2011 Volvo S60 T6 AWD Review

The Smoking Tire finds the perfect way to relax after a month of filming reality: Tom wants to go fishing, and Matt wants to drive really fast on a windy road. Fortunately, we've brought the Volvo S60 which handles both tasks nicely.

[@markjwil]

The engine is not twin-turbocharged. It has a single twin-scroll turbo.

[@wtfizzjus]

To add it also doesn't make 335 ft lbs torque, its makes 325

[@SobridMusic]

Glad I wasn't the only one that caught that. I own a 2011 S60 T6 AWD and I know for a fact it's not twin turbo lol my cousin has a BMW 335 and our race was nearly dead even until my turn gave me a small gap.

[@Volvos60t6i6]

And you have a fat mom

[@TheSmokingTire]

@XenoRacing I honestly don't think anyone would cross-shop those cars. The STI and Evo are fast, but cheaply appointed, boy-racers. The Volvo is much more refined, much more of a luxury sport sedan than either of those options. The back seat is bigger, and so is the trunk. And it gets WAY better gas mileage than the last EVO I tested.

[@drjesus616]

no no, you had me mistaken, i knew you were gone, i even saw some of the focus rally on U-verse ... i was referring to the future, if whatever success you find in TV becomes a lasting event, dont forget this channel, they truly are some of the best car reviews/ stunts/ entertainment on the internet, and are appreciated more than you probably think ... it would be a sad day to not see these in the subscription box down the line ... thanks again guys ...

[@DaBluedude100]

Matt. Ive been following your reviews for years now. This is exactly what you should be doing. Honest, informative, interesting, car reviews. Its nice to see you back on camera. Your big ticket moment will happen (hell it might have already i hear.) Keep up the great work Cool volvo... R badge required tho...

[@TheSmokingTire]

@MultiMetalWar I didn't think much of the Volvo either until I actually pushed it on a dirty mountain road, it's quite good.

[@pyrotech123456]

I love that you can see matts raptor in the end shot

[@TheSmokingTire]

@fighter512 It's reality TV, so it's not exactly designed to reward fair play. As long as you know that going into it, you'll come out alive.

[@ghostwriter11]

We missed you. Super episode, Matt! Keep 'em coming.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@drjesus616 we're not giving up on it, but I was out of town for 5 weeks on Focus Rally paying the bills so there was nothing we could do. We're filming a couple more vids in the next month, and trying to balance it out with our new project. Remember, at the end of the day, it's all about the money, and TST doesn't make any. The whole point of TST from the very beginning was to be a rolling audition reel for TV, and it worked like a charm.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@Vitaminous No it's not. The G-Forces sustained during acceleration and braking would push your hand naturally the other way. Under braking, your body feels "forward" G's, and would naturally use that force to press the lever forward to downshift. Under acceleration, as you're being pressed into the seat, tugging the shifter back to upshift is in line with that G-force.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@EatmyDust1311 I'm not worried. We only move one direction, and that's upward. I didn't need to win Focus Rally for it to be good for my resume and my bank account. Just being there was enough. And if we're not posting (unpaid) videos on TST for extended periods of time, that's because we're making (paid) videos for something else that maybe I'm legally not allowed to talk about in public yet.

[@Turbogbg]

Really great to see that you make reviews on normal brands to and not just supercars!

[@AWildKappa]

Wish you went back to this style of video, Informative but also Matt.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@No11Scalpel racing cars with sequential transmissions you pull to upshift and push to downshift, which is in line with the G-forces of the car under acceleration and braking. If you're the kind of person who's actually going to use the gear lever to do their shifting, you want it the proper way like racing cars have it.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@stickdiggler a fully-loaded S4 will run you about $55k. It has a great automatic with paddle shifters and a fantastic interior. We would recommend one for sure.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@stigger91 In terms of performance, it splits the difference between the 328 and the 335. Not quite as quick in a straight line, but in the corners it's right there.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@chriscas1993 nearly all turbocharged cars have diverter valves, which are like blow-offs except they route the air back into the intake so the boost is not lost. This car is no exception, except it seems a little louder in the review because we put a mic under the hood.

