I can't believe Doug missed the most important quirk in this car. It has a button on the front center console to lower the rear headrests for visibility, and they're spring loaded. If you have someone in the back seat when you press it the headrest smacks them in the back of the head.
My housemates mother was sitting in the back of my S60R and talking smack about me in Chinese and thinkingI didn't know, so I 'accidentally' smacked her in the head with the headrests. 🤣
He’s done a mix of old and new since almost the beginning… LoL.. I honestly feel Dougs reviews on performance spec older models, has literally driven the price up !
Teal and orange don't clash, they actually compliment each other very well in terms of colour theory. Daring combination for a car, definitely. For a Volvo at that, absolutely. But clash? Not at all. On another note; I love how Doug gets just as enthusiastic about a 15 year old Volvo sedan as a new exotic supercar.
Because the S60R is a performance sedan bargain, something that most car enthusiasts are looking for these days. Plus, these are getting rare, especially those in great condition.
Thank you! They compliment each other extraordinarily well! I thought that was pretty common knowledge - just look at every action movie poster from the past 5 years...
A guy I knew in college had one of these. I looked him up on Facebook to see what he was up to and turns out THIS IS HIS CAR! Shoutout to the seller Joe he's a cool dude.
@@Simple_Jack82 Great! Ford made a crossover SUV called the Ford Freestyle during the same time period (because Ford owned Volvo back then) which was based on the Volvo XC90. Sadly the Freestyle has become very rare! I wonder if the Freestyle would have sold better if people knew it really was a Volvo and not a true Ford!
I like the S60 and the r model, but honestly the v70r the wagon version I think looks better, might be because I generally prefer wagons but to have a wagon with 300hp ish is pretty cool 😂 I don't remember the exact power figure but the space ball gear lever is also cool
Doug…c’mon man…how could you not highlight one of the coolest features: the rear seat head rest ejector button!! You can bop your friends heads from the push of a button up front. It’s so unnecessary but an amazing quirk of this car. Just landed myself a 2007 SR with the M66 6 speed tranny in Electric Silver. I’ll probably take it to the grave with me. Cheers.
That function is mainly for when you need to drop the back seats for cargo. When folded, the headrests are not leaning on the front backrests, but tuck in between the rear seats and the front backrests, allowing the rear seats to drop completely flat for an enlarged cargo space.
@@guccigang1786 My Volvo S60 5 cylinder diesel is on 235,000 miles. Original gearbox, engine, turbo etc. Just new valve body, lifters (known issue), otherwise normal wear and tear.
@@guccigang1786 lexus is toyota Glorified camry id drive a lexus if i was less fortunate but blessed to drive german car Id drive a volvo anyday over an old geaser lexus toyota just my opinion
Unlike most cars with an R in its name, R didn't stand for "race", but instead for "refined". This car wasn't really a track or a racing car, but instead the very best possible version of what Volvo could do with the s60.
@@pistonburner6448 there cars really become potent with some simple performance modifications. Also the adaptive dampers are quite good when paired with minor suspension improvements.
@@ReviewedByAndy No, the car overall is total garbage. It's a FWD-bases poorly engineered thing made to just be cheap for A-to-B drivers. Volvo, with no talent for it trying to then slap on a few things to try to transform it to the level of actually sporty RWD-based machines? Ridiculous. It's uncomfortable _and_ totally un-sporty and un-dynamic. Like Steve Sutcliffe sais at the time in a group test: "This thing is a boat. All it needs is teak decking and a rope." And then it proceeded to be far worse in handling _and no better_ (!!!) on the track test portion than the Honda Accord whatever ”S" model, not even the top "R" model from Honda!! The Honda had like 190hp and FWD and it equalled the Volvo... Meanwhile the Germans were in a totally different league! The BMW non-M models are practically supercars compared to the Volvo...
4:05 The orange Atacama leather was a $5000 aud option that used special softer leather from 'Bridge of Weir' in Scotland (who supply most supercar manufacturers). 6:54 The printed gear selector numbers are only on North American cars, European and Aussie cars just left it black. 9:45 There are actually 20 'R' logos on the car. 11:50 That empty slot next to the radio was where the keypad for the optional built in telephone was installed.
Yes when you get the highest radio option the "HU-850" you get an optional phone with some other features. Its also available on regular s60's. Like mine :)
Thank you for covering the Volvo S60R. It's so cool to see some of our aftermarket parts inside as well! Super surprising to see this review today. Very cool!
You guys are the real MVPs for us Volvo people. I’m very nearly to Stage 0 thanks to y’all… hopefully I’ll still have money for your more exciting car parts afterwards! Lol. 🇸🇪
S60R is the only car I've taken around the Nurburgring and maxed out on the Autobahn when it was first launched. It's a solid and stable car at 155mph but I agree with the slightly vague handling. Very fond memories of a very good car on long trips. The best feature of the car is the seats, they are so comfortable.
@@mar0239 Yeah. I admit the limiter was the issue, It felt solid like it wanted to do more. Nice to have it confirmed. It was cool seeing vapour trails on the wing mirrors like aircraft wings at those speeds. 😎
Man, that thing was a horrible pile... I think it was Steve Sutcliffe who put it (naturally had to be blunt to convey the truth to his readers): "This thing is a boat. All it needs is teak decking and a rope." And then it proceeded to be far worse in handling _and no better_ (!!!) on the track test portion than the Honda Accord whatever ”S" model, it wasn't even the top "R" model from Honda!! The Honda had like 190hp and FWD and it equalled the Volvo... Meanwhile the Germans were in a totally different league! The BMW non-M models are practically supercars compared to the Volvo...
@@pistonburner6448 Had an 04 R manual for 8 years. Tuned with many after market performance parts. With 375 HP and 400 lb torgue, it'd blow the crap off any 4 banger no matter what OEM. Your non-m bmw review couldn't be more bias and misinformed... Sorry, but not sorry.
@@miteymo1248 First of all you've just devalued your car by tuning it, and you've taken lifespan off of it. They barely held together with stock power... Second of all, all cars can be tuned. Third of all, adding power is not what the Volvo crapboxes need at all. They are totally flawed form the very fundamentals. They have a horrible FWD-based chassis, horrible weight balance, horrible suspension, horrible drivetrain... Just because you tuned the horribly-handling boat for more power doesn't make it any better than when it couldn't beat the Accord S with its FWD and naturally aspirated 2.4 four cylinder. It's still horrible in handling in every way. Just because you can stupidly squirt when you're finally on a straight because you've tuned your car doesn't make it become a great car. I guess you think any barge that someone can tune more power than 375hp and 400lb-ft is better than your S60R was? Also, non-M cars of that time period were not all 4-bangers, the 325i, 330i and even 320i had the beautiful, creamy, turbine-smooth straight sixes. And had a FAR better chassis, was made to be sporty from the beginning as opposed to the Volvo which was not. Again: even a very basic Honda Accord was better handling and better in dynamics than the flagship Volvo, so what do you expect the situation to be compared to BMWs??
The slot next to the stereo is usually replaced with an optional cup holder. They do tend to break a lot though. The hooks on the top of the flap in the trunk are designed to hang shopping bags from so your stuff doesn't spill everywhere as you hoon it home.
My dad had one of these. It was a great car over the years. We sold it to the local Volvo mechanic at 397,000 miles still with the original clutch, original battery, and everything still worked great. I still see it every now and then. It has over 550k on it now. Great cars.
@@ronhonhola I’m telling you, it is. My dad knew exactly how to rev match pretty much perfectly and shift without the clutch. He almost never used the clutch unless he was starting from a stop or trying to shift for maximum performance. At 397k it had just started to slip. That was the reason we ended up selling it to the mechanic. As for the battery, he bought the car in early 2006 (it was a 2004 model, used on a one year lease). He sold it in 2014. So the battery was 9 years old or so when we sold the car. The battery in my car currently is datecoded 06/08. So it’s 100% possible to have a working, older battery. If you take care of lead acid batteries they will last a very long time.
@@vaishunambiar I’ve thought about doing this for a few of my dad’s cars for a “significant” birthday at some point. I would either do the S60R or his first car (a yellow ‘68 Mustang 289). The S60 I at least would know where to find it but the Mustang would be a much more meaningful car to restore but is likely a cube by now.
This was my absolute favourite car when I was a teenager! I wanted it in this exact exterior and interior colour combination. I wish I could buy a brand new one right now ☹️
It's called "complementing colors", Doug. Colors from the opposite sides of the spectrum. Before interior choices were limited to grey, black or tan, it was common on high end cars. I give Volvo credit for going that route.
The colors actually take me back to when I was a kid playing with Hot Wheels in the bathtub. They had these color changing ones that would go from one extreme to the other in water. Simpler times...
It may just be me but this car looks like it belongs in a museum! Everything about it just screams nostalgia in the best ways, and everything is so clean.
