# A fond fairwell



## Orient330iNYC (Jul 30, 2002)

Its been a great 3 years hanging around here, learned alot, and squeezed every little bit of fun out of my Orient Blue 330i SP. This forum has been great!

Tomorrow I'm taking delivery of a 2004 Volvo S60R 6MT Sport. tough choice between that and the ZHP, but in the end, after test drives and crunching the numbers, the Volvo won out. I will have to say my dealership experiences did weigh a bit on my decision. most of the dealers in the area either wouldnt budge off of a few hundred off of MSRP since they claimed the ZHP was a "limited edition" or gave me an attitude (I'm 26, good job, and its not like i pulled up in a 10 year old Yugo, but i got treated like a chinese food delivery boy when i wandered into a few dealerships). I'd have to say that the 330i ZHP has a slight edge in the handling dept (steering feel) but i am a bit of a gadget freak. another must have for me was AWD for the ski season, yes, i had blizzaks for the winter, but AWD+snows should do better. now if they made a ZHP XI with the Xdrive AWD( and hurtled some sales and service depts into the sun), i would be all over it. In the end, the S60R had the features and the handling i was looking for at a price i couldnt refuse (insane lease rates and an OTD price at almost invoice).

I'm keeping the 330i, but turning it over to my brother for him to drive, so i'll be lurking. and I still have my ETK and bentley, so i'll try and give something back to a forum that has been more than helpful to me in the past few years.
take care all!
-Orient330iNYC

And now that i got the tint done (30% huper optik ceramic tint), here are some pics:


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## Jon Shafer (Dec 15, 2001)

This is really sad...


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## Clarke (Oct 21, 2002)

Good luck with the new ride. You're a good brother!


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

Congrats! Enjoy the new ride. Make sure to post your impressions here, too.

And BTW...







. So post those, too.


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## Orient330iNYC (Jul 30, 2002)

(not mine, but exactly the same as what i'm picking up tomorrow. left the charger to my digi cam at work, will post real pics when i get the tinting done)


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## sshuit (Apr 15, 2002)

Enjoy the new Volvo!

I think the R series volvo's are ridiculously sweet. Just the resale and parent company (ford) that scared me off  

post your comparison here soon!


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## zerofighter (Aug 23, 2003)

Niceeeee! Is that S60R stock? Looks like it has a lip kit. :thumbup:


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## Orient330iNYC (Jul 30, 2002)

Thats the factory sport package. the splitters worry me cuz they are pretty low to the ground-- my low profile jack barely clears the sideskirts.

Drove it about 100 miles between yesterday and today. Impressions:

Steering: alot of boost at low speeds, but it firms up nicely over 15mph. not as much communication as the 2.8 rack on my 330i, but more that decent.

Clutch: woah, very low engagement point, high rest point. Very easy to modulate though. I can see where some of the reviews have said it feels like someone stuffed a coilover under it.

Shifter: nice and short throws, very precise, narrow gates.

Engine: before the turbo spools, engine has pep, but nothing special. once the turbo goes to full boil, wow. i can chirp the tires going into 3rd gear.

Drivetrain: No torque steer. grip is phenomenal. there's some construction on the roads in my area with lots of loose gravel and junk. when the haldex diff sends power to the rear wheels, its a smooth transition. the only way i know its working is the traction control light blinks. one thing i did notice is that engine power cutoff is almost non existant compared to DSC in my 330i. you could feel the engine power drop off as you started to slip in the 330i. I havent seen/felt it cut the power at all in the R yet.

Suspension: 4C gagetry. In comfort mode, the suspension is softer than a non SP 325i. i switched to Comfort mode on a section of highway that is rutted from a resurfacing project. nice and cushy. Sport mode is equivalent to my 330iSP. in advanced sport mode, ouch. very little body roll, but also very harsh. you can feel every seam and bump. Switching between modes is almost instantanious.

Brakes: 4 pot Brembos with 13" rotors. easy to modulate,very good initial bite i couldnt detect any fade in a series of back to back 70-0 stops. very nice. dumping on the brakes feels like an arrestor cable.

Seats: very comfortable and supportive. i miss the pull out thigh bolster from the BMW though.

dislikes: an annoying buzzing coming from the shifter in 5th gear. i think this is a known issue, going to have the dealer check on it in a few weeks. The clutch: see coilover comment above. Steering boost: way too much at parking lot speeds. interior: noticed two very cheap looking bits, the rear passenger footwell molding. Guage lighting: the cluster isnt backlit, the anodized guages are illuminated from the front by white LEDs. not bad, but i prefer the orange backlighting of the 330i

pics and more to come later.