[@Kirbynessness]

IMO TheSmokingTire is honestly one of the best- if not THE best car review program on youtube.. it's just too bad they don't update more often..

[@TheSmokingTire]

@BeCool711 they are DIllon Optics double polarized. That's how they are supposed to look.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@cbkg1 they are dillon optics, double polarized lenses, its not the camera

[@TheSmokingTire]

@DaiSaiLo23 it's the factory diverter valve, which is much more efficient for lower boost vehicles. It's so pronounced because we mic'ed the engine for the video, but you can hear it clearly.

[@Illmatic662]

I waited LONG for a PROPER review of this car and here it finally is, thanks a lot man.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@stickdiggler I would go to consumer reports for that kind of long-term evaluation. In our experience, an Audi is the kind of car you buy or lease new, and sell once the warranty runs out, since out of warranty service gets very expensive with those cars. It's a good engine though.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@jedi8625 correct. We're thinking that we should do a running theme where it's "lurking" in the background of every final shot.

[@JETZcorp]

When I saw this in my subscription box I thought, "Oh, some Volvo, I don't care. Oh wait, this is from The Smoking Tire! Click." There aren't many channels that I watch 100% of their content. This is one of them.

[@zaccabral8251]

That dude just chilling on the back of that truck

[@TheSmokingTire]

@Kirbynessness if there was more money in it, we would. as it is we are just making videos in our spare time when we can.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@cjhenks we don't have any confirmation that there will be an R version of the sedan or wagon at all, just hoping.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@anamishwoman you can watch all the Focus Rally videos on their website or through Hulu

[@drjesus616]

i liked actually seeing your raptor ( aka camera "car" ) in this video ... please, dont give up on the smoking tire ... like jetzcorp said, its one of the few channels on youtube i actually watch 100 percent of the time, no exceptions ... even the bonus video from you buying your truck at that extra cheesy dealership ... long live TST ... thanks matt, tom, and thad

[@TheSmokingTire]

@SiRHumpAlot924 For me, Focus Rally was just another gig; something to do in order to make some money to keep the lights on. And reality TV has nothing to do with actual reality, so if you keep that attitude going into it you'll come out alive.

[@kmartnw]

raptor in the back at the end hell yeah

[@TheSmokingTire]

@JW1985 yes, but they would be 100% voice-over and I don't really dig on that style.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@ralph3nuis It doesn't matter, the whole point of The Smoking Tire from the beginning was to be a rolling audition reel for TV, and it works. No one making internet videos, with the exception of Davids Farm and Brian Zuk, makes any real money off them. And no sponsors want to put money into a show that expresses opinions. If people are paying you, they want you to deliver their message, not your own opinions.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@miketothesupra It's a full shooting day and 2-3 full days of editing. The only reason we haven't been posting videos lately is because we're working on a very big project that is very time consuming, which you'll hear official news about soon.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@FITCH1977 yes, that's mine. it's our camera truck

[@TheSmokingTire]

@lethalcake when we put a microphone on the exhaust and under the hood, the blow-off is louder than it is when you're actually driving, but you can still hear it.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@jadeStreakEclipse98 We're probably going to pass on the convertible, but we're waiting for ZL-1 Camaros to become available.

[@dougsgtp]

they never had a twin turbo 5 cylinder, only on the 2.8 I6 did they have twin turbos

[@TheSmokingTire]

@IanRossDavies you can order them through our website, and yes we do international shipping.

[@floggingmike]

My bad, got it mixed up. thanks for sorting it out.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@Mstanglx50 100% yes. We've just booked ourselves a brand new 2011 Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited for a little on/off road testing.

[@nenjalj]

@TheSmokingTire That news just made my day! Can't wait!

[@Stuka87]

Great to have you back Matt!!

