Advice on buying diesel V60 2013-2015

[blacoov]

Hi folks


First of all I'd like to say hi to everybody.

I am about to buy my first volvo and decided with the missus we want to go down V60 way. Having a look at the car I absolutely love the seats and a brief test drive revealed its qualities in terms of comfort. I've further narrowed down my search to only two engines: D5 and D4. Never had a go at D4 but driven D5 automatic I am pretty pleased with it, it has nice sound at higher revs and it's quite rapid. However my concern is what gearbox to choose.

Having driven manuals all my life I am not convinced by the auto boxes. Driving the D5 it is certainly not the fastest on reaction on the accelerator pedal and for some reason it jerked when changing from P to D but this could be my fault as I have no experience driving automatic really. On the other hand I found a manual box quite bad in terms of gear selection. I particularly didnt like reverse behind 6th and putting it in gears 3-4-5-6 is pretty challenging (maybe it needs some getting used to).

I would like to ask v60/s60 D5 215 auto owners about their experiences with the automatic gearbox. Especially what revs you get at 70-80 mph on motorway cruise (i wish I could test it properly before buying the car)
Researching forum I understand that motorway trips can result in high 40s mpg and potentially low 50s if driven gently. Town driving with traffic we are talking low 30s, arent we? I think this is understandable for car its size and power with automatic gearbox.

Last thing I would much appreciate advises of what to look for buying an used one and your personal reviews of the car.

[green van man]

Afraid I'm going to be no help to you, I drive a manual xc70.
I find the manual box sweet, once on the move need only the top 3 cogs, problem is volvo love autos and finding a manurl is seeking hens teeth. Hence this will be my last volvo as I just do not do autos.

It may just be the 60 cars, I found them rather claustrophobic which is why I baught a 70.

Paul.

[Sotosound]

I prefer automatic. I've driven a V60 D3 Geartronic with the 5-cylinder engine, and it was a lovely drive.

I also found the V60 slightly claustrophobic when compared to the V70, but perhaps this is because I'm used to the massive space in the front of the V70. If, instead, I'd switched from a Volvo V40 to the V60 then I might not have felt the same way.

The V60 does have a lot of fans out there, and it's also more compact than the V70, which some might prefer.

I'm also not convinced that the rear passenger space is any worse than the V70. So the V60 has a lot going for it.

[Harvey1512]

I had a v60 from that era for 2 years. I had the d2 engine which I didn't like but you are avoiding so that is fine. I really liked the car itself, it served us well and I have no problem in recommending it.

I had the manual and it was fine to use, no problems. I've since moved to a Superb auto and whilst it is a different box I would not go back to a manual car. The ease and simplicity of driving an auto is an absolute pleasure. I don't remember hearing of problems on here about Volvo autos so perhaps you just need to have another test drive and get more familiar with driving one. You may not like it but at least you will know for sure.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by blacoov

Hi folks


First of all I'd like to say hi to everybody.

I am about to buy my first volvo and decided with the missus we want to go down V60 way. Having a look at the car I absolutely love the seats and a brief test drive revealed its qualities in terms of comfort. I've further narrowed down my search to only two engines: D5 and D4. Never had a go at D4 but driven D5 automatic I am pretty pleased with it, it has nice sound at higher revs and it's quite rapid. However my concern is what gearbox to choose.

Having driven manuals all my life I am not convinced by the auto boxes. Driving the D5 it is certainly not the fastest on reaction on the accelerator pedal and for some reason it jerked when changing from P to D but this could be my fault as I have no experience driving automatic really. On the other hand I found a manual box quite bad in terms of gear selection. I particularly didnt like reverse behind 6th and putting it in gears 3-4-5-6 is pretty challenging (maybe it needs some getting used to).

I would like to ask v60/s60 D5 215 auto owners about their experiences with the automatic gearbox. Especially what revs you get at 70-80 mph on motorway cruise (i wish I could test it properly before buying the car)
Researching forum I understand that motorway trips can result in high 40s mpg and potentially low 50s if driven gently. Town driving with traffic we are talking low 30s, arent we? I think this is understandable for car its size and power with automatic gearbox.

Last thing I would much appreciate advises of what to look for buying an used one and your personal reviews of the car.

you should average over 40 mpg .. regarding the gearbox , a jolt going into D or R can be an internal gearbox fault or just an adaption road test needed by the dealer . There are internal seals which can leak , the 100% cure is to replace the internal seals with modified ones , obviously an expensive job having to get the gearbox out and dismantle the front section to change seals .. I would not take the car away until they have sorted the jolt , the best way they can do that is take it to a volvo dealer who knows exactly how to deal with it as there is a complex procedure to diagnose it .. You never know there may be help with the cost of the job .

rpm at 70 is around 2000

[dhr90]

Originally Posted by blacoov

Hi folks


First of all I'd like to say hi to everybody.