You have to give it to Volvo, they've designed a car that almost 20 years later still looks pretty modern. It's quite a timeless design. Most of the Volvo's sold in that era with a few revisions to the lights could still look fairly modern today, two decades later, which is quite mind-blowing. Rarely happens in the car industry.
The C30 is an actual reliable vehicle. The S60R is a nightmare to own and their used prices are low for a reason. You could get a whole engine on a C30 T5 for the price of the S60R’s 4C suspension
I still think the 5-cylinder Volvo engine is one of the best sounding mass-production engines of all time. I had a S60 T5 manual years ago and loved it (although it was boring silver over black) but now I really want to try an R.
5 cylinders in general are just some of the best sounding engines. VW’s NA 2.5L sounds great and some have even done individual throttle bodies for extra sound, as well as Audis 2.5T’s and older 2.2L turbos.
i have an V70R stock and this engine sound completely shitiest comparing to any car i ever had, once i had a ALfa 159 2.4 diesel 5 cyl and this sound so much better even being a diesel :)
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I had a 2005 V70 R Manual for 2 years, until the engine and turbo started to go. I literally cried when I sold it. I loved working on it, I loved driving it, and I wish I still owned it. The perfect sleeper / utilitarian / classic vehicle.
The dash slot was where the optional built in telephone went. I had one in mine. The reason the window has a clip for the parking ticket is the air con system is very clever and after use when you park your car up after a while it blows air through all the vents to dry the system internally cutting down on the chance of mold growing. No clip and the ticket can blow away.
Yeah, that air con thing is crazy. First time i heard the air con turn on on its own i freaked out and thought it's broken, but after some googling i was pleasantly surprised. I think Volvo is the only manufacturer who has this feature.
Being raised in Sweden, I always had a soft spot for this and the V70R. I was looking to buy one back then, but ended up with an A4 B5 Turbo and my Audi story started there hehe. Thank you for the video as usual
I used to have one and I loved EXCEPT for one thing. The turning radius was horrendous. you need a 6 lane highway to do a U-Turn. Other than that, it was a great car.
In my humble opinion, as much as I love Flash Green, the later slightly face-lifted S60/V70R in Sonic Blue/Atacama colour combo, the "aero sport package" and the spaceball was the pinnacle of this model. Absolutely gorgeous.
I actually have an unpopular opinion in these cars, in that I like the 04 black trim more than the 05+ body color. It does depend on the specific color, in either of the blues I like the body color more, but in passion red and this flash green it helps to break up a very bright solidly colored car. I also like it on the titanium grey, though that’s exactly what I own so I could be biased there.
Volvo had the coolest interior/exterior color combos in the early 2000s. and the performance and safety of their cars weren't compromising each other, which is great! I have huge respect for Volvo as a manufacturer because of their strong reputation.
@@yungboicontigo9278 yeah, Volvo is pretty awesome! and yeah, Toyota is a bit overrated, but that's not a bad thing. they're known for reliability and somewhat performance from some of their earlier cars(such as the MR2, the Supra, the Alteza, the Soarer, and the Chaser). Volvo is known for building their cars well enough to protect an egg in the most violent and deadly of crashes.
I'm in disagreement regarding the v70r vs the s60r. Although I'm absolutely a fan of both, my wagon bias makes the v70r basically a dream car to me. I absolutely love how it looks 😍
Wagons are for practical people. I had an S70 TDI for 5 years. I now switched to a -99 v70 2.4 turbo and damn it feels much much better to drive than the sedan s70
I learned to drive in a 2004 V70 (sadly not the R, but the 2,5T), and it was always so strange to me that other cars didn't have the little clip where you stick your parking receipt. Thanks for reminding me of this great feature!
My favorite car ever. I was a huge Volvo nerd as a teen and when this was revealed... wow. Don't get the colour-freak out. It's not that crazy. I just think it looks cool.
@@kylek762 Haha true, and I like that about him! But yeah... it's not that crazy. But I'm swedish and have probably seen ALOT more of this model growing up.
@@kylek762 Same, I wouldn't say this is the craziest colour combination ever. What about pre merger AMGs with red on red or yellow on yellow. (Full interiors even dashboard in steering wheel coloured) Or old Porsches: Outside Sternrubin pink, inside Pasha pattern (psychadelic chessboardd) seats.
Seriously... going a little over board with the color combo. That interior color is not that rare of a leather color (BMW had many similar ones)! That's Doug for you though, when he clicks on something, he goes all the way!!!!
Literally my dream car with this color combo. Almost picked up a grey one a few years ago but was too worried about maintenance costs at the time. Definitely a unique and gorgeous vehicle.
Volvos last forever, especially early ones. Not sure about the 2000s, those were Fords (they used this 5 cyl in the Focus RS mkII as well). p.s.: might be reliable, but if something brakes, it costs a good amount
Had a 2006 S60-R in passion red over sand interior. One of the most attractive, well built, and fun cars I have owned. The incredible sport front bucket seats, which unfortunately were not mentioned in this review, were some of the very best front seats on the planet. Only complaint was the rather harsh and overly stiff suspension. Sorry I ever let it go.....it was amazing and not something you saw on the road every day.
I have one with the exact same color combination. I got rid of the electronic suspension and put KW coil overs and it all stopped. Still stiff but less crashing with bumps and wheel hop.
I love my S40 with the 2.5T AWD and 6speed, shame that the turbo on the S60R didn't make it to my car. Supposedly there were s40R test mules somewhere. I look at every S60 hoping to see an R one day.
This hits the nostalgias so hard man… my mom always drove Volvos and I grew up in V70s. When we went to the dealership I loved that usually they had a couple with the orange interiors/blue gauges and I always wanted an R for myself! This era of Volvos were so clean and the look definitely holds up today 😍 I will always love wagons thanks to Volvo 🤘
One of the most underrated sport sedans from the early 2000’s. They were fast, and luxurious. I remember when they first came out and they demonstrated them in wagon form (V70r) trailing M3s and S4s on the track. They were the perfect balance of Sportiness and Luxury.
Yeah, I'm much more a fan of the V70-R too. It's a MUCH better looking car than the S60R. And the market agrees with us. The wagons are much more valuable than the sedans.
I'm on my second V70. Thing is, Doug makes a dig at the 'boxy' rear end well yeah! It's because it's very practical as well as very comfortable and able to cruise all day, everyday making 'progress'. The V70 has usable room, the correct propotions, how many SUVs can get a tall fridge inside? Or a Mercedes wagon where it drops away at an angle essentially making the top rear triangle decide the volume. It also has a 12V socket in the rear, and an option is a shopping tray similar to the flip up screen in the S60's trunk/boot. The P2 V70 is considered by many as the best wagon/estate Volvo made and even the best overall of other wagons.
Exactly... what a fool... Doug thinks of all things, the wagon design looks too weird? Owned my 98 V70R for 2 years and it's the best car I've owned. 170000 miles on the OG turbo and running 16psi.
My daily driver car is a red 2005 S60R with blue interior. I'm currently restoring it, but all I can say is that I love it and car enthusiasts know that it is a unique super sleeper car. Amazing video Doug!!
Better believe it! It deserves a restoration. I will also do mine. Hey, which of its competitors are even still drivable?? I'm in NY & never see any of them?😳
@@jamiesmith6838 Probably any german car from those years could be competitors of the S60R. It doesn't surprise me that you haven't seen any S60R in NY haha, in Mexico I've only seen one besides mine, but what I surely say is that driving a Volvo is different from any other car.
I had a friend with one of these in dark blue. His was nicely modified, lowered, exhaust, intake. Fantastic car to drive. It was sad to see it go when it got totaled
I mean especially if you're going for a used c8 corvette or Tesla model 3/y, the new ones are far cheaper and probably the better option (though you have to wait)
If you look at the key fob, the design of it actually matches the body lines from the hood of the car, not sure it was on purpose but I find it pretty cool either way
A beautifully maintained car and although an 'odd' colour combination, I think it looks really good. Even the body lines seem to be up there with newer designs.
Volvo has always been underrated for sleepers. The 240 has a huge engine bay for a swap, and its built like a fridge, so it works as an amazing sleeper.
Grew up in a regular S60 from 2003. This cars looks stunning even to this day! Good memories in this car, the long trips, the sound and the leather seats made it feel so special.
Those colours are so good together, the exterior is way out there for 2005 so the interior would have to be equally popping. Way to go Volvo and those daring enough to order it.
I think the color combo is nice and the colors compliment each other. Doesn’t seem too crazy and I wish more affordable car brands were braver with color choices.
Couple things to note that Doug missed, the yellow button on the key is actually dual purpose and if optioned can be used to remote start the car if held (even as a manual so long as the parking brake is engaged and car is out of gear). And there's also a series of button presses to disable the traction control.