[@TheSmokingTire]

@XShawn93X Diesel trucks aren't really our demographic, but we'll look into it.

[@05front]

Hey Matt what kind of shades you got, they look nice. and nice to see you back

[@FireStorm4056]

Great review! Unfortunately I'd rather be on the R6 at 1:58, though

[@deepfryblue]

yeah i saw that too. I've owned a few Volvos, got a '11 S60 T6 polestar tune atm and an R1...they both have a special place for me, oh yeah

[@TheSmokingTire]

@IanRossDavies we're going to do our best to do both. we definitely have some good cars scheduled to film with TST though.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@EatmyDust1311 We've got a Raptor Super Crew coming in soon, and a BMW M3 a week or two after that. So we will be filming stuff.

[@miketothesupra]

@TheSmokingTire You guys do a nice job with the reviews. I'm impressed.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@che996 he makes videos for other people including Porsche, and a few racing teams.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@dkgardner they are by dillon optics

[@MrForeal10601]

@ 2:20 he said it's a twin turbo engine. I always thought it was a single turbo, twin scroll

[@AdrianC12345]

@TheSmokingTire But, what you don't think about is how a posative gear change forward is like posative things are usually forward on in the future. I think it makes more sense then the pulling back of a gear to make a posative gear change.

[@che996]

@TheSmokingTire thats cool!!! i am a big fan of his editing style. the dude really makes TST worth while. no joke

[@TheSmokingTire]

@RobbyDeG when driving the car you don't hear them as loudly as it sounds in the video, because we put a microphone under the hood for effect. But you can hear it clearly with the windows down.

[@FrostedCold]

@TheSmokingTire Was vouching for the Red team, we got snubbed on coverage up here in Canada. Drove the Focus at a Ride and Drive event, came away impressed.

[@baloonia1]

We missed u. Glad that you're back.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@cooldaddyslick ah, yes. I misread that in my notes, wrote "twin scroll turbos" instead of just "turbo." noted.

[@DrZsbl]

I tripped out for a second, when I saw the guy sitting in the back of the pickup (your).

[@TheSmokingTire]

@firetail7 AWD + Automatic + Can't disable T/C fully = No burnouts.

[@Veyronp87]

welcome back the smoking tire!

[@TheSmokingTire]

@ralph3nuis Philips and Royal Dutch/Shell are multi-billion dollar companies from the Netherlands.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@hehahohee It's not that loud when you're sitting in the car, but that's what it sounds like when you put a microphone under the hood while driving...pretty cool huh?

[@kewl10mac]

Dont worry mate, Pull to upshift and push to downshift is the way to go!

[@TheSmokingTire]

@jasonbadler dillon optics, their clarity is amazing while driving.

[@T04E]

Nice to see you guys back... Keep up the good work!

[@427danderson]

way to sneak the raptor in @ 9:05! I like the new look of volvo... definitely moving in the right direction as far as i am concerned.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@sabrossjovestevideo we've already used my Corvette for 3 videos, no reason to re-visit old issues.

[@GfCast39]

Even though it's a twin turbo setup Im surprised to hear as much turbo whistle as I did. Reminds me of the sound the lotus esprit you reviewed made, just toned down.

[@Mstanglx50]

Great to see you guys back. Any chance TST will be reviewing any Jeep vehicles in the future?

[@freestyleskyline]

@the smoking tire correction TWIN CHARGED but only single turbo. The other is a supercharger. And not on that model. It only has one twin scroll

[@GTIFan07]

Welcome back, Matt!

[@EatmyDust1311]

@TheSmokingTire thanks. the replys really set you apart from the rest. any idea when will a new vid be up?

[@hityoutwo]

I want this

[@TheSmokingTire]

@clearlooks yes. Camera truck.

[@BillyClark860]

@TheSmokingTire True badass' have Ford SVT Raptors as their camera trucks. Also, good luck in surgery brah, stay safe.

