2001 Volvo S60 SE review from UK and Ireland

Front lower suspension bushes failed.

Top engine mount failed

Main brake master cylinder failed (both circuits!)

Alarm played up

Door locks failed

Chewed up edges of front tyres.

I bought this car knowing that it had it's foibles but didn't think they would all hit me. Sure enough the door locks played up and I had to replace the lower wishbone bushes along with the upper engine mount. Neither were hugely expensive jobs, but in a car only 4 years old and from a manufacturer as Volvo I expected a little better quality.

That said, I have never driven a more comfortable car over long distances. I drove it non stop back from the Lake district to the South Coast. The car is a very nice place to be in and is very well built from a passenger point of view. The seats are amazingly comfortable and the cabin well designed although not in such a contemporary way as a BMW or Mercedes.

The worst thing about the car though was the depreciation. The spec of the car I bought was around £25k when new. I bought it 4 years later for £9k and struggled to get near £4k 2 1/2 years later on a trade in.

The fuel consumption was not great, around 28mpg generally which was the main reason we sold the car for a diesel engined car. You could get up to 35mpg on a gentle motorway run, but you had to have a light right foot. If I had the chance to re think I would have gone for the D5 model.

Unfortunately Volvo do not have the badge prestige to hold values which is a shame. The car is fundamentally vary good and I enjoyed driving it and was sad to see it go. I would consider another Volvo, but only if the depreciation issues were not so much of a factor.