2003 Volvo S60 - Great Car
I've owned this vehicle for about 7 years. The extra features like heated seats, steering wheel controls, and lowering backseat headrests really bump it up in the rankings of cars I've driven. There's a surprising amount of room. I've managed to transport nearly everything I own (as a college student) across the country multiple times. Overall I would recommend this car, except for the few problems I have had with it, and its not-so-great gas mileage compared to newer vehicles.
I've owned this vehicle for about 7 years. The extra features like heated seats, steering wheel controls, and lowering backseat headrests really bump it up in the rankings of cars I've driven. There's a surprising amount of room. I've managed to transport nearly everything I own (as a college student) across the country multiple times. Overall I would recommend this car, except for the few problems I have had with it, and its not-so-great gas mileage compared to newer vehicles.
This car managed to fit and haul five grad students, three violins, and two cellos during our summer chamber music tour.
This car managed to fit and haul five grad students, three violins, and two cellos during our summer chamber music tour.
The acceleration and braking are very smooth. Definitely much better than a few cars I've driven made around the same time. The back windshield defroster is powerful and has made driving in snow and rain much easier.
The acceleration and braking are very smooth. Definitely much better than a few cars I've driven made around the same time. The back windshield defroster is powerful and has made driving in snow and rain much easier.
Within a few years of owning this car, the emergency brake gave out and locked up while I was driving. The car had to be towed and it took an expensive fix to make it drivable again. In addition, it seems to slide easier than other cars in snow and ice.
Within a few years of owning this car, the emergency brake gave out and locked up while I was driving. The car had to be towed and it took an expensive fix to make it drivable again. In addition, it seems to slide easier than other cars in snow and ice.
2003 Volvo S60 - SAFETY FIRST
I have truly loved owning this car. I first owned this car at the age of 19 and my grandmother was driving the same car in the same color, this shows that the look and style of the car is timeless. I choose this car because Volvo has great safety ratings and as a young, new driver safety was a priority. I believe this car even includes side window airbags. The drivers seat on this car is the most comfortable seat I have ever sat in, I can do long road trips without a sore back! Another thing that was originally a positive for me about this car was the heated leather seats (it is very cold where I live). I used the heated seats all the time, and when the car was about 10 years old, the heated seats malfunctioned and even burned a hole straight thru the leather! I am not sure if this hap... (more)
I have truly loved owning this car. I first owned this car at the age of 19 and my grandmother was driving the same car in the same color, this shows that the look and style of the car is timeless. I choose this car because Volvo has great safety ratings and as a young, new driver safety was a priority. I believe this car even includes side window airbags. The drivers seat on this car is the most comfortable seat I have ever sat in, I can do long road trips without a sore back! Another thing that was originally a positive for me about this car was the heated leather seats (it is very cold where I live). I used the heated seats all the time, and when the car was about 10 years old, the heated seats malfunctioned and even burned a hole straight thru the leather! I am not sure if this happened to anyone else, but I was not happy with the damage or the safety issue of burning seats. The final topic I would like to mention is a true "Con" of the vehicle. I found that every time I needed repairs or maintenance done, the shops did not have the parts in stock and the parts were often super expensive. It did end up adding a lot of hidden costs to the car that some of the more "off the shelf" type cars would not have. Overall I do not want to end on a negative, because this car brings me a lot of joy for so many years.
I live in a very very cold climate and long dangerous snow storms happen often. One day we were driving in icy, cold, dangerous conditions and getting a little nervous. There is this random "W" button on the dash that I never knew what it was used for, so we called it the "winter" button and always pressed it to feel safe when driving on bad icy roads. It became a family joke about the mystery... (more)
I live in a very very cold climate and long dangerous snow storms happen often. One day we were driving in icy, cold, dangerous conditions and getting a little nervous. There is this random "W" button on the dash that I never knew what it was used for, so we called it the "winter" button and always pressed it to feel safe when driving on bad icy roads. It became a family joke about the mystery "W" button on the car.
One of the most progressive technologies for this car as a 2003 is that the drivers seat will recognize who is sitting in it and automatically adjust the seat to how they prefer to sit for driving. This is super cool and convenient. Another pro in my opinion is that the middle seat in the back can pull down so you can easily access anything that is in the trunk while driving. This is wonderful for either road trips or fitting long items into your car. This car also has a sun/moon roof, CD player, and decent sound system, these features are extremely practical and I think required to be a g... (more)
One of the most progressive technologies for this car as a 2003 is that the drivers seat will recognize who is sitting in it and automatically adjust the seat to how they prefer to sit for driving. This is super cool and convenient. Another pro in my opinion is that the middle seat in the back can pull down so you can easily access anything that is in the trunk while driving. This is wonderful for either road trips or fitting long items into your car. This car also has a sun/moon roof, CD player, and decent sound system, these features are extremely practical and I think required to be a great vehicle. Another thing I would like to talk about is the heated leather seats. The drivers seat is extremely comfortable and does not leave you feeling sore at all after even a long drive. The passenger seat is not made with the same level of comfort. In regards to reliability, I have been driving this car for over 10 years and have only had minor problems, so I have been very happy with these results. One of the only things I had to replace was the fuel pump, but it was a recall so Volvo ended up funding that anyways. Overall it is a great, SAFE, car.
The number one negative thing about this vehicle is that taking it to an auto shop is a pain in the butt and takes forever. The Volvo parts are typically not stocked, so you have to pay more and wait a few days for parts to come in. This adds extra costs and anytime you take your car in to be worked on, you need to expect them to keep it a few days, so find another ride home!! Sadly, aside form all the positives, this is such a pain that I probably will not buy another Volvo in the future. Another Con with the car that I overlooked when buying it is that the battery is in the TRUNK!! This ... (more)
The number one negative thing about this vehicle is that taking it to an auto shop is a pain in the butt and takes forever. The Volvo parts are typically not stocked, so you have to pay more and wait a few days for parts to come in. This adds extra costs and anytime you take your car in to be worked on, you need to expect them to keep it a few days, so find another ride home!! Sadly, aside form all the positives, this is such a pain that I probably will not buy another Volvo in the future. Another Con with the car that I overlooked when buying it is that the battery is in the TRUNK!! This causes problems because it is not quite as simple to have a stranger give you a jump in the parking lot if your battery dies. Also, if you need to get at the battery at any time, you need to unload everything you keep in your trunk, so that is a pain. The passenger seat as a manual recline wheel that is not easy to turn, this design detail could be improved. Finally, the heated leather seats on my car mal-functioned and literally burned a hole thru the leather. This is very dangerous to have a burning seat, I was not happy. Overall, many of these cons can be overcame, but the parts are so hard to find and afford for repairs.
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