You should check out the Mercedes E55 AMG from this era.. they weren't aggressively styled like modern AMGs and had about 470hp... Get it in grandma-spec beige and a wagon.. now that's a sleeper
I loved my S60R! Tons of power and the AWD was incredible. The 6 speed manual was so fun to drive. Complaints are limited to poor turn radius and the inevitable reason I sold the car was the electrical bug that I couldn't solve. Dash and gauges would just turn off completely!
Never did figure it out. Everything I could find said Volvo used a cold solder on their ECU and that in the heat the connections would fail which seemed to be the case for me. Ran great in the winter and terrible in warm/hot weather.
@@bloxrocks I've heard of a lot of issues with the Central Electronic Module failing in the heat and the cure was to remove the panel under the dash to allow air flow. I haven't heard of a ECU with that issue though.
@@bloxrocks I have been having this issue for a few years already with my Volvo, such pain in the ass, it's almost for sure that is the ecu or might be something else, who know but as far as now because it's winter here in New England it's not failing but once summer arrives it's a headache.
The vertical slot to the left of the stereo was for the factory option built in cellular phone. Not available in the US. The V70/S60 R’s also had a high pressure turbo and two inter coolers, when the non R models had a low pressure turbo and one intercooler. Has factory Brembo brakes Öhlins adjustable struts. Great car. Now I miss my V70R!
The slot could be a phone or a cupholder also. The T5s were a high pressure turbo and a single intercooler, but yeah almost all are 2.4t’s or 2.5t’s, which were a low pressure turbo and single intercooler. The double intercooler setup is actually worse than the single in the T5 as the little intercooler does almost nothing. Edit: arguably worse, not actually worse lmao
I actually just bought an 06 S60R with a manual transmission. I love these cars they’re so cool and just different. The brembo brakes all the way around, the AWD, the manual transmission, the turbo 5cly. It’s all so cool, even the active chassis which is rather expensive to replace if it were to go out. I got a rather good deal on it because it was a rebuilt title but it was only rear end damage that had been fixed and they did a very very good job on it. Although the motor started knocking the day I got it however I have another stock R motor that I can get for a good deal and I’m going to shim the block so the cylinder walls don’t crack which is what happened to the motor that was in it. So keep that in mind when you buy these cars. You can get a plug and play motor from a S60T5 that has a 2mm thicker cylinder wall that won’t crack and you don’t have to open the motor at all even to hold 400awhp unlike this one which you have to shim to be able to hold any power reliably. Even under stock power these cylinder walls crack which sucks.
I would like to take a moment and commend the owner on the pristine appearance of the car. Spectacular upkeep and cleaning. The engine compartment looks like the car just rolled out of the factory. 👏
My gal has had a base S60 of this gen. for four years and she swears it's the best car she's ever owned. It's been unbelievably reliable. And super-easy to work on.
@@richsackett3423 I've had my 05 2.5T for a little over 9 months and it's been the best. Still looks fantastic inside and out, and maintenance/reliability has been fantastic (although a bit more expensive than a Toyota or Honda which is to be expected). When I first got it, I knew the timing belt had to be replaced, and once my mechanic did that he found a bunch of other things wrong with it (there was a check engine light after a few days on the road, so I know there was actually something wrong besides the timing belt). However, since those repairs have been done it's been nothing but smooth sailing.
@@alphaares6027 i got a v70 as my first car 1yr ago and now got an xc70. Just prepare yourself to do some work on your own. Parts are relatively expensive and there are some things that are prone to failure. And if you are located in the US you’re lucky to have ipd:)
There was also a factory body kit called “sport kit” available for only the S60R. It had “winglets” which was like a front splitter, lower side skirts, and lower rear bumper that matches the lines of the side skirts. It also had a small rear wing.
Flash Green is such a cool color! Saw one of these with the optional sport kit, which gave the lower side skirts & the front spitter and also had a pretty wicked exhaust. Car sounded GOOD!
@@06VistaBlueGT1 interestingly enough I saw the exact S60R that Doug reviewed at a car show last year. I’m a Volvo fan so it stuck out to me, but it was exciting because it really was a rare color. I actually have a picture of it on my phone.
The Flash Green color is AMAZING with that interior. Always been a favorite of mine! Those wheels are cool looking too previously available on the 850 T5-R wagon.
Yeah seriously. I don't know what school of design Doug went to, but teal and orange are complementary colors. It's a bold choice, but they don't clash. Spectacular and unique color combination for a car.
You just have to click through a few Vids of his and check his outfits ... to judge what type of guy thinks these "clash". :) They are totally daring, especially for a Volvo of that aera, but they are far from "the stranges combo available" in my opinion.
The sound from the Volvo 5 cylinder is in the top 5 best sounding engines in my opinion 🥰 I have a S60 2.4T, with BSR downpipe, full exhaust and remap. And it sounds freakin mean 🔥
It had driving modes! Unheard of back then. The big 3 only relatively recently now incorporate "driving modes" today. Johnny come lately. Lol I've owned 2 S60R & only 1 BMW. Volvos are simply the best bang for the buck, & most reliable!
I've had my 2004 S60R since 2012 and 200,000 miles ago... it's my daily driver, and it still pulls very hard. Mine is silver with nordkap (blue metallic leather). Of course, I have it dipped in orange instead! I still get people commenting about the headlight wipers on my R... also about the big fat Brembos. The body roll thing is a parts thing - either the struts are soft or the bushings are - the suspension is a bit overly complex, but if it's all in Stage Zero, it works very well. Also, noting the 17" rubber on it, the 18" option makes a huge difference in handling characteristics. I will say this, I did away with the active suspension on mine, since I had 2 blown out and there weren't any available for the supposed warranty at the time, so I went with coil over suspension, which honestly works better. The little cubby next to the stereo, that was optional for a cup holder - OR for a built in cell phone. The other option that car didn't have (and mine didn't either) was the sat/nav system with the screen that retracted into the dash.
Bought one of these about a year ago. Loved it so damn much but the transmission crapped out after a week and the repairs were upwards of $5000. Naturally, I wasn't going to spend what I paid for the car in repairs so the seller agreed to buy it back from me for what I paid because he felt bad for selling me a lemon. That week I had it sure was magical though.
@@Newyen6MT I’d assume so. 04-05 had the AW55 which was fragile in a base model S60, and with the Rs they were borderline glass. 06 was the first year of the TF80-SC, which had quite a few issues. Most of them were resolved for the 07 model year.
15:03 - someone has probably already pointed this out, but I'm pretty sure the first car to introduce Volvo's new design language was the S80 that came out a few years before this car did.
this generation of Volvo were beautiful IMO. gorgeous sweeping curves instead of the boxy Volvo of the previous generation. Such a dramatic transformation.
11:39 The "storage slot" was what you got when you didn't choose or want the telephone that was an extra option for the radio. Some cars have a cover for the slot, others are open.
I haven’t ever heard of one with the cover but I’ve not seen that many P2s. I do know they had a fold out cupholder as an option in addition to the phone. I’ve never seen either of those in person though, all three of the ones we’ve owned and the plethora of others from Volvo guys I’ve been around haven’t had them.
I had a 2006 Volvo s40 was my first ever car. I instantly fell in love with it, and the S60R has been my dream car ever since! Thanks for reviewing, Doug!
I’ve always wanted one of these. Planned on buying one for my first car. It’s so dang cool, man. I hope this video doesn’t cause prices to go crazy but either way, I’m so happy to see Doug reviewing it. Even my car enthusiast friends didn’t know about this thing back in the day. Legendary.
i’ve always had a soft spot for old volvos, my dad growing up had a v70R that we put 150k miles on, i’m convinced it easily had another 100k miles left in it, really glad to see doug reviewing this car.
This is true. Although not an R, I drove a Volvo V70 D5 2010 (old taxi) about two years ago and it had 620. 000 km on the odometer and it worked really well.
Its kind of like a funny coloured pile of vomit. When you first see it you are drawn to admire it and look really close at it, but you would never want it to be yours
Unlike all the people who take it personally when I point out flaws in their cars, I'm happy to admit cars have flaws and that sometimes I like those flawed cars :) Silver, gray, etc., just bore me. Give me clashing, weird colors over those any day!
I just bought a 2007 for my daughter. 107,000 miles, and fully specced out. I have a 2018 2.0L AWD Ford Fusion turbo with 250/250 hp/torques. She wins. $13,000.
11:45 the weird storage slot is there because it was an option to have a pop out cupholder there I had an ‘05 s60 with a 2.0 5cyl turbo so it wasnt as fast but the engine sound and the torque was amazing!! Also the printed gear layout must be for the us market only because i never saw one with it here in the Netherlands
I've been waiting for this video. I absolutely love Volvo's. I had an S60 from around the same year, it was a 2.4 Turbo 5 cilinder with 200hp. I was in love with that car. Unfortunately had to sell it because the Geartronic automatic was giving up after almost 400k kilometers.
