Why it's a good car
The XC60 rides on Volvo's P3 platform, shared with the S60, V60, XC70, and S80 of the era. The T6 is the transversely-mounted 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six — a smooth, genuinely characterful engine making 300 horsepower in standard tune and 325 in the R-Design, which adds a firmer chassis and the most aggressive calibration and is the version enthusiasts recommend. It runs a timing chain rather than a belt, and when the oil is changed on time it will run well past 250,000 km. Parts and independent support are widely available.
Does it have a timing belt or a timing chain?
A timing chain. The turbocharged inline-six is chain-driven, so there is no belt interval hanging over it.
The things to check before you buy
- Oil consumption The 2010–2012 turbo six had a piston-ring batch that consumed oil; Volvo revised the rings around mid-to-late 2012 and repaired affected engines under warranty, so a healthy 2012 either never had the issue or has been sorted. Check the dipstick, watch the tailpipe for blue haze on a cold start, and ask point-blank how often it needs topping up. This is the single most important check on the car.
- AWD angle gear The same known weak point as its P3 siblings — the internal collar sleeve can strip and silently drop the car to front-wheel drive. Confirm the AWD engages, listen for a speed-related whine underneath, and look for fresh fluid weeping at the rear bevel-gear seal.
- Transmission fluid The "fill for life" claim is a myth; want a service record or budget one, and confirm clean, decisive shifts from cold.
- Cooling and seals PCV or cam-cover seal seepage is common with age, as are xenon bulbs and ordinary suspension bushings.
- Underbody rust On a salt-belt car, check the rocker areas, rear subframe mounts, and brake and fuel lines.
What would make you walk
- Oil consumption The one true walk-away — a turbo six that drinks a litre between changes is not worth the gamble at any price.
- A failing angle gear Grinding or whining underneath, or AWD that will not engage.
- Structural rust Rot through the subframe mounts or corroded lines on a salt-belt car.