jj808 Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 Who is going to buy an AWD volvo in hawaii? The same people that might be interested in a AWD Subie? Mebbe i dont understand your question... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spec B 127 Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 Just remember, if you buy a Volve, you are buying a Ford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mono Posted January 25, 2006 Author Share Posted January 25, 2006 Also, you should include the G35 or G35X in your car search as well. the car really is pretty damn good for the money, and you can get all the luxury features (memory seats, completely keyless entry/ignition, fold down rear seat) as well. Anyway, I liked the S60R quite a bit. I had the opportunity to drive both the MT and the Auto (both 2005 models, so the AT had the crappy, poor shifting auto, I hear the '06 AT is MUCH better). Anyway, the car drove quite well for "daily driving." I pushed the cars pretty hard on my test drives (no salesguys in the car with me) so I got a good 7-8/10ths feel for the car's handling prowess. You do feel a little front wheel bias, but not much. Under 10/10ths it would probably stick out much more obviously. As another poster here commented, the steering feedback was pretty poor. No real sense of communication with the chassis. The huge front seat headrests seriously impeded on my visibility during highway driving as they create huge blindspots when looking over your shoulders. The Legacy suffers from this same issue, but to a much lesser extent, at least for me. What really killed me about the S60R was the absolutely tiny back seat. After adjusting the seating position for me (I'm 6'1" with fairly long legs and arms, I couldn't even get into the backseat in the Volvo. I am not exagerating here either. Even my wife, who is rather petite at 5'4", could not sit comfortably behind me. I also looked at the IS350 (heck, I had a pre-order deposit in on one for 7 months) and the IS had noticeably more legroom in the rear than the S60 (but still not enough, and no headroom either). I couldn't believe it myself, but I drove the S60R again, and had the same issue. I performed the "sit behind myself" test in every car I considered, and here's how I ranked the backseat legroom, from worst to best: Worst: S60R, then the new IS, then the Legacy, then the BMW 330i (for some odd reason, the sport package seats in the 330s leave significantly more room for your feet in the backseat than the standard seats, weird), with the best being the G35. The Legacy only had slightly less legroom and headroom than the 330 (which really was the car I wanted but I couldn't justify 50% more $$$ than the Legacy, especially with the new 335i looming just around the corner with ~310HP). As much as I think the G35 is an amazing car for the money, I am just not in love with the styling of the car, and the seats were not as comfortable for me as all the other cars I drove. Seat comfort was excellent in the Volvo and Subaru, and the sport seats in the 330i were simply amazing (again, at least for my frame). What really sold me on the Subaru (despite no memory seats, no auto-dimming outside mirrors, no fold down rear seat, and no steering wheel mounted audio controls), was the overall fun to drive factor that the Legacy GT has. It was so much closer to the sport packaged 330i that it really has any right to be. Steering feedback is very good, the car responds well to driver input. Relatively light understeer, excellent power, and it has very good daily driving manners. Not too harsh, not too soft. Yeah, I wish that the car had a little less body roll initially upon hitting a corner, but once the suspension settles (and it does settle very quickly), the car sticks very well. I really hope Subaru adds the few "luxo" features that its competitors have and increases the fuel economy as well. I took advantage of the Subaru Executive VIP discount to get a good car now while waiting for the 335i that should be out in a year or so. After having the Legacy GT for two months now, I have a strange feeling that I won't be buying that BMW after all. If Subaru adds things like memory seats and a split fold rear seat (or better yet makes an EAT STi/Spec. B like in Australia), I'll just trade mine on in for a new Legacy. Oh yeah, add that MacIntosh Audio system as well. bottom line, I wouldn't waste the money on the S60R. Wow, we really think alike. I have considered the G35 Sedan w/ 6MT, but like you, the exterior styling isn't that appealing to me. The 330i w/sport package was a great test drive. It felt so connected to the road and to my inputs. It's a wonderful car, but light on low end torque which makes getting the 6MT a must. I am still seriously considering this car. No doubt the Legacy would save me thousands even after I added the AP Stage II, UP/DP like I know I would. I need to test drive a 5MT Legacy GT. After reading through the sweedspeed discussion forums and the comments made in this thread, I am not too excited about the Volvo S60R any longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rporter Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 FWIW, what knocked the G35 out of the box for me was no manual tranny with AWD (once I decided on AWD rather than RWD) Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leggtnut Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 I was actually considering the volvo, untill I saw the price. Dam, I can get just about 1 1/2 subarus of my liking for that price. My sister works for a volvo dealiership and gets 300 above unlisted dealer cost. Even then, the price was way to mutch for me. Ben (2014 Outback SAP w/ eyesite, 2014 Tribeca Limited, 2006 LGT limited sedan) Subaru Ambassador PNW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_phil Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 I was looking to get a V70R in August at (then advertised) great discount, but could not find any with a manual tranny. I still want one, but I want to do a euro delivery on it, so maybe in 3-4 years... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IwannaSportSedan Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 I would definitely suggest Mono try a Spec B Legacy. Money is less of a concern than it is for me (30k is a reasonable breakover for me) but S60R is much more expensive, and if that is in the running, discounts on the Spec B are probably going to make it a deal compared to BMWs, G35s, and Volvos that I am not really considering due to price. It has the handling, it has the power (and easier to add more...) and it has the Manual transmission and audio controls. The only things missing would be the memory seats, and fold down rear seat backs, and a couple of other smaller details. Also, if the decision isn't imminent quite yet, perhaps consider waiting for the 07 Legacy GT... Which should be arriving on dealer lots in about 6-months. It may quell some of your concerns. We don't yet know what sorts of added options might be available, although a few rumors are starting to surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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