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## AF (Dec 21, 2001)

I haven't had a chance to read your write up above but just wanted to congratulate you !!

Is that Aero kit a factory item ? Do they all come with that ?

Enjoy !!!


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## Jim H (Feb 9, 2004)

Sorry to hear how the dealers sometimes treated you. I have had the same problem at times. I'm 32, but I look a bit younger, though not scraggly. Sometimes BMW dealers forget that how much money you make is not directly related to how you dress or whether you have an earring. That said, I experienced the same thing at a Mazda dealer a few months ago. They guy thought I was like 20. My point is...so what if i AM 20?? Does that mean I can't afford a Mazda? You should at least come over as ASK.

Good luck with the new Volvo. I'm sure it will be sweeet.


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## Orient330iNYC (Jul 30, 2002)

AF-RX8 said:


> I haven't had a chance to read your write up above but just wanted to congratulate you !!
> 
> Is that Aero kit a factory item ? Do they all come with that ?
> 
> Enjoy !!!


it was a factory option, the standard S60R doesnt have the splitters, the side skirts are not as low, the rear spoiler is more of a lip spoiler (M3 style), and the rear bumper is the standard S60 bumper. i might take off the splitters though, i'm really worried about them becoming a snow plow in the winter and food for driveway ramps all the other times. I'm pretty sure its more for looks than actual downforce-- i dont think i'll be taking it up to the limiter at 155 anytime soon.


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## LeucX3 (Dec 26, 2001)

I went almost the other way. From an S60 T5 manual to a 330Ci. I'm sure the R is nothing like a T5, though. I hope you can keep it for more than a year, unlike me. Have fun.


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## rdollie (Aug 6, 2003)

The clutch takes about 1,500 miles to come into it's own. After it wears in it's a bit easier to modulate.

The buzzing shifter is a known issue for some. The fix is a new shifter link from the dealer - a fairly involved job as it turns out.

The lighting for the gauges is EXCELLENT in my opinion. Volvo went out of their way with these watch faces gauges and wanted them to really pop out at night. Aston Martin is using the same blue watch face with metal surrounds and front-lighting effects on their new AMV8.

I agree with you on steering boost and steering feedback. At lower speeds the steering is overboosted and somewhat numb. Step on the pedal (especially with 4C = Advanced) and it firms up quite nicely.

Good luck with the R. I suspect you'll grow to really love it over time.

Thanks.

-rollie
[email protected]



Orient330iNYC said:


> Thats the factory sport package. the splitters worry me cuz they are pretty low to the ground-- my low profile jack barely clears the sideskirts.
> 
> Drove it about 100 miles between yesterday and today. Impressions:
> 
> ...


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## Orient330iNYC (Jul 30, 2002)

the buzzing comes and goes-- if i put my hand on the shifter in fifth i can feel it vibrating.
I'm getting used to the guage lighting. to my eyes, its just weird that the illumination is coming from the front. 

after driving to work for 4 days so far, i'm getting used to the clutch. my left leg is sore though  to be expected since this is the first time in three years i've been driving stick regularly.

the turning radius is a doozy. the first time i went to park in my driveway i smacked the fence post with one of the rub strips. my brain was thinking 330i turning circle and front overhang, the S60R was thinking 40 foot radius. I lost.
oh well, the rub strip got scuffed up and a small ding in the paint. lesson learned. that was the one thing that bothered me a little, that 40' turning radius.

the steering boost at low speeds is really odd. once you hit 10mph, its like someone throws a switch. maybe i need to find a fuse to pull


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## Orient330iNYC (Jul 30, 2002)

pic bump!


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

Orient330iNYC said:


> pic bump!


So... where are they? :dunno:


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## Orient330iNYC (Jul 30, 2002)

i added them to my first post


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

Looks nice! :thumbup:


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## anon (Jul 8, 2003)

congrats on the new ride...

hope you find time to stick around here though...


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## Fifty_Cent (Sep 17, 2003)

Shame on you! changing from a BMW to a Volvo....

Just joking. Anyways, I hope that you enjoy your new ride.

I find it very unpleasing when people switch from a BMW to another brand, mainly MERCs, Volvos, Audis etc.

