Hey all,

Long time RWD owner here (had a '93 945NA, now have a '94 945T) is thinking of entering the modern age. Reason being, I am fed up with the lack of reliability on my wife's 2008 Passat Wagon (fourth VW; the newer they get, the worse they get...don't get me started...)

Wondering, with a V70 am I better off with the pre-2008, or 2008-2010 model? Are there substantial differences? I am most concerned with reliability and would like to do some of my own maintenance work. Would be interested to know if the 2.5L inline 5 is a better choice than the later six. I bought my current turbo used and sure enough had to replace the turbo at about 90K. Prefer not to go through that again.

I appreciate your thoughts!

--G.

The 2008 XC70 is the current body design and a lot easier to enter if you are getting a little bit less flexible like my wife and I are.

We have a '12, and a '08. The '08 is loaded and the'12 is a base FWD. Most things are identical in both cars.

The '12 is peppier and gets about 4 MPG more - it may be getting a higher percentage of highway miles though.

Newer is probably a better bet, statistically.

Still, if reliability were my primary concern, I wouldn't buy any Eurocar.

(BTW, my '98 still has it's original turbocharger.)

-BtC

'98 V70 T5 203K mi., 5-speed manual, original clutch (!), third evaporator, third windshield, heated velour cloth comfy chairs, factory HD suspension (1998 only), Bilstein HD, front IPD stabilizer bar, Volvo strut tower brace and skidplate, XC grill, C70 jewel E-Codes, V-1, Lidatek, IPD stuff, JB Weld, Original Duck Tape, zip-ties, Mobil-1 since new. Goal: to the MOON! (221,600 mi. at perigee.)

'08 BMW 328iT 6-speed manual; considerably fewer miles.

I prefer the 5 cyl engines, they are better with MPG.

My 1998 V70R had over 187K miles on the turbo. Most of the Mitsubishi turbos will last as long as the engine, they might weep a little oil into the intake but that is quite minor.

If you want AWD, the 2007 would be a good choice. Volvo went to haldex in 2003.

Remember, these cars have at least 4 computers and they talk to each other. There are problems when they get older and overheated, and www.xemodex.com usually repairs them for half the dealer charge.

Thanks Klaus for the good input. I had forgotten to ask whether the AWD model (XC70) introduced any particular reliability concerns.

4 computers? Wow!