Volvo V50 Manual

Arnt these pretty rare? An AWD T5 one in red just popped up locally. 144k miles $6k. Not sure how much of a maintenance queen the AWD versions are? I'm a fan of their non turbo engines.

Ah, from what I read too bad it's not the FWD version.

why don't you want AWD?

Haven't read drawbacks, but they do seem to be a bit of a unicorn.

My wife drives a T5 FWD '08 V50 (auto) with 170K on it now and it's been flawless.

AWD would be fun. Heard they eat suspension parts?

They are pretty uncommon. AWD is Haldex on these which I personally despise but some people seem to think it's OK. Proper Volvos are 2WD to me anyway though.

pointofdeparture wrote: Proper Volvos are RWD to me anyway though.

Ftfy

It drove better than my 2013 c30. AWD really makes it pull real good. Its a looker, interior all bumpy leather and has these nice door sills and gauges. AC died about half way into test drive.

In reply to Coldsnap:

Haldex only really works under slip so it was probably FWD for most of that drive. Automatic Volvos like your C30 are boost-limited in the lower gears which is probably why the V50 felt quicker.

pointofdeparture wrote: In reply to Coldsnap: Haldex only really works under slip so it was probably FWD for most of that drive. Automatic Volvos like your C30 are boost-limited in the lower gears which is probably why the V50 felt quicker.

My C30 was just really front wheel spin happy. AWD didnt' have this which I liked. Ahh, makes sense.

These are pretty cool. Wonder how much extra practical space you get on the wagons vs s40.

I'm a huge fan of these. Viva performance has bits to bolt on that with make the T5 previous Gen focus ST spec, only you'd have awd to deal with the output as opposed to a revoknuckle setup. There are several suspension options available as well.

It was super fun to drive..

Are they reliable?

Working ac in a Volvo? Lol

In reply to Woody:

Depends on the definition

Automatic, but...

http://newhaven.craigslist.org/cto/5582583814.html

Furious_E wrote: Working ac in a Volvo? Lol

I dunno, mine works awesome. We've never serviced it since the previous previous owner started bringing it to us for service in 2012-ish. It is not an anomaly, of all of the Volvos we work with, I can't even remember ever hooking the A/C machine to one.

The Forester that I am driving, however, has crappy A/C. It blows ice cold from the vents, mind you, but the inside of the car is still really hot, so you get to experience being hot with a few pinpoints of annoyingly cold wind.

I suspect the reason is all the glass in the Forester and all of the padding and insulation in the Volvo. That stuff is WONDERFUL for making HVAC systems' lives easier.

Regarding manual trans... the nonturbo models drive fine with a manual (believe it or not there are quite a few manual trans 2.4l S60s around!) but the turbo engine is best matched to an automatic, and vice-versa. Torque converters and turbos go together like peanut butter and chocolate!

I don't have any knowledge of these but I think they're really nice looking. Turbo, AWD wagon with manual transmission is a great starting point.

In reply to Knurled:

Once you drive a manual turbo you wont say that....ive got two of the same cars, both turbo volvos only difference is the transmission, guess which one is umpteenth times more fun and rewarding to drive? Hint: the gear lever doesnt have a D in it

SWMBO's 2005 S40 had weak a/c and the solution was re-shimming the AC clutch. Done at the local Volvo dealer and on the cheap. Lucky us, I suppose.

In reply to chiodos:

Well, with mine anyway, I can make max boost at about 1/4-1/3 throttle and the rest of the pedal travel just dictates max shiftpoints. Stall speed is in the 2500-3000 range and the turbo is VERY responsive at that point. There is never, ever any waiting for boost, it just happens.

The trans also hangs on to gears for you if you lift off the throttle quickly after a certain period of time at heavy throttle, it won't upshift in the middle of a corner like a dumb trans will. It also downshifts automatically if you're at zero throttle and car is accelerating (senses you going downhill). It's freaking brilliant. And if you downshift manually, it takes a good 3-4 seconds to shift, unless you blip the throttle, and then it will rev-match the shift. THAT is downright amusing, it's like the reciprocal of an automatic rev-matching manual.

I test drove a FWD, six speed T5 version a few months back. It was a great ride. I would have bought the thing on the spot if there weren't several noticeably questionable repairs in plain sight.