When I was a senior in high school in 2004 and driving my dad’s old Volvo 850 wagon, this S60R came out and it was my dream car. This is amazing thanks Doug!
The vertical slot is brilliant; immediately recognizable by anyone who's ever driven from LA to San Francisco sitting on their wallet. Also, I love the orange interior.
Our R cars are so under rated! Wanted one since 2004. Finally got one as a project last year. Now it is one of the nicest out there. Very proud to drive it! Thank you Doug for reviewing this legend!
Congrats getting project-R done….I’m sure you’re having a blast driving it. My old R was a bit of a rocket ship…that advanced mode was raucous. I picked up a 2019 , about 6 months ago. T6 polestar tune. Absolutely awesome car…but… no where near as fun as the 04. (C5 Corvette is my work in progress- talk about under rated). See you down the road…😎
ive owned my 06 passion red/Atacama m66 s60r for 13 years, just brought it in my shop tonight did some brakes and some other things to it tonight. had the spark to research them again. Very happy to find you did a video on this doug.
I can't believe Doug missed the most important quirk in this car. It has a button on the front center console to lower the rear headrests for visibility, and they're spring loaded. If you have someone in the back seat when you press it the headrest smacks them in the back of the head.
HEADREST SMACKS
Hahahahahahaha
I need this
@@rubenhaak2968 very handy under certain circumstances.
My housemates mother was sitting in the back of my S60R and talking smack about me in Chinese and thinkingI didn't know, so I 'accidentally' smacked her in the head with the headrests. 🤣
It’s nice to see Doug reviewing forgotten/underrated cars from years ago, and to watch these video and go back to those times
Since CNC was forced to close shop, he seems to have stopped having access to all the crazy cars. But I also enjoy the videos of older cars.
This cars were sometimes used by undercover cops in the Netherlands btw.. 😀
@Grudon 57 Yes, but mostly because of nationalism that Sweden is so into.
I wish he would review a 1982 Pontiac firebird
He’s done a mix of old and new since almost the beginning…
LoL.. I honestly feel Dougs reviews on performance spec older models, has literally driven the price up !
Teal and orange don't clash, they actually compliment each other very well in terms of colour theory. Daring combination for a car, definitely. For a Volvo at that, absolutely. But clash? Not at all.
On another note; I love how Doug gets just as enthusiastic about a 15 year old Volvo sedan as a new exotic supercar.
Because the S60R is a performance sedan bargain, something that most car enthusiasts are looking for these days. Plus, these are getting rare, especially those in great condition.
Thank you! They compliment each other extraordinarily well! I thought that was pretty common knowledge - just look at every action movie poster from the past 5 years...
Came here for this, I thought everybody would remember the gulf livery on porsches and more recently on the mclaren F1
Ask my grandmas basement😂😂
Super cars are really really boring, old cars for enthusiast are much more fun!!
A guy I knew in college had one of these. I looked him up on Facebook to see what he was up to and turns out THIS IS HIS CAR! Shoutout to the seller Joe he's a cool dude.
The is the most old school Doug video he has made in the last 4 years. Shorts with triple shirt, properly interesting quirky car. Perfection
On point.
I think Saab was the quirk king? Lol Loved them also for it!
Except for the Doug score. I hate it that he doesn't detail every category.
i MISS THEM TIMES 😭😭😭
Didn't shave his neck ...
YES!! OLD REVIEWS ARE BACK!
I love new cars, but I really miss the constant old car reviews!
Yeah, DougCember was very new car-centric this year. But the old stuff is coming back fast!
@@DougDeMuro Hey Doug, do you still have any plans with your alternate channel?
@@thomasorchard he forgot his password
@@DougDeMuro Well that's awesome! Appreciate the response!
The color combo is so weird that it works perfectly. It is definitely one of the coolest Volvos I have seen..well there's that.
Might be my favorite Volvo too! My second favorite would be the 2005 Volvo XC90 OCEAN RACE EDITION… have you ever seen one of those?
@@trentpettit6336 no I haven't but I am about to look it up!
@@Simple_Jack82 Great! Ford made a crossover SUV called the Ford Freestyle during the same time period (because Ford owned Volvo back then) which was based on the Volvo XC90. Sadly the Freestyle has become very rare! I wonder if the Freestyle would have sold better if people knew it really was a Volvo and not a true Ford!
I like the S60 and the r model, but honestly the v70r the wagon version I think looks better, might be because I generally prefer wagons but to have a wagon with 300hp ish is pretty cool 😂 I don't remember the exact power figure but the space ball gear lever is also cool
I don’t mind the colors 😂
Doug…c’mon man…how could you not highlight one of the coolest features: the rear seat head rest ejector button!! You can bop your friends heads from the push of a button up front. It’s so unnecessary but an amazing quirk of this car.
Just landed myself a 2007 SR with the M66 6 speed tranny in Electric Silver. I’ll probably take it to the grave with me. Cheers.
Ejecto Headresto, cuz! Im so glad they kept it in with the P3 chassis. Already being cramped back there, you can make your friends lives hell.
yeah when i saw doug's video of this i thought for sure he was gonna talk about that button, pissed off so many friends in my sisters volvo s60r
Surprised he didn't mention how good the sound is.
I had forgotten about this. Thanks.
My friends will hate me more now xd
That function is mainly for when you need to drop the back seats for cargo.
When folded, the headrests are not leaning on the front backrests, but tuck in between the rear seats and the front backrests, allowing the rear seats to drop completely flat for an enlarged cargo space.
Well, there goes my attainable goal of owning one of these for a reasonable price. Thanks Doug.
Hahaha 🤣 I was thinking the same
Lmal I saw posted 7 hours ago and said fuck
Got one 6 months ago :D
same i couldint even find one now the price will go up
@@user-bz6cu8mi4l got one with 48k in September for 7 grand
Can we all just appreciate the fact Volvo's history in the past has had some really fun cars. Volvo is often an overlooked brand for luxury cars.
Great cars for the first 75,000 miles lol. Then a maintenance nightmare. Lexus>volvo
@@guccigang1786 they are more reliable tan Germans tho and very safe, Toyota still the most reliable
@@guccigang1786 My Volvo S60 5 cylinder diesel is on 235,000 miles. Original gearbox, engine, turbo etc. Just new valve body, lifters (known issue), otherwise normal wear and tear.
@@MementoMori-xx5qo something mystical about diesel sedans. If only they weren't so rare.
@@guccigang1786 lexus is toyota
Glorified camry id drive a lexus if i was less fortunate but blessed to drive german car
Id drive a volvo anyday over an old geaser lexus toyota just my opinion
Unlike most cars with an R in its name, R didn't stand for "race", but instead for "refined". This car wasn't really a track or a racing car, but instead the very best possible version of what Volvo could do with the s60.
...which wasn't much.
@@pistonburner6448 there cars really become potent with some simple performance modifications. Also the adaptive dampers are quite good when paired with minor suspension improvements.
Thought it stood for "rally" as in all wheel drive.
@@ReviewedByAndy No, the car overall is total garbage. It's a FWD-bases poorly engineered thing made to just be cheap for A-to-B drivers. Volvo, with no talent for it trying to then slap on a few things to try to transform it to the level of actually sporty RWD-based machines? Ridiculous. It's uncomfortable _and_ totally un-sporty and un-dynamic.
Like Steve Sutcliffe sais at the time in a group test: "This thing is a boat. All it needs is teak decking and a rope." And then it proceeded to be far worse in handling _and no better_ (!!!) on the track test portion than the Honda Accord whatever ”S" model, not even the top "R" model from Honda!! The Honda had like 190hp and FWD and it equalled the Volvo... Meanwhile the Germans were in a totally different league! The BMW non-M models are practically supercars compared to the Volvo...
Just one thing you said was right, which is the R stand for "Refined" but really? The R car wasn't really a track or race car? They were bro...
4:05 The orange Atacama leather was a $5000 aud option that used special softer leather from 'Bridge of Weir' in Scotland (who supply most supercar manufacturers).
6:54 The printed gear selector numbers are only on North American cars, European and Aussie cars just left it black.
9:45 There are actually 20 'R' logos on the car.
11:50 That empty slot next to the radio was where the keypad for the optional built in telephone was installed.
Yes when you get the highest radio option the "HU-850" you get an optional phone with some other features. Its also available on regular s60's. Like mine :)
I have a built in phone with the HU-600
@@Mr13147
Does your phone still work, the power still turns on but I've tried a bunch of different sim cards and it just won't make calls.
@@johno9507 I don't think its network is supported any longer in the U.S. I saw a user post elsewhere that his phone still worked in... France, maybe.
The empty slot could also be used for factory accessory - pop-out cup holder.
The color combo, the 6-speeed manual transmission, the underratedness, the cool factor, no wonder this thing is up for sale
Yeah… because it’s a completely uncool Ford.
