V50 or V60

[Turbodave]

Budget is probably the deciding factor.

Could be sheddy, base spec V60 vs tidy, well spec'd V50 sort of region...

V50's can be had from £500... a V60 can't.

[Bendolfc]

Originally Posted by Tannaton

The V50 is a very much underrated car in my view, if you compare most of them around today (say 55 - 09 plate) they will likely be in much better condition inside and out than any Focus, Astra, 308, Golf etc. of the same age and mileage

Absolutely. I still semi regret scrapping my S40 which was perfect inside despite having 220K on the clock and 6 years worth of the baby growing up with associated seat kicking etc. It really was quite a Hardy car. Reliable too but to small for me in the end with a few bills coming up.

The facelifted V60 is a great looking car, I felt a tad small though and the V90 was just outside my budget with pan roof etc so ended up going E Class. Will always have a soft spot for Volvos though.

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by NigelDay

The V50 is an 'older' model than the V60 and has some legacy Ford influence. It scores on one point. The cargo bay is larger.

Ford Owner Volvo from 1999 to 2010, the V50 was released in 2004 , and the V60 in 2010, so if you are looking for a Volvo without Ford influence, neither of these are the cars for you. I know for a fact that my V60 has FoMoCo stamped in to it in at least one location.

As for the boot, the V50 has 417-litres of luggage, seats up with 1,307 litres seat down, while the V60 is quoted as 557 v 1241, so it depends on how you are going to use that space.

[inspectaclueso]

I've never owned a Volvo but have always like the styling of the wagons. I nearly bought a second hand V50 a couple years back but a car sales friend of mine advised against it. I can't remember the detail but I believe transmission concerns and maybe leaking roofs might have been mentioned. I ended up buying a Toyota Fielder as a commuter.

The paintwork on the bonnet of the Toyota now needs attention and and while it has been mostly reliable it hasn't been without issue.

I now find myself browsing Volvo classifieds again

There are essentially three variations of wagon that are currently available...

2012 V50 2.0l 4cyl
2009 V50 2.4l 5cyl - R Design
2012 V60 1.6l 4cyl

All have similar km's (80,000)

Styling aside, which of these options should prove to be the most reliable?
I think maybe the 2.0l uses a timing chain and the others belts?

Don't want to buy a Volvo and have my friend say "I told you so" :P

Love to hear your thoughts.

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by inspectaclueso

2012 V50 2.0l 4cyl
2009 V50 2.4l 5cyl R Design
2012 V60 1.6l 4cyl

Love to hear your thoughts.

Petrol / Diesel?

I would avoid a 1.6 anything.

[andy_d]

Originally Posted by inspectaclueso

I've never owned a Volvo but have always like the styling of the wagons. I nearly bought a second hand V50 a couple years back but a car sales friend of mine advised against it. I can't remember the detail but I believe transmission concerns and maybe leaking roofs might have been mentioned. I ended up buying a Toyota Fielder as a commuter.

The paintwork on the bonnet of the Toyota now needs attention and and while it has been mostly reliable it hasn't been without issue.

I now find myself browsing Volvo classifieds again

There are essentially three variations of wagon that are currently available...

2012 V50 2.0l 4cyl
2009 V50 2.4l 5cyl - R Design
2012 V60 1.6l 4cyl

All have similar km's (80,000)

Styling aside, which of these options should prove to be the most reliable?
I think maybe the 2.0l uses a timing chain and the others belts?

Don't want to buy a Volvo and have my friend say "I told you so" :P

Love to hear your thoughts.

2009 V50 2.4l 5cyl - R Design If that is petrol, with the geartronic or manual gearbox that'd be the one i would go for

1.6anything Esp diesel = avoid

2.0 Diesel , unless you Want to prove your friend correct and spend ££££££ fixing dpf/turbo/etc/etc/etc/etc etc avoid any 2.0D engines in volvo's they to put it bluntly are Cr@p

anything diesel with "stop start" ,, just dont bother


do not be fooled into thinking R-Design is anything other than a trim spec
*usually the base model for spec with a R-design body styling kit on,,
if you Want gadgets + toys, and useful extra's go for a SE / SE Lux spec

[MDS40]

[QUOTE

There are essentially three variations of wagon that are currently available...

2012 V50 2.0l 4cyl
2009 V50 2.4l 5cyl - R Design
2012 V60 1.6l 4cyl

All have similar km's (80,000)
Styling aside, which of these options should prove to be the most reliable?

love to hear your thoughts.[/QUOTE]

Without a doubt 2.4 petrol non turbo is the answer.

Looking at your post i think you maybe in NZ so the £ 500+ road tax might not be an issue.

[The Thong]

Both the V50 and V60 are Ford platforms but don’t let that put you off. Both motors are solid in construction and are a nice drive. I’ve had both and they were both nice drives. Keep in mind that the V50 went out of fashion 12yrs ago so the electronics are getting old therefore prone to problems. V60 haven’t been without their issues but they’re pretty stable now so that would be my choice. Go for the 5cyl Diesel platform if you can, it’s a tried and tested unit that happily doesn’t require ADBlue. There’s plenty to choose from out there so make sure you buy a faultless one. If you buy one with an automatic gearbox make sure there are no issues with it, they’ve got a few shortcomings that will prove expensive. The boot space is an issue with both especially the V60 due to the sloping tailgate that digs into the boot space. Other than that, they’re both decent motors

TT

[Nick04]

I'm guessing they are all petrol engines, so it depends what you're after really. I personally like the look of the V50 much better than the V60, but the V60 has better rear legroom, is this important? But if you opt for that version of the V60, you're buying something that is underpowered that relies on its turbo. Plus, if it's an automatic you're going to be lumbered with the Powershift transmission. That's a recipe for disaster for me, there's a good chance either the engine or/and gearbox will skint you.

The V50 2.0 petrol isn't a bad buy. If you want something a bit more Volvo with a bigger and better engine, go for the 2.4. MPG isn't great but it has a good chance of lasting a long time and clocking up a very high mileage. You wouldn't get the same sort of of mileage from the 2.0 Ford/Mazda engine.

[inspectaclueso]

Appreciate the input. Picked up the V60 today. Into the dealership to see if the instrument cluster and radio can be reprogrammed to my region so bracing myself to part with a kidney and first born.

Fingers crossed for a good run with it so my friend can't say 'told you so'