Niels Diender is a mile-eater and likes to drive a diesel. Niels took over the plug-in hybrid V60 from his father.
Driving a lot means refueling often or charging more and more often. The solution for mileage eaters is usually a diesel, which is also the case for Niels Diender. He liked his father’s Volvo V60 D6 so much that he decided to take over the car.
Volvo V60 was so interesting because of the tax benefit
You can hardly go wrong with the combination of Volvo and diesel. The party can’t go on at all if it also turns out to be the famous five-cylinder that is supported by an electric motor. Reason enough for Anton Diender, the father of current owner Niels, to purchase such an all-rounder. “I drove a Mitsubishi Outlander before, but it ran about 1 in 6 with the trailer behind it. That got crazy to me, so I started looking for something else. I first went to see a V70 in the color ‘Amber Black’ at the Volvo dealer in Zwolle and immediately fell in love. Ultimately it became a black V60 at the dealer in Emmeloord. It was also interesting because of the KIA scheme, which meant I paid no road tax and zero percent additional tax for the first five years. That saved a serious amount of money. I just didn’t get any money for driving this car,” Anton jokes.
Replaced air conditioning pump four times
With Anton behind the wheel, the V60 already saw a lot of the national and international road network. After more than 4 tons on the counter, some things have been encrypted. Anton: “Every 15,000 kilometers we regularly change the oil and oil filter to keep the engine in good condition. Furthermore, the air conditioning pump was replaced four times under warranty, both turbos failed once and an inlet hose was torn on the way to vacation. While driving we suddenly heard a hissing sound and we jacked up the car at the campsite. After a quick inspection I saw that the intake hose had failed. We ordered it from the local dealer and replaced it at the campsite. In addition to those costs, it is actually only wear parts that have been replaced such as brake pads, tires and the timing belt twice because of the mileage. All in all, it’s not too bad.”
From father to son
Although the rock-solid diesel still performed well, Anton thought it was time for something different. The Volvo had to make way for an Alfa Romeo Stelvio diesel, but the trade-in price was somewhat disappointing. Son Niels was also driving an Alfa at that time. Still, ‘that old man’ Volvo also seemed like something to him.
“I previously owned a Renault Clio and later an Alfa Giulietta, both diesels. After completing my studies, I could choose between a lease or my own car at work. In terms of luxury and comfort, I preferred my own car. I have been a mechanic before, so I do the maintenance myself, so the choice for a lease car was not based on that. When my father wanted to get rid of the Volvo, we looked at the overall picture and decided that I would take it over. The car still drives fine and I drive 500 to 1,000 kilometers a week for work. Then a diesel is just as pleasant.” The model on the bridge this week is a plug-in hybrid that you can plug in. While father Anton still did that every evening, Niels does that every other day. It only drives electrically to the highway, after which the diesel engine can do the work.
On to half a million kilometers
The V60 manages to withstand even the toughest test, that of our judge Joep Schuurman. Yet it does not go completely without a hitch. Although owner Niels still finds the Volvo comfortable to drive, Joep is the first to talk about it. “These are probably still the first shock absorbers and that is clearly noticeable. He is no longer really comfortable,” said the judge. That comfort is also lacking when the automatic transmission has to change gears. The first two gears in particular no longer feel fresh. If we stick to the bottom, we can see some leakage at the front drive shaft seal, the still original engine and the turbos. Furthermore, the front control arm rubber on the left side needs to be replaced. There is not much for Joep to find at the rear, apart from the usual wear and tear of the tires. An excellent result for Niels: “The car has already run more than four tons, so there may be some things wrong with it. All in all, I’m quite satisfied and it won’t be leaving the house for a while.”
Owner Volvo V60
Name Niels Diender
Year of construction of yourself 1999
residence IJsselmuiden
Profession Account manager (software company)
First car Mazda 121
Previous car Alfa Romeo Giulietta
What would you like to change about your car? “Recent damage repaired.”
What is your longest trip with this car? “From IJsselmuiden via Schleizer Dreieck to Porec, Croatia.”
Maintenance history
- 179.897 – Timing belt replaced + major service
- 204.400 – Automatic flush, front brake pads, windshield wipers
- 308,000 – Both turbos replaced
- 322,500 – Automatic transmission oil changed
- 364.825 – Replace timing belt + multi-belt, rear brake discs and pads
- 398.519 – Front brake pads and discs
What’s wrong with it?
- The gear lever and steering wheel show extensive wear
- The wiper blades before streaks
- There are quite a few engine vibrations felt in the car
- The chassis handles short bumps very poorly
- The automatic transmission does not feel fresh when shifting in the first 2 gears
- The engine is leaking some oil from the right side
- The rear of the engine has been tinkered with, several parts are not in the right place or have not been replaced
- The front tires are worn on the inside, the same at the rear
- The left front driveshaft seal is sweating
- The front control arm rubbers are mediocre
- A mounting point of a charge pipe of the turbo is broken
- Some oil is leaking from the intake system
The opinion of Carrec technocenter
“For its age and mileage, the Volvo deserves a thumbs up. But beware, if all defects have to be repaired, thousands of euros will still be incurred. In addition, it remains a not so reliable platform and a car that I would absolutely avoid as a used car.”