I detect a smidge of sarcasm 😂😂😂
Don’t forget the stellar reliability 🧐🤨
@@Newyen6MT WTF are you talking about? Ford bought Volvo in 1999. The whole color combination was a Ford idea.
@@afcgeo882 but you think its cool enough to watch the video and comment on it
Thank you for covering the Volvo S60R. It's so cool to see some of our aftermarket parts inside as well! Super surprising to see this review today. Very cool!
I love you IDP you guys are legit heros for P2 R owners
Thank you IPD for being a major role in keeping ouR caRs on the road! Always great customer service from you guys as well!!
IPD is the best!
You guys are the real MVPs for us Volvo people. I’m very nearly to Stage 0 thanks to y’all… hopefully I’ll still have money for your more exciting car parts afterwards! Lol. 🇸🇪
IPD THE GOATS
The colors are literally complimentary, if you look at a color wheel. I think they look great together.
Yeah it’s definitely better than the teal on green Porsche that sold on C&B not too long ago
Even if teal on orange look good, not everyone want orange interiors.
Doug the type a guy to not understand color theory
It’s blue and orange
Red and green
So they’re not really complimentary
Its literally basic silver color
Forgot one thing-the epic sound. I miss driving my family’s v70R often. It was a unique experience and the soundtrack was fantastic.
S60R is the only car I've taken around the Nurburgring and maxed out on the Autobahn when it was first launched. It's a solid and stable car at 155mph but I agree with the slightly vague handling. Very fond memories of a very good car on long trips. The best feature of the car is the seats, they are so comfortable.
Driven this 170mph after limiter removal 😎👍
@@mar0239 Yeah. I admit the limiter was the issue, It felt solid like it wanted to do more. Nice to have it confirmed. It was cool seeing vapour trails on the wing mirrors like aircraft wings at those speeds. 😎
Man, that thing was a horrible pile... I think it was Steve Sutcliffe who put it (naturally had to be blunt to convey the truth to his readers): "This thing is a boat. All it needs is teak decking and a rope." And then it proceeded to be far worse in handling _and no better_ (!!!) on the track test portion than the Honda Accord whatever ”S" model, it wasn't even the top "R" model from Honda!! The Honda had like 190hp and FWD and it equalled the Volvo... Meanwhile the Germans were in a totally different league! The BMW non-M models are practically supercars compared to the Volvo...
@@pistonburner6448 Had an 04 R manual for 8 years. Tuned with many after market performance parts. With 375 HP and 400 lb torgue, it'd blow the crap off any 4 banger no matter what OEM. Your non-m bmw review couldn't be more bias and misinformed... Sorry, but not sorry.
@@miteymo1248 First of all you've just devalued your car by tuning it, and you've taken lifespan off of it. They barely held together with stock power...
Second of all, all cars can be tuned.
Third of all, adding power is not what the Volvo crapboxes need at all. They are totally flawed form the very fundamentals. They have a horrible FWD-based chassis, horrible weight balance, horrible suspension, horrible drivetrain...
Just because you tuned the horribly-handling boat for more power doesn't make it any better than when it couldn't beat the Accord S with its FWD and naturally aspirated 2.4 four cylinder. It's still horrible in handling in every way. Just because you can stupidly squirt when you're finally on a straight because you've tuned your car doesn't make it become a great car.
I guess you think any barge that someone can tune more power than 375hp and 400lb-ft is better than your S60R was?
Also, non-M cars of that time period were not all 4-bangers, the 325i, 330i and even 320i had the beautiful, creamy, turbine-smooth straight sixes. And had a FAR better chassis, was made to be sporty from the beginning as opposed to the Volvo which was not. Again: even a very basic Honda Accord was better handling and better in dynamics than the flagship Volvo, so what do you expect the situation to be compared to BMWs??
The slot next to the stereo is usually replaced with an optional cup holder. They do tend to break a lot though. The hooks on the top of the flap in the trunk are designed to hang shopping bags from so your stuff doesn't spill everywhere as you hoon it home.
Or a phone module as is in my car.
I think there was a phone dial pad there, if you opted for it. The cupholder I think was a Saab thing.
@@DougDeMuro nope my S60 (D5) had a cup holder there too.. but it did break, like most did..
@@DougDeMuro There actually was a cupholder very like Saab's if you wanted it.
@@martinkarafin4640 Oh yeah, that too.
My dad had one of these. It was a great car over the years. We sold it to the local Volvo mechanic at 397,000 miles still with the original clutch, original battery, and everything still worked great. I still see it every now and then. It has over 550k on it now. Great cars.
Mine hit 244000 in 2012
You should buy it back and restore to the former glory!
400.000 miles on factory clutch and battery lol that's not possible
@@ronhonhola I’m telling you, it is. My dad knew exactly how to rev match pretty much perfectly and shift without the clutch. He almost never used the clutch unless he was starting from a stop or trying to shift for maximum performance. At 397k it had just started to slip. That was the reason we ended up selling it to the mechanic.
As for the battery, he bought the car in early 2006 (it was a 2004 model, used on a one year lease). He sold it in 2014. So the battery was 9 years old or so when we sold the car. The battery in my car currently is datecoded 06/08. So it’s 100% possible to have a working, older battery. If you take care of lead acid batteries they will last a very long time.
@@vaishunambiar I’ve thought about doing this for a few of my dad’s cars for a “significant” birthday at some point. I would either do the S60R or his first car (a yellow ‘68 Mustang 289). The S60 I at least would know where to find it but the Mustang would be a much more meaningful car to restore but is likely a cube by now.
This was my absolute favourite car when I was a teenager! I wanted it in this exact exterior and interior colour combination. I wish I could buy a brand new one right now ☹️
So beautiful ❤
It's called "complementing colors", Doug. Colors from the opposite sides of the spectrum. Before interior choices were limited to grey, black or tan, it was common on high end cars. I give Volvo credit for going that route.
Yeah I feel like teal and orange is definitely a good combo???
Doug knows nothing about music or colours so I wasn’t surprised when he said it “clashed”
Yes! Looks quite awesome imo!
@Matthew McCreadie Yeah? You got a lot of teal and orange outfits? haha
The colors actually take me back to when I was a kid playing with Hot Wheels in the bathtub. They had these color changing ones that would go from one extreme to the other in water. Simpler times...
It may just be me but this car looks like it belongs in a museum! Everything about it just screams nostalgia in the best ways, and everything is so clean.
This is new compared to the golden era of Volvos
You have to give it to Volvo, they've designed a car that almost 20 years later still looks pretty modern. It's quite a timeless design. Most of the Volvo's sold in that era with a few revisions to the lights could still look fairly modern today, two decades later, which is quite mind-blowing. Rarely happens in the car industry.
The v40 could still go toe to toe with the Golf 7, F20 1series,A3
Same with the C30. Really great looking car with an interior designed in 2004 for the s40, still looks fresh and simple today.
Yup. They all looked ugly then, and they still look hideous today!
@@n0isyturtle Let's just call the "styling" limited, as in plain. What you want your Opthamologest to be diving.
same for SAAB
Honestly, that interior colour fits the car pretty well, it looks sick. Tho i do prefer the dark brown seats with either the blue, or black S60R
Dougs losing his mind over this colour combo and it’s like one of the most popular colour pairings in art, design, movies 😂
I’ve got an 05 in black with navy seats, a strange combo but it works just right.
The cream is very nice on these as well.
But I would definitely go for Atacama! ^^
These old Volvos are well built and good to work on. I just changed an alternator on a c30 and it’s was pretty easy. Quite enjoyable actually.
Well they shoehorned 5 and 6 cylinder engines into the S60 and S80. It's pretty cramped
Got a c30 myself, high maintenance if I say so myself but Iv done most of the work myself.
Ford era volvos are a nightmare to work on dude
The C30 is an actual reliable vehicle. The S60R is a nightmare to own and their used prices are low for a reason. You could get a whole engine on a C30 T5 for the price of the S60R’s 4C suspension
Easy to work on, but needing to be worked on often lol. Lexus>volvo
I like this colour combination. It's striking, but not at all crazy. The colours complement each other nicely.
For most of the population this is considered rather crazy.
Opposites on the color wheel, they do compliment eachother
It the classic scifi color combination 😎
So strange that this was regarded as such an oddity, it looks great!
I agree! It's rare and maybe a little strange but there are way crazier color combinations
I still think the 5-cylinder Volvo engine is one of the best sounding mass-production engines of all time. I had a S60 T5 manual years ago and loved it (although it was boring silver over black) but now I really want to try an R.
5 cylinders in general are just some of the best sounding engines. VW’s NA 2.5L sounds great and some have even done individual throttle bodies for extra sound, as well as Audis 2.5T’s and older 2.2L turbos.
i have an V70R stock and this engine sound completely shitiest comparing to any car i ever had, once i had a ALfa 159 2.4 diesel 5 cyl and this sound so much better even being a diesel :)
Agree!! This sound and the straight 6 from BMW is really nice!