I have been a BMW fan for all the time that I can remember....
But, 
if the new 3 series is going to be someting like the 5 series, etc(design wise) I am going to retire from BMW for sure as well.......

I must say that I have loved bmws over the years....

From the E30 to the E30 M3, E30 M3 convertible.
Followed by the E36, E36 M3 Evolution convertible.
E34 was one of my favourites as well, followed by the E39.
And now, the E46. 
I think the E46 is a very complete sport saloon.

But when the 7 series came along in 2001, I was not so happy, cause I saw the design turn.
And I didnt like it one bit.

Even now, I see the new 7 series and wonder what were the designers thinking when they drew that thing.
The new compact was a nightmare when it was introduced. 
I said "that thing wont sell, it looks so ugly, like a 2 series Rover... People dont care if its a fantastic driving car, it just looks like a Rover. 
It wont sell." And guess what...it didnt.
The new 5 series looks equally ugly. Such a shame, because it is a wonderfully engineered car.
People who buy it here in Cyprus are first time BMW owners.

I feel somehow sad that this is turning out to be a really bad turn in designing these wonderful engineered machines.

If only BMW decided to ask the advice of the fanatics of the brand, maybe things would have not come to this end.
Unfortunately, they didnt.

For now, I think the E46 (saloon and coupe ) are the best looking BMWs, and the best sellers anyways.

If bmw decides to follow the current trend on its new 3 series (E90) things will be very bad.....

ONe thing is for sure...I will be OUT after a long long time.


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## Soon to be ZHP (May 15, 2004)

Can I ask what you paid. And how much extra was the body kit opt.


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## Orient330iNYC (Jul 30, 2002)

Soon to be ZHP said:


> Can I ask what you paid. And how much extra was the body kit opt.


for the tint or the car?
car had an MSRP of $44,265. capital selling price was 40,700.
Lease MF was 0.00013, residual was 52% (it was cheaper to lease than buy at that MF) 0 down, $499 a month+ TX, 36 month 15K miles a year.

The factory body kit was a $1995 option.

the tint installed was $450


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## Soon to be ZHP (May 15, 2004)

Orient330iNYC said:


> for the tint or the car?
> car had an MSRP of $44,265. capital selling price was 40,700.
> Lease MF was 0.00013, residual was 52% (it was cheaper to lease than buy at that MF) 0 down, $499 a month+ TX, 36 month 15K miles a year.
> 
> ...


 Thanks, for the info. Did you drive the V-70 R Wagon. If so, how did it compare?


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## Orient330iNYC (Jul 30, 2002)

Soon to be ZHP said:


> Thanks, for the info. Did you drive the V-70 R Wagon. If so, how did it compare?


I didnt drive the wagon, but from what others have said on the swedespeed boards, it handles much like the sedan, but a little slower due to the extra mass.
0-60 for the 6MT V is 5.6 instead of 5.4.

If you're in the market for a wagon, the V70R really doesnt have any competition at that price/performance point.

are you looking at a slushbox or a 6mt? if you're looking at the auto, i would look long and hard at the ZHP. the S60R's asin slushbox cant handle more than 258ft/lbs of torque, so the engine on those are tuned down to said 258 ft/lbs. which raises the 0-60 time to 7.2/7.4 seconds. a ZHP with step would blow it away. okay, maybe blow away is an exaggeration.  i test drove an auto S60R, it felt slower than my 330i Step. that made my tranny choice very easy. 
HTH,


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## Soon to be ZHP (May 15, 2004)

Orient330iNYC said:


> I didnt drive the wagon, but from what others have said on the swedespeed boards, it handles much like the sedan, but a little slower due to the extra mass.
> 0-60 for the 6MT V is 5.6 instead of 5.4.
> 
> If you're in the market for a wagon, the V70R really doesnt have any competition at that price/performance point.
> ...


 Good info. I was'nt even thinking of a Volvo until I found a shortage of used ZHP's. Then I remembered the the R had 300hp and should meet most of my performance requirements. The only reason I have interest in the V 70 R is that there is a local repo 1200 miles Blk/Orange leather auto. probably pick it up for 32k or less. But if the auto is that weak 0-60 I'll pass. I have only 3 weeks to find a replacement for my 01' 330i. I currently have a verbal on a Imola 03' ZHP with 12k, leather, xenon's for $34.5k. Should I do it? I'm finding my self expanding my search to FX-45's and used C32 AMG's. I want to stay true to my old manual or buy something with so much HP it makes an auto O.K.


