 'Magic Body Control System' package in their S500 because Dept. of Telecommunications was sitting on the Spectrum release.

With more cars having these systems, volumes can be generated to reduce costs. These benefits can be transferred to mass produced cars.
The European versions of the VW Polo already have Adaptive Cruise Control and their version of City Safety, the 'City Emergency Braking'.

Just imagine if every car on the road had these systems. There would be a lot less accidents.

[avinash_clt]

An excellent and honest review. I recently shifted to Netherlands and obtained a used Volvo C30. I honestly don't know whether it was pre-worshipped or not, but it was 4.5years/105000km when i got it. It was really a surprise seeing how well the vehicle had aged, in comparison to the german ones which I had a glance during the purchase. No niggles at all, couldn't find any in its service history either. They are really built to last. The Swedish approach has many contrasts to German ones and the car easily made me jump the boat and appreciate the focus on functionality.

Hope you accumulate more kilometers with the car and have no more of those gremlins.

Cheers

[jfxavier]

Nice review, and very good pictures, liked especially the one showing lack of rear view.
After reading this review, the one thing I need to check is the remote control. I never used it, so I don't know if it will be alive or dead when I see it again. I was keeping it to be used as a weapon during any road rage situation, the thing is so heavy...
I used to have the removable side window shades on my previous car, but the kids were not very happy when we go on the road and they want to look outside and hence a decision was made to remove it. It was as quick as the decision to install it in the first place.
Just like us, the rats too like cars. No issues, but the problem is that they like to have cars for breakfast. I am hanging tobacco leaves (poila in malayalam) in the engine bay. So far so good. But they have to be replaced every month or so. I forgot about it once and I remembered one morning when I saw the scratches made by my dogs trying to get the rat out from the engine bay.
Thanks for the information regarding the Headlight programming. I will get it done next service/ visit to volvo kochi. Now I have to switch between parking lights for the day and auto/ headlamps for the night.

[psispace]

[quote]

Originally Posted by avinash_clt

I recently shifted to Netherlands and obtained a used Volvo C30.

One of the best looking Volvos. Before the sedans and SUVs started taking the new design form, this car really stood out.
Enjoy your ride. I hear the roads there are well laid-out and (obviously) safety oriented. You can enjoy your car even more.

Hope you accumulate more kilometers with the car and have no more of those gremlins.

Hopefully so (Touch wood). Thanks for your wishes.

[quote]

Originally Posted by jfxavier

I never used it, so I don't know if it will be alive or dead when I see it again. I was keeping it to be used as a weapon during any road rage situation, the thing is so heavy...

One potential use I overlooked. I can always rely on you for unconventional ideas jfxavier.

I am hanging tobacco leaves (poila in malayalam) in the engine bay.

Those leaves are already in my engine bay after your advice.

I used to have the removable side window shades on my previous car, but the kids were not very happy when we go on the road and they want to look outside and hence a decision was made to remove it. It was as quick as the decision to install it in the first place.

Visibility goes down at night for rear passengers. My son complains often. He is growing up to be a car nut, so no ride is complete without the view. I remove them on evening outings and put them back on next time when necessary.

[Ferruccio]

Any comments on the AC performance under full load?

After I first got my VW Passat I drove my family with my parents for summer hols Mumbai to Goa for my first long drive. My parents and kids in the rear seats were sweating badly. The Volvo originating from a colder country than Germany, I am quite scared AC will be an issue

Originally Posted by jfxavier

Rats too like cars. No issues, but the problem is that they like to have cars for breakfast. I am hanging tobacco leaves (poila in malayalam) in the engine bay. .

I went to try the Tobacco Leaf solution after rats chewed every soft part in my Santro. I found a shop that sold the meanest looking tobacco leaf and asked the shopkeeper to pack me some. The shopkeeper said 'You don't look like a chap who uses tobacco. So why buy it?'

He laughed when I told him why. 'Won't work' he said 'My shop is over-run with mice and rats of all sizes.'

The solution is to avoid parking near underground drains and shops which store grains. With that care never had the problem again

[psispace]

Originally Posted by Ferruccio

Any comments on the AC performance under full load?

Rats:
The solution is to avoid parking near underground drains and shops which store grains. With that care never had the problem again

Thanks for another tip on the rat menace. Glad that lots of you have faced this problem. I am facing it for the first time. That too with my most expensive car

As for the AC - Other than the AC switch solenoid conking off after 4 years, absolutely no issues.
Kerala summers are crazy as the humidity gets to you. Even with temperature set at 24 in 'AUTO' and not 'LOW', the cabin gets comfortable in 5 minutes. Even with 5 passengers.
Blower is quite noisy in this situation, but quitens down soon.

[psispace]

My DIM alarm issue is solved for now.

Thanks to jfxavier
He introduced to me to a friend of his - a mechanical engineer Mr. Rajiv. He runs a reputed service center named Car Care in Kollam.
Mr. Rajiv and his technician were kind enough to drive down to Kochi from Kollam, uninstall my DIM, repair the speaker and install it back 2 days later.
It was risky, no doubt. But on meeting them personally, I found them to be quite honest, gentlemanly and knowledgeable. Because of their previous experience with jfxavier's car, and with his input, they were able to do the work quite efficiently. Removing and re installing the DIM took not more than 5 minutes each.
Work done at Kollam involved removing the speaker, rewinding it to a certain impedance and fixing it back (not as simple as it sounds).

The sound emitted from the speaker is now as audible as it was prior to the problem. Lane change, seatbelt reminder alarms all work.
I haven't tested Collision Alert and Pedestrian Alert yet.

I am unaware of the technical details. For more information you may refer this useful thread.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...-goodwill.html

I had read about this idea in international forums, but didn't have the technical skill to try it (not to mention the risk of the whole thing going kaput).
Hats off to him to have the guts to try it his own way

[raghvinder]

It is great painstaking effort to chronically list the qualities, the problems and the ownership costs. Are the rear seats in S60 better than Audi A4?

One gets preoccupied with German Luxury brands. It is really worth knowing more about Volvo cars. You have done a good job.

Whenever I replace my present car, I will surely look at a Volvo.
Thanks for a great review.

[psispace]

Originally Posted by raghvinder

If you look at spec sheets of reviews on the net, you will notice that rear leg room is always 2 or 3 inches more in the A4 than the S60. But comfort is more than just about leg space. If you look at a foot ruler, you will realize 3 '' is not much.
This will be significant only if you are 6 feet and above, and if you will be sitting behind another 6 footer.

I felt the rear seats in the S60 have more thigh and lateral support. Its' couch like comfort you can get only in 2 segments above.

Hop over to a Volvo showroom and just sit in one of those cars. You'll know what I mean.