Same! I really loved that car, and now I'm definitely keen to find an R
Agreed, it is like a mini V10
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I had a 2005 V70 R Manual for 2 years, until the engine and turbo started to go.
I literally cried when I sold it.
I loved working on it, I loved driving it, and I wish I still owned it. The perfect sleeper / utilitarian / classic vehicle.
The dash slot was where the optional built in telephone went. I had one in mine.
The reason the window has a clip for the parking ticket is the air con system is very clever and after use when you park your car up after a while it blows air through all the vents to dry the system internally cutting down on the chance of mold growing. No clip and the ticket can blow away.
Didn’t know that! My 1997 940 has the clip too but don’t think it has that air con feature haha
Yeah, that air con thing is crazy. First time i heard the air con turn on on its own i freaked out and thought it's broken, but after some googling i was pleasantly surprised. I think Volvo is the only manufacturer who has this feature.
or cup holder. My 04 M66R has the fold out cup holder.
Being raised in Sweden, I always had a soft spot for this and the V70R. I was looking to buy one back then, but ended up with an A4 B5 Turbo and my Audi story started there hehe. Thank you for the video as usual
I always loved the V70R as well, but they were extremely expensive in the U.S.
I love the fact that Sweden gets so much sun in the winter.
@@giorgiom.3833 Is that… sarcasm?
I love your channel!!!
Traitor
I used to have one and I loved EXCEPT for one thing. The turning radius was horrendous. you need a 6 lane highway to do a U-Turn. Other than that, it was a great car.
This was the absolute worst part of owning one!! 3 point turns ended up being 5 point turns most of the time.
@@Jonalink123 was it worst than the turning radius on a Neon SRT4 lol
My R can defeat anything except a tight parking lot!!!!
@@TheMuffinMan1230 I've driven one and it is comical its like an Evo with a longer wheelbase
Don't forget the scraping sound!
In my humble opinion, as much as I love Flash Green, the later slightly face-lifted S60/V70R in Sonic Blue/Atacama colour combo, the "aero sport package" and the spaceball was the pinnacle of this model. Absolutely gorgeous.
Magic blue is way better than sonic blue
@@StillFeelDeadEnt magic blue is beautiful in the sun and has way more depth, but sonic blue definitely has more curb appeal.
I actually have an unpopular opinion in these cars, in that I like the 04 black trim more than the 05+ body color. It does depend on the specific color, in either of the blues I like the body color more, but in passion red and this flash green it helps to break up a very bright solidly colored car. I also like it on the titanium grey, though that’s exactly what I own so I could be biased there.
Volvo had the coolest interior/exterior color combos in the early 2000s. and the performance and safety of their cars weren't compromising each other, which is great! I have huge respect for Volvo as a manufacturer because of their strong reputation.
Yeah I don't get his point of the colors "clashing" teal and orange are literally complimentary colors 😂
@@yungboicontigo9278 yeah, Volvo is pretty awesome! and yeah, Toyota is a bit overrated, but that's not a bad thing. they're known for reliability and somewhat performance from some of their earlier cars(such as the MR2, the Supra, the Alteza, the Soarer, and the Chaser). Volvo is known for building their cars well enough to protect an egg in the most violent and deadly of crashes.
I'm in disagreement regarding the v70r vs the s60r. Although I'm absolutely a fan of both, my wagon bias makes the v70r basically a dream car to me. I absolutely love how it looks 😍
Same! It’s actually one of my favorite wagons ever because it isn’t too bulky and I love the styling!
∛
Yellow 850R was the bomb back in the days.
Wagons are for practical people. I had an S70 TDI for 5 years.
I now switched to a -99 v70 2.4 turbo and damn it feels much much better to drive than the sedan s70
The seats are in absolute perfect condition. It’s absolute gorgeous.
I learned to drive in a 2004 V70 (sadly not the R, but the 2,5T), and it was always so strange to me that other cars didn't have the little clip where you stick your parking receipt. Thanks for reminding me of this great feature!
The cool thing is, Volvo is still doing this. I just picked up a 2020 V60 last week and the clip is still there.
This car still looks brand new more than 20 years later. Absolutely love this era of Volvo!
@@jovanka--------5196
Excuse me, what the f?
@@syawalhamidi spam. Report and move on
This is so clean and classically styled, a truly timeless car - even in this Miami Dolphins color combo (which I happen to love).
Now that was a missed marketing opportunity right there, if you ask me.
My favorite car ever. I was a huge Volvo nerd as a teen and when this was revealed... wow. Don't get the colour-freak out. It's not that crazy. I just think it looks cool.
Doug’s obviously very passionate about cars, but I agree it’s not insane enough to warrant the freak out.
@@kylek762 Haha true, and I like that about him! But yeah... it's not that crazy. But I'm swedish and have probably seen ALOT more of this model growing up.
@@kylek762 Same, I wouldn't say this is the craziest colour combination ever. What about pre merger AMGs with red on red or yellow on yellow. (Full interiors even dashboard in steering wheel coloured) Or old Porsches: Outside Sternrubin pink, inside Pasha pattern (psychadelic chessboardd) seats.
V70R especially Ocean Blue is the greatest Volvo car, you cannot change my mind :)
Seriously... going a little over board with the color combo. That interior color is not that rare of a leather color (BMW had many similar ones)! That's Doug for you though, when he clicks on something, he goes all the way!!!!
V70r owner here. These cars are the reason why I got into cars. I absolutely love them. So glad to see you appreciate them as well.
Literally my dream car with this color combo. Almost picked up a grey one a few years ago but was too worried about maintenance costs at the time. Definitely a unique and gorgeous vehicle.
Volvos last forever, especially early ones. Not sure about the 2000s, those were Fords (they used this 5 cyl in the Focus RS mkII as well).
p.s.: might be reliable, but if something brakes, it costs a good amount
6:14 👽🎾
Same here. For my wife and I. We used the same excuses 😃 😀
Had a 2006 S60-R in passion red over sand interior. One of the most attractive, well built, and fun cars I have owned. The incredible sport front bucket seats, which unfortunately were not mentioned in this review, were some of the very best front seats on the planet. Only complaint was the rather harsh and overly stiff suspension. Sorry I ever let it go.....it was amazing and not something you saw on the road every day.
I have one with the exact same color combination. I got rid of the electronic suspension and put KW coil overs and it all stopped. Still stiff but less crashing with bumps and wheel hop.
I love my S40 with the 2.5T AWD and 6speed, shame that the turbo on the S60R didn't make it to my car. Supposedly there were s40R test mules somewhere. I look at every S60 hoping to see an R one day.
It's not 'sand' it's called Gobi, as in the Gobi desert.
I regret letting mine go too. The front seats were by far the best I ever sat in.
Mine is the same colors and a 2004. Has a tune giving it 380 hp
This hits the nostalgias so hard man… my mom always drove Volvos and I grew up in V70s. When we went to the dealership I loved that usually they had a couple with the orange interiors/blue gauges and I always wanted an R for myself! This era of Volvos were so clean and the look definitely holds up today 😍 I will always love wagons thanks to Volvo 🤘
I’d own that in that colour combo in a heart beat. I’ve wanted a 850 T5R in a sedan or wagon for years and years.
One of the most underrated sport sedans from the early 2000’s. They were fast, and luxurious. I remember when they first came out and they demonstrated them in wagon form (V70r) trailing M3s and S4s on the track. They were the perfect balance of Sportiness and Luxury.
Doug I could not disagree more! I've always thought the Sedan was awkward, but the abrupt end to the V70R I think is absolutely stunning!
Yeah, I'm much more a fan of the V70-R too. It's a MUCH better looking car than the S60R.
And the market agrees with us. The wagons are much more valuable than the sedans.
Definitely!!
Like a verse
I'm on my second V70. Thing is, Doug makes a dig at the 'boxy' rear end well yeah! It's because it's very practical as well as very comfortable and able to cruise all day, everyday making 'progress'. The V70 has usable room, the correct propotions, how many SUVs can get a tall fridge inside? Or a Mercedes wagon where it drops away at an angle essentially making the top rear triangle decide the volume. It also has a 12V socket in the rear, and an option is a shopping tray similar to the flip up screen in the S60's trunk/boot. The P2 V70 is considered by many as the best wagon/estate Volvo made and even the best overall of other wagons.
Exactly... what a fool... Doug thinks of all things, the wagon design looks too weird? Owned my 98 V70R for 2 years and it's the best car I've owned. 170000 miles on the OG turbo and running 16psi.
My daily driver car is a red 2005 S60R with blue interior. I'm currently restoring it, but all I can say is that I love it and car enthusiasts know that it is a unique super sleeper car. Amazing video Doug!!
If your willing to put up with what it is you basically have a budget UrQuattro
Better believe it! It deserves a restoration. I will also do mine.