[@floggingmike]

The early first gen S60's had twin turbo 5 cylinders but werent really performance esque. New S60 T6 is a twin scroll SINGLE turbo though. T5 S60 in a single two. Volvo doesnt make any production twin turbos presently. Sorry to sound like a brat hahha, my old man works for volvo. just tryna inform

[@ar12.]

I’ll get one of these for my first car looks great.

[@andrewloughlin347]

Get a Corolla

[@ar12.]

@@andrewloughlin347 why would I buy a Corolla over this which is a way safer better performing comfortable vehicle.

[@khgear7160]

@@ar12. same boat, good luck! Might go with the C70, gonna be a close call haha

[@ar12.]

@@khgear7160 yes I see the roof is missing on the c70 I’m looking at a s60 2011-12 with about 120000km on it.

[@woventoast9385]

Ben did you end up getting one

[@iSOBigD]

Digging the shades, Matt!

[@Ilnoscopedjfk]

I like the loud & obnoxious blowout valve.

[@TheSmokingTire]

@n9athan we're already on it.

[@chrisgreen4786]

damit now i got put a volvo on the car shopping list fudgeicals

[@chrisgreen4786]

+Chris Green scratch that i do live in Boston wooosh thank god i was about to buy a Volvo

[@TheBikemaster94]

Get a used AMG 63 car , under 5 sec 0-60 even for their awd SUV ML63 . Those are now 10-15k

[@carguy379]

they said that the only r they are going to make is the r design which is an appearance package with no change in the drivetrain

[@EatmyDust1311]

@TheSmokingTire ok good lineup. in the future will tst only be doing car reviews? you used to do other stuff

[@ReaganSpeakman]

just bought one of these. It’s older now but (2012) but that’s alright for me

[@TheSmokingTire]

@Mr1wd We're hoping they will put an R on this car in the next 2 years.

[@americansmark]

Welcome back!

[@floggingmike]

yeah its a single turbo, i was a little confused why he said twin lol

[@mxdady]

is this a stock car? i have the same engine and it sounds different, more turbo noise in the one reviewed

[@liquidbyrnes8466]

They're fake noises, either he installed a blow off valve and is intentionally flooring it then letting off the gas or he took the sounds from a manual car with a blow off valve

[@Martinalm91]

Hi Love your show! I don't know if you did mean that Keyless entry, satnav, voicecontrol, parktronic, backup camera, sideview camera all this can you add to your S60. But you maybe meant that this isn't included in the standard equipment. (exept heatedseats thats in the standard? ) But that's isn't it in a ford focus eirher..? And correction all Volvo S60 with adaptive cruise control has now queue assist! Keep on making nice reviews!

[@zephyrod]

MATT FOR TOP GEAR US. PERIOD.

[@AlternativeUses]

best s60 review on the internet.... im thinking either one of these or an audi a4 2.0T when my lease runs out next year. i prefer the audi in everyway but its hard to say no to 90 extra horsepower and more interesting styling for around the same money (used)

[@iSOBigD]

The only thing I don't like about the new Volvos is the lack of the blocky cuts in the back of the car. The new design is alright but if it weren't for the logo and front grill, I wouldn't have even known. I really liked the shape you'd see from behind on the top rear corners of the car |_

[@americansmark]

@BeCool711 No problem. I learned that the hard way. Had dots in my vision for days after fishing without them. :)

[@lanreudu]

great job at the focus rally. and great review once again.

[@PAPO1990]

speaking of "R" badges, I drive this things gran daddy: the 850R it's one hell of a sleeper, everyone expects it to be a slow poke but after 14 years it still pulls off the lights, but it is a proper square box :P

[@bottomlayer]

Yay, welcome back Matt!! I followed you on the focus rally. Hey, does the Volvo S60 feature any of that stupid point repo shit?

[@100littlecurses]

@FITCH1977 I think so. I think there was an episode where he reviewed and bought a Raptor.

[@typhoon5000]

The Blow-off noise is very nice for a factory car. It really sounds a lot like the S60R though which is half the price and looks better IMO.