I have been a long time owner of many 240's and 122's. I was thinking of a 4 wheel drive that I can use in the mountain snows but I was warned about the cost if the XC 70 had a problem with one of the tires...ALL 4 have to be replaced. and if shock has to be replaced, the cost is 1200$ per shock Volvo only can be used. Is this all true?? Any opinions about xc70 versus the xc90..what years are good and why? And what about those crazy replacement costs? Thanks much for any info...Lynn

AWD cars through 01 or 02 were very sensitive to tire differences. If the rear tires had more than 1/2 inch larger rolling circumference, the rears woulld override the front and dammage the bevel gear (transfer case). Shocks could cost as much as 1200 for all four if the rears were Nivomats. Nivos cost around 400 each, front struts around 175 each. 03 and newer cars have an electronically engaged AWD system that is smart enough to recognise tire irregularitys and prevent damage to the bevel gear. As for replacing tires on the older models, as long as the repllacements are EXACTLY thhe same make and model as the existing tires, and the existing are not severely worn, you can replace in pairs, but the new tires must go on the FRONT.

Hi Lynn,

I just replaced my '95 850 with an '04 XC70. I loved the 850 (until the AC went and the numerous other things that a 'primary' family car couldn't do without)and the new car is an 850 but better. It's much more powerful, great for towing, very comfortable interior and so on. There are some things I preferred on the 850, but that's another issue. As far as the XC90, it uses up far more fuel - which costs a lot. I don't know why there would ever be a need to replace 4 tires at once - and shocks shouldn't wear out for at least 10 years unless you're carrying excessive cargo all the time. I wouldn't worry about the price of parts. When the car needs them, there are better sources out there than the dealerships. Also, I have read that the XC90 has more mechanical problems than average. I would get an extended warranty with Volvo though. The 100$ deductable I have is a joke since labour alone is 96$ an hour.

All this said, the 90 is more of an 'SUV' looking thing, and, in some nations, that is a status thing. Personally, we can cruise our family in comfort and safety in our wagon without the extra weight of a bigger 'truck' - bring on the snow so I can try out the AWD for real!

Mike

Hi,
AS with Mike, we just replaced our 95 850 wagon with an 04 XC70. So far we love the XC70(we loved the 850 too), drove to New Mexico recently from Alberta. The XC made the trip a real pleasure; as Mike stated, the car is fast & very comfortable for long drives + it looks great!
I`d recommend a XC70 without reservation.
Good Luck!
Rich

I'm sorta out of my league here but the smaller 4WD wagon (V70XC)? seems to be more reliable to me than the huge, tall thing (XC90)?

Since hanging out at the local Volvo indy shop and questioning the owner, he thinks that XC90s are too heavy for their suspension systems. They eat brakes with alarming regularity and I recently saw a completely sloppy and worn-out rear wheel bearing on a XC90 with about 80K miles on the clock.

That $4800 shock replacement job sounds fishy to me. AWDs like four identical tires surely, but I've never heard of changing all shocks for $4800 job plus labor.

If you're going from 122s and 240s to a V70. you might be in for a little shock treatment. You gotta be a pretty smart guy to service these later cars, this is not SU's or LH2.2. From what I've learned, the 2000+ cars need an internet connection and a $7K/year subscription to do software updates from everything from climate control to re-keying.


--
Volvo Farmer.

24 Volvos, '58-'91, all RWD