Hey, which of its competitors are even still drivable?? I'm in NY & never see any of them?😳
@@jamiesmith6838 Probably any german car from those years could be competitors of the S60R. It doesn't surprise me that you haven't seen any S60R in NY haha, in Mexico I've only seen one besides mine, but what I surely say is that driving a Volvo is different from any other car.
I had a friend with one of these in dark blue. His was nicely modified, lowered, exhaust, intake. Fantastic car to drive. It was sad to see it go when it got totaled
Was your friend okay after the crash?
Doug: This car doesnt have a lot of "R"s all over the placed
Also Doug: shows us at least 14 "R"s all over the car
At least, the badges are subtle
18!
I counted 22 so far
I think he is referring to how subtly they've hidden the "R" logos
...it's all about the 𝐑 16:24 16:34 ...16:52 !
18:37 18:45 !
18:56 🚗 💨 !
I miss older car reviews like this. Great to see cars that are interesting, cool/fun, and affordable (who can afford new cars these days?)
I mean especially if you're going for a used c8 corvette or Tesla model 3/y, the new ones are far cheaper and probably the better option (though you have to wait)
If you look at the key fob, the design of it actually matches the body lines from the hood of the car, not sure it was on purpose but I find it pretty cool either way
I noticed that on my C30 fob, looks like the front of the car.
A beautifully maintained car and although an 'odd' colour combination, I think it looks really good. Even the body lines seem to be up there with newer designs.
Volvo has always been underrated for sleepers. The 240 has a huge engine bay for a swap, and its built like a fridge, so it works as an amazing sleeper.
THIS is exactly kind of a car we should see more here. Forgotten, quirky but still super cool
Grew up in a regular S60 from 2003. This cars looks stunning even to this day! Good memories in this car, the long trips, the sound and the leather seats made it feel so special.
They have aged well!
@@Shifty519 yes Indeed.
They’re very timeless. It looks like something that was designed in 2013!
I absolutely love the glorious and smooth sound of that turbo 5-cylinder!!
Those colours are so good together, the exterior is way out there for 2005 so the interior would have to be equally popping. Way to go Volvo and those daring enough to order it.
I think the color combo is nice and the colors compliment each other. Doesn’t seem too crazy and I wish more affordable car brands were braver with color choices.
You believe teal and orange complement each other? Huh. Well then. ;)
People pay a LOT of money for a Hermes leather bag in that "orange" :)
Truly agree, the contrast looks very appealing
@@DougDeMuro What about the Gulf Ford GT? Isn't that quite similar?
Well, these two colors are opposite each other on the color wheel. so theoretically they should compliment one another...theoretically.
One addition quirk that wasn’t mentioned is that the rear headrests fold down with the push of a button to increase visibility. This is shown at 8:17
Which button is that exactly? Is that the one to the right of the DSTC button?
@@joshoheb its to the left that has the image of a headrest with an arrow pointing down
When Id ride in the back of my friends in the early 2000's he'd lower the head rest to smack the back of my head if I was talking shit. Good times.
@@kevincollins8620 every time i have someone new in my volvo i make sure to do that to them lol
@@urbanlikethecity4961 same! I’ve done that to my sisters in the last 3 months of owning my 04 more times than I can count.
Couple things to note that Doug missed, the yellow button on the key is actually dual purpose and if optioned can be used to remote start the car if held (even as a manual so long as the parking brake is engaged and car is out of gear). And there's also a series of button presses to disable the traction control.
Neat!
Volvo took the "ultimate sleeper" phrase to a completely next level
You should check out the Mercedes E55 AMG from this era.. they weren't aggressively styled like modern AMGs and had about 470hp... Get it in grandma-spec beige and a wagon.. now that's a sleeper
I loved my S60R! Tons of power and the AWD was incredible. The 6 speed manual was so fun to drive. Complaints are limited to poor turn radius and the inevitable reason I sold the car was the electrical bug that I couldn't solve. Dash and gauges would just turn off completely!
Yep my friend got rid of his S60R for the same reasons. Electrical gremlins that just couldn't be figured out no matter what was tried.
I have a Aussie S60R and have had plenty of electrical gremlins, what exactly was the issue with your car? 🇦🇺
Never did figure it out. Everything I could find said Volvo used a cold solder on their ECU and that in the heat the connections would fail which seemed to be the case for me. Ran great in the winter and terrible in warm/hot weather.
@@bloxrocks
I've heard of a lot of issues with the Central Electronic Module failing in the heat and the cure was to remove the panel under the dash to allow air flow.
I haven't heard of a ECU with that issue though.
@@bloxrocks I have been having this issue for a few years already with my Volvo, such pain in the ass, it's almost for sure that is the ecu or might be something else, who know but as far as now because it's winter here in New England it's not failing but once summer arrives it's a headache.
The vertical slot to the left of the stereo was for the factory option built in cellular phone. Not available in the US. The V70/S60 R’s also had a high pressure turbo and two inter coolers, when the non R models had a low pressure turbo and one intercooler. Has factory Brembo brakes Öhlins adjustable struts. Great car. Now I miss my V70R!
The slot is perfect storage for a cell phone too
The phone was available in the USA I have it in my car and see it often
The slot could be a phone or a cupholder also. The T5s were a high pressure turbo and a single intercooler, but yeah almost all are 2.4t’s or 2.5t’s, which were a low pressure turbo and single intercooler. The double intercooler setup is actually worse than the single in the T5 as the little intercooler does almost nothing.
Edit: arguably worse, not actually worse lmao
The option is available in the US.
And in some options it is a cupholder instead. I got one in my T5 S60
TY! FOR DOING A REAL REVIEW AND NOT ANOTHER NEW CAR COMMERCIAL!!!!
Doug: “It’s being offered with no reserve”
Also Doug: “THIS is my new Volvo S60R”
@seeni gzty Can confirm, my parents 2013 XC90 has those exact gauges, and they are illuminated.
rirright? I'm surprised he didn't buy it. I guess since he just bought the 4 Runner.
The other quirk not mentioned was the special different front for the R. They had to design a different one in order to accomodate bigger intercooler
It also has two intercoolers
I love how “special edition”cars used to look subtle and almost elegant rather than being an overstyled pile of plastic
Amen!
How is this teal/orange sports sedan at all subtle
I actually just bought an 06 S60R with a manual transmission. I love these cars they’re so cool and just different. The brembo brakes all the way around, the AWD, the manual transmission, the turbo 5cly. It’s all so cool, even the active chassis which is rather expensive to replace if it were to go out. I got a rather good deal on it because it was a rebuilt title but it was only rear end damage that had been fixed and they did a very very good job on it. Although the motor started knocking the day I got it however I have another stock R motor that I can get for a good deal and I’m going to shim the block so the cylinder walls don’t crack which is what happened to the motor that was in it. So keep that in mind when you buy these cars. You can get a plug and play motor from a S60T5 that has a 2mm thicker cylinder wall that won’t crack and you don’t have to open the motor at all even to hold 400awhp unlike this one which you have to shim to be able to hold any power reliably. Even under stock power these cylinder walls crack which sucks.
I would like to take a moment and commend the owner on the pristine appearance of the car. Spectacular upkeep and cleaning. The engine compartment looks like the car just rolled out of the factory. 👏
Pristine, even though the license plate says ratchet
Very true.
I love this car. First car was an '05 S60. Beautiful colour and one of the nicest wheels ever to come on a car
My first car is an 04 V40 in silver. I love Volvo’s!
I need this car in my life 🇸🇪
My gal has had a base S60 of this gen. for four years and she swears it's the best car she's ever owned. It's been unbelievably reliable. And super-easy to work on.
@@richsackett3423 I've had my 05 2.5T for a little over 9 months and it's been the best. Still looks fantastic inside and out, and maintenance/reliability has been fantastic (although a bit more expensive than a Toyota or Honda which is to be expected). When I first got it, I knew the timing belt had to be replaced, and once my mechanic did that he found a bunch of other things wrong with it (there was a check engine light after a few days on the road, so I know there was actually something wrong besides the timing belt). However, since those repairs have been done it's been nothing but smooth sailing.
Mann this does look like a perfect car might be my first high school car but should I get it guys?? The car market right now is crazy.
@@alphaares6027 i got a v70 as my first car 1yr ago and now got an xc70. Just prepare yourself to do some work on your own. Parts are relatively expensive and there are some things that are prone to failure. And if you are located in the US you’re lucky to have ipd:)
I would love to see a modernized redesign of the V70R if you haven't already!
Doug DeMuro.........the Quinton Tarantino of car reviews! Loved this review! Nowi want a Flash Green S60R.....with that Orange interior! lol
There was also a factory body kit called “sport kit” available for only the S60R. It had “winglets” which was like a front splitter, lower side skirts, and lower rear bumper that matches the lines of the side skirts.
It also had a small rear wing.