I am about to buy my first volvo and decided with the missus we want to go down V60 way. Having a look at the car I absolutely love the seats and a brief test drive revealed its qualities in terms of comfort. I've further narrowed down my search to only two engines: D5 and D4. Never had a go at D4 but driven D5 automatic I am pretty pleased with it, it has nice sound at higher revs and it's quite rapid. However my concern is what gearbox to choose.

Having driven manuals all my life I am not convinced by the auto boxes. Driving the D5 it is certainly not the fastest on reaction on the accelerator pedal and for some reason it jerked when changing from P to D but this could be my fault as I have no experience driving automatic really. On the other hand I found a manual box quite bad in terms of gear selection. I particularly didnt like reverse behind 6th and putting it in gears 3-4-5-6 is pretty challenging (maybe it needs some getting used to).

I would like to ask v60/s60 D5 215 auto owners about their experiences with the automatic gearbox. Especially what revs you get at 70-80 mph on motorway cruise (i wish I could test it properly before buying the car)
Researching forum I understand that motorway trips can result in high 40s mpg and potentially low 50s if driven gently. Town driving with traffic we are talking low 30s, arent we? I think this is understandable for car its size and power with automatic gearbox.

Last thing I would much appreciate advises of what to look for buying an used one and your personal reviews of the car.

Hi and welcome.

A D4 may be the 5 cylinder model if you are looking at an earlier model, or the new VEA 4 cylinder if a later model V60. If its the D4, then expect to hear quite a few members here telling you to avoid due to recent recall issues, it is meant to be more refined than the D5 however. If the D5 then it will be a 5 cylinder and should be good, I have no complaints with mine at any rate.

Regarding the jolt, I agree with what Clan recommends, get the dealer to sort that as it could be very expensive.

I had a lot of misgivings about going for an automatic, but I now find it so much more relaxing and easier to drive, that I doubt I'll go back to a manual. A manual in a V60 is a real unicorn to find, which rather dictated my decision to go for the auto.

At 70mph mine is at 2k rpm, rising to 2.5k rpm or so towards 80.
On a long run at a steady 70mph (or as near as one can get on the M25) I manage around 50-55mpg. Around town varies, but high 20's or low 30's in my experience. My long term average using the Fuely app says 47mpg, consisting of a long run across the country and back about once per month.

The seats are fantastic once you get them in the right position. Beige interior has the option of just the seats and part of the doors, or the seats doors partial dash and the carpets. While harder to keep clean, it does give a much lighter, spacious and airier feeling to the car, Volvo's with dark interior tend to be a black hole.

R-design is a sportier model with harder suspension, SE the more comfortable one. Going for the Lux models gets you xenon headlamps, which is 100% worth it, the halogen lamps aren't great. Xenon with bendy lights and auto high beam are excellent.

There was a facelift in 2013 which updated bumpers, head lamp units, but the biggest change was the instrument cluster being updated to digital display. The digital display can be customised in appearance and looks far more upmarket.

Nav models have satnav giving a larger dash screen, with later models having Sensus Connect (2014 onwards I believe, look for a button with a globe symbol on it).

My car has the driver convenience pack, getting a few useful extras, the most useful being adaptive cruise control, this really makes a difference on long journeys and I wouldn't be without it now. You also gain collision warning with auto brake, pedestrian detection, BLIS.
Winter pack gets you heated front seats (very warm!), a heated front screen and the bendy xenon lamps. This is another must have for me.

To get a bit more power and torque, you can get polestar, this a map for the engine and also remaps the gearbox on an auto, supposedly making it a far better drive. I haven't experienced this myself. Its pricier than maps from elsewhere, but comes with Volvo's blessing and approval.

[blacoov]

I have seen a volvo s60 and I am happy with interior space. Car will be used by 2 people most of the time. I am 6"1 myself and I am ok sat behind myself. S60 on the boot space is little lacking but this why I am looking for v60. I will try to have a go in an automatic one again so maybe im gonna end up liking it. Thank you for your replies. Im hoping v60 d5 215 auto is not too bad on fuel

[Friendly]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I have bought 2 used Volvos and can definitely recommend buying from a Volvo dealer. My current XC90 had a gearbox issue that was fully covered by the Selekt warranty and resolved with no fuss.

You might pay slightly more for it but I think it’s worth it. There are frequent posts on here where someone buys a car and then finds an expensive issue almost straight away. These cars are not cheap to run/service/repair so perhaps get traded in when someone notices a problem.

In terms of your initial question, I had a 2012 V60 D5 SE lux with winter pack. On a run low 40s was achievable if driven fairly steady. If driven hard or around town it was lower 30s.

Good luck with your search.

[blacoov]

I am searching for facelift v60 se lux nav with black heated leather seats. I can not decide what gearbox to choose. Does geartronic have manual mode? I am also considering engine and gearbox remap.

[dhr90]

Originally Posted by blacoov

I am searching for facelift v60 se lux nav with black heated leather seats. I can not decide what gearbox to choose. Does geartronic have manual mode? I am also considering engine and gearbox remap.

Yes, you can push the lever to the left on geartronic to enter sport mode, then if you push forward or pull back it will change gear when you want it to. In this mode you also get a sharper throttle response.