Rastafarian

Has anyone compared the two? I am seriously inclined to get the TLS, but new manufacturer lease deals on the S60 are making me reconsider. Wish Acura would do the same.

thanks for the input - I need to buy/lease this week!

Darla

If you need rear seating, go with the TL-S (IMHO).

derrick

I've driven both cars when deciding upon the TLS. Have to say that Volvo has come along quite nicely from its boxy days.

Your decision is based upon what your needs and concerns are primarily. If you consider cost and affordability, then the Acura may be the wiser choice. If safety is of paramount concern, then the Volvo has the better reputation. Luxury (creature comforts) is probably at par-- Volvo has a nice interior as does the Acura. If your car is going to carry more than 2 passengers, the Acura has the upper hand (I agree with the previous post!)

Performance? I would like to say my TLS has the upperhand but the S60 T5 has some monstrous power under the hood. If you are dextrous with a manual, then the T5 has the edge.

If name is your thing, it's probably equal. Both Volvo and Acura have good status to the masses.

The reason why I picked up the TLS is that the TLS has more bragging rights where I'm from. There's no Acura dealer in my neighbourhood so it looks cool to drive around in it...

Hope that helps. And good luck!

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2002 TL eternal blue Type-S. factory spoiler, no navi, no mods <b>yet</b>...

thejavagod

Hahaha! Not even funny! The Volvo S60 handles like a dog...the TLS is loads more fun to drive and has much more for the money and far more reliable, I think the decision is a no brainer.

cjscott

IMO, the Volvo has potential to be a great car, but right now its reliability is highly suspect. That's probably why Volvo will offer you a good deal on it.

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2002 Aegean Blue TL-S w/Navi
Chrome CL-S wheels, H&R OE springs, tint, K&N drop-in
more to come...

thephantom

If you have a great product, why would you "give" it away? If I ask you which manufacture would you prefer, Ford or Honda? Which would you pick? Then, Volvo or Acura? There's your answer.

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Those who know, don't talk.

DocCat

I was a strong Volvo lean until I drove the TL type S. The Volvo has a solid feel to it, but the steering/handling were terrible. Volvo reliabilty has taken a turn for the worse of late.

And finally, if you ever have need to put adults in the back, then go with the Acura. To put 2 adults in the back of the Volvo would just be cruel.

I'm going with the Acura over the S60.

Road Rage

Volvo engine is about as sophisticated as a tractor - and I have a sneaking suspicion, totally unverified, that the name Volvo is a Swedish joke on us as it is Swedish for an intimate part of the female anatomy...Deloris!

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Rage On!
2002 TL-S w. Comptech header/exhaust, springs, airfilter
SSR Integral A2's
17x7 45mm offset
Pirelli P7000 (Summer) 215-50/17

RedLined

I drove the S60 T5 before I bought my TL-S. It was a nice car but it was very small and not very stirring to drive.

Motor Trend recently did a multi-car comparo including the T5 and the Type S. The Type S, I believe, beat it in all performance categories but the writers liked the Volvo's rear seat better (they must be midgets) and for whatever reason they liked whole car better than the Acura. I'm now thinking of discontinuing my subscription as they must all be complete morons.

Anyway, drive 'em both and get what you like better.

Xorg

I checked out the S60 as well as an S80, and I wasn't impressed. Some notes:

The S80 is supposed to be a luxury car, but it drove like a beast and wandered all over the road. A friend who rented one in Florida noticed the same wandering problem.

I was also amazed at how much road noise entered the cabin from the *floor* - the dealer claimed this was due to "thin floormats", but I don't think so. The ride was also very sluggish.

I LOVE the way the S60 looks and the driver's seat is near perfect, but its also quite small so you'll get to know your passengers well, and the back seat is a joke.

Now two major considerations.

PRICE: Add a few options to the S60, and the price goes through the roof and you're well on your way to $40K. The incentive lease may look good - but read the fine print - they whack you with up front charges and the lease is a paltry 10/12K miles per year! I leased my TL/S for $50/month less than the $399 S60 lease Volvo is pushing, and I have 15K miles to work with each year.

RELIABILITY: Volvo took a chance in a massive top down redeign of all its cars. They look great, but reliability has suffered. The S80 had very serious transmission and headlight problems in 1999, its first year - the main reason you see so many of them offered at low prices. Volvo dealers are also not known for stellar customer service or cheap repairs.

Given that this is the S60's first year, will you take a chance it will have the same issues as the S80 did in its first year?

bbjones

There was an autoweek issue a while ago (maybe, early april?) that had the drive tests on the TL-S and the S60 T5 in the same issue. The track times were virtually identical.

However, my parents have had Volvos for years. The old boxy ones were bulletproof, but the new ones need a lot of TLC. Brakes wear out about every 30K miles, and are very expensive to replace. All the normal maintenance is expensive, and I'd be wary of that turbo.

Hence, for me, the Acura. And (see .sig) I don't even have anything bad to say about Fords.




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2002 Acura TL Type-S Dark Emerald Pearl
1986 Pontiac Fiero SE V6
1994 Ford Explorer 4x4

lonny

Acura over Volvo any day. I drove the S80 T6 and the S60 T5. The S80 only comes with a 4spd auto and it has terrible torque steer. The S60 drives better, has a 5spd auto, but gets close to the price of the S80 when you add options and the S60 is TOO small.

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'02 TL-S WDP/Parchment NAV