And it had a body colored rear surround for the exhaust that was only done by Maserati Quattroporte at that time
There was a variant of the sport kit for non-R versions too, with a different front for the non-R bumper. Even rarer though
Flash Green is such a cool color! Saw one of these with the optional sport kit, which gave the lower side skirts & the front spitter and also had a pretty wicked exhaust. Car sounded GOOD!
@@06VistaBlueGT1 interestingly enough I saw the exact S60R that Doug reviewed at a car show last year. I’m a Volvo fan so it stuck out to me, but it was exciting because it really was a rare color. I actually have a picture of it on my phone.
The Flash Green color is AMAZING with that interior. Always been a favorite of mine! Those wheels are cool looking too previously available on the 850 T5-R wagon.
Yeah seriously. I don't know what school of design Doug went to, but teal and orange are complementary colors. It's a bold choice, but they don't clash. Spectacular and unique color combination for a car.
You just have to click through a few Vids of his and check his outfits ... to judge what type of guy thinks these "clash". :)
They are totally daring, especially for a Volvo of that aera, but they are far from "the stranges combo available" in my opinion.
The wheels on the 850r are called titans the ones on the v70r & s60r are Pegasus
@@sal61999 Right. Both pretty similar and timeless wheels.
The sound from the Volvo 5 cylinder is in the top 5 best sounding engines in my opinion 🥰
I have a S60 2.4T, with BSR downpipe, full exhaust and remap. And it sounds freakin mean 🔥
Is it manual? Do you feel the 250hp as Bsr says? Any Problems after the tuning?
Yep!
I have a stock 2003 V70 T5 (except for Jetex SS exhaust) with 177K on the clock and still love the noise it makes and it still goes pretty good.
I have an 05 S60 R with 330 hp and it’s the best sounding car I’ve ever owned. This coming from an LS V8 enthusiast
@@tm9897 yes its manual, and 264hp.
And no problems at all. And yes, there is a clear difference after remap.
That was the most energetic "THIS" I've seen in a while. Thanks Doug
I had one in red, review is spot on. Good acceleration but handling was just ok. I think sound and shifter were coolest things about s60r.
It had driving modes! Unheard of back then.
The big 3 only relatively recently now incorporate "driving modes" today. Johnny come lately. Lol
I've owned 2 S60R & only 1 BMW. Volvos are simply the best bang for the buck, & most reliable!
@@jamiesmith6838 best bang for the buck? Lol, no
Doug: "This is the most crazy color combo ever offered by a manufacturer from the factory"
VW Harlequin: "What am I a joke to you?"
Just ordered a new one with the T8. Owned a early 2000s s40 in the past still one of the best cars I have ever had.
I've had my 2004 S60R since 2012 and 200,000 miles ago... it's my daily driver, and it still pulls very hard. Mine is silver with nordkap (blue metallic leather). Of course, I have it dipped in orange instead!
I still get people commenting about the headlight wipers on my R... also about the big fat Brembos.
The body roll thing is a parts thing - either the struts are soft or the bushings are - the suspension is a bit overly complex, but if it's all in Stage Zero, it works very well. Also, noting the 17" rubber on it, the 18" option makes a huge difference in handling characteristics. I will say this, I did away with the active suspension on mine, since I had 2 blown out and there weren't any available for the supposed warranty at the time, so I went with coil over suspension, which honestly works better.
The little cubby next to the stereo, that was optional for a cup holder - OR for a built in cell phone.
The other option that car didn't have (and mine didn't either) was the sat/nav system with the screen that retracted into the dash.
The 2000s was just such a magic era for sporty sedans
Mercury marauder 🤤
Bought one of these about a year ago. Loved it so damn much but the transmission crapped out after a week and the repairs were upwards of $5000. Naturally, I wasn't going to spend what I paid for the car in repairs so the seller agreed to buy it back from me for what I paid because he felt bad for selling me a lemon. That week I had it sure was magical though.
Automatic?
@@Newyen6MT I’d assume so. 04-05 had the AW55 which was fragile in a base model S60, and with the Rs they were borderline glass. 06 was the first year of the TF80-SC, which had quite a few issues. Most of them were resolved for the 07 model year.
Had one of these in this color, one of the best cars I've ever owned by far.
I honestly love this color combo! Thanks for the great video, Doug!!!
15:03 - someone has probably already pointed this out, but I'm pretty sure the first car to introduce Volvo's new design language was the S80 that came out a few years before this car did.
this generation of Volvo were beautiful IMO. gorgeous sweeping curves instead of the boxy Volvo of the previous generation. Such a dramatic transformation.
11:39
The "storage slot" was what you got when you didn't choose or want the telephone that was an extra option for the radio. Some cars have a cover for the slot, others are open.
I haven’t ever heard of one with the cover but I’ve not seen that many P2s. I do know they had a fold out cupholder as an option in addition to the phone. I’ve never seen either of those in person though, all three of the ones we’ve owned and the plethora of others from Volvo guys I’ve been around haven’t had them.
I had a 2006 Volvo s40 was my first ever car. I instantly fell in love with it, and the S60R has been my dream car ever since! Thanks for reviewing, Doug!
What a gem. Its the reason why I have been watching for years . Then again I'm 37 so the nostalgia is there.
I’ve always wanted one of these. Planned on buying one for my first car. It’s so dang cool, man. I hope this video doesn’t cause prices to go crazy but either way, I’m so happy to see Doug reviewing it. Even my car enthusiast friends didn’t know about this thing back in the day. Legendary.
If it’s any help three months later, there is a fantastic one on Bring a Trailer!
Low mileage ones don't exist
@@Alex-mh8yb Yeah, but that’s just as well. Anything under 1ook is just delivery miles for these.
i’ve always had a soft spot for old volvos, my dad growing up had a v70R that we put 150k miles on, i’m convinced it easily had another 100k miles left in it, really glad to see doug reviewing this car.
This is true.
Although not an R, I drove a Volvo V70 D5 2010 (old taxi) about two years ago and it had 620. 000 km on the odometer and it worked really well.
Doug: "this color combination is heinous !"
Also Doug: "this color combination is my all time favorites !"
I'm perplexed.
Doug has an evil twin
Its kind of like a funny coloured pile of vomit. When you first see it you are drawn to admire it and look really close at it, but you would never want it to be yours
Unlike all the people who take it personally when I point out flaws in their cars, I'm happy to admit cars have flaws and that sometimes I like those flawed cars :)
Silver, gray, etc., just bore me. Give me clashing, weird colors over those any day!
@@DougDeMuro Aw man, Doug, you wouldn't like my car. Its a silver 2018 accord exl hybrid.
@@DougDeMuro Ah I see, props to Volvo for breaking out of the box (pun kinda intended), def one of the most unique cars of all time.
I just bought a 2007 for my daughter. 107,000 miles, and fully specced out. I have a 2018 2.0L AWD Ford Fusion turbo with 250/250 hp/torques. She wins. $13,000.
11:45 the weird storage slot is there because it was an option to have a pop out cupholder there
I had an ‘05 s60 with a 2.0 5cyl turbo so it wasnt as fast but the engine sound and the torque was amazing!!
Also the printed gear layout must be for the us market only because i never saw one with it here in the Netherlands
I have a phone dial where the slot is on my S60 T5
was also for the phone option, this was where the dialpad was
@@JamesCherrill i didnt know
Guess I did not have the most expensive option then😜
I've been waiting for this video. I absolutely love Volvo's. I had an S60 from around the same year, it was a 2.4 Turbo 5 cilinder with 200hp. I was in love with that car. Unfortunately had to sell it because the Geartronic automatic was giving up after almost 400k kilometers.
This car is in immaculate condition. What a great example!
When I was a senior in high school in 2004 and driving my dad’s old Volvo 850 wagon, this S60R came out and it was my dream car. This is amazing thanks Doug!
The vertical slot is brilliant; immediately recognizable by anyone who's ever driven from LA to San Francisco sitting on their wallet. Also, I love the orange interior.
That's what mine gets used for!
I can clearly tell that the owners of this car sure did up keep this car especially the interior 👍🏾❤
Well considering this interior color is un-painted (dyed) leather you have to
Our R cars are so under rated! Wanted one since 2004. Finally got one as a project last year. Now it is one of the nicest out there. Very proud to drive it! Thank you Doug for reviewing this legend!
Congrats getting project-R done….I’m sure you’re having a blast driving it. My old R was a bit of a rocket ship…that advanced mode was raucous. I picked up a 2019 , about 6 months ago. T6 polestar tune. Absolutely awesome car…but… no where near as fun as the 04. (C5 Corvette is my work in progress- talk about under rated). See you down the road…😎
ive owned my 06 passion red/Atacama m66 s60r for 13 years, just brought it in my shop tonight did some brakes and some other things to it tonight. had the spark to research them again. Very happy to find you did a video on this doug.