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## [email protected] (Mar 5, 2004)

Yumm-e


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## fuzyfuzer (May 30, 2004)

ya know i must have a really good dealer because i am only 17 and they ask me if i need anything right away. The parts department is pretty good too, they even gave me a loner once. 

i do like those cars so congradulations


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## Chris90 (Apr 7, 2003)

I want to see the S40 R - but if it's like $35k+, I can't see buying it.


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## rdollie (Aug 6, 2003)

The S60R is as low as $35,270 delivered so the Volvo S40R has to be at least a few thousand cheaper in real world (not sticker) cost.



Dawg90 said:


> I want to see the S40 R - but if it's like $35k+, I can't see buying it.


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## missing23 (Feb 1, 2002)

I think Volvo taillights are even uglier than some of the new BMW ones, score one for Bangle.


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## Chris90 (Apr 7, 2003)

rdollie said:


> The S60R is as low as $35,270 delivered so the Volvo S40R has to be at least a few thousand cheaper in real world (not sticker) cost.


$35k seems to be the base invoice - if you add leather and stereo, it's like $39k invoice. I think there were incentives last month, but not now.

A loaded S40 T5 right now is $30k, but I guess it'll drop after a few months. I think the S40 is one of the best looking cars on the road, at least in the sedan category.


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

Is an S40 R in the pipeline? It doesn't seem to be currently available on the Volvo cars site.


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## Chris90 (Apr 7, 2003)

swchang said:


> Is an S40 R in the pipeline? It doesn't seem to be currently available on the Volvo cars site.


It's not built yet, but Volvo has said they're gonna make one. They should just put the 300 hp motor from the S60 in it. The problem I have with the S40 though, is it doesn't have much road feel, it just doesn't feel sporty - an R would have to improve that somehow. More power and stiffer suspension by itself wouldn't cut it.


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## Orient330iNYC (Jul 30, 2002)

swchang said:


> Is an S40 R in the pipeline? It doesn't seem to be currently available on the Volvo cars site.


Supposed to be announced sometime early next year. no clue when it will be hitting the shores. hopefully they wont slap in a slushbox.

the 2.5L HPT 5CYL from the R shouldnt be a problem to cram in, dimensionally, its about the same size as the T5. I'm just curious how big the turning radius on that sucker is. 
now an S40R with a BSR or TME ECU chip.... 21PSI of boost into a car that small?  my head gets stuffed into the headrest when i floor it in even 4th. 21psi of boost from ~4000RPM all the way to redline. and the S60R is just shy of 2 tons!


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## Bavarian (Jun 15, 2002)

That Volvo is a BEAST!


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## rdollie (Aug 6, 2003)

The $35,270 price is for a Volvo S60R with 6-speed, leather, and bi-xenons. The catch is that this is through the Overseas Delivery program. The price I mentioned includes airfare for two, first night hotel, insurance, shipping, and elimination of destination charges. You basically buy the car for FACTORY invoice price (options are MSRP) and get a free mini-vacation with your car in Europe to boot.

I _suspect _ the S40R will be around $31k or so under this same program in another 18 months or so...



Dawg90 said:


> $35k seems to be the base invoice - if you add leather and stereo, it's like $39k invoice. I think there were incentives last month, but not now.
> 
> A loaded S40 T5 right now is $30k, but I guess it'll drop after a few months. I think the S40 is one of the best looking cars on the road, at least in the sedan category.


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

rdollie said:


> I _suspect _ the S40R will be around $31k or so under this same program in another 18 months or so...


If so, that will be a hot car.


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## Orient330iNYC (Jul 30, 2002)

swchang said:


> If so, that will be a hot car.


:thumbup:
I would have gone for an S40 if they had had an R version of the 2005. smaller and nimbler. plus i've head the steering rack on the regular S40 is excellent.


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## grimreapa (Jul 5, 2004)

GOOD LUCK WITH THE CAR
My girlfriends friend just bought one of those also. Seems to like it alot. It definitely has a cool look to it.

What is the boost on that thing from the factory? any stock boost gauges?

:thumbup:


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## Orient330iNYC (Jul 30, 2002)

no factory boost gauge. i have a dakota digital vac/boost gauge in an autometer gauge pod. its more for sheer curiousity than anything else.


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