Volvo AWD V70-XC70 Forum

INDEX FOR 10/2025(CURRENT) INDEX FOR 6/2020 V70-XC70 INDEX

[<<]  [>>]


THREADED THREADED EXPANDED FLAT PRINT ALL
MESSAGES IN THIS THREAD




  REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE Replies to this message will be emailed.    PRINT   SAVE 

Advise on model years V70 - which to buy V70-XC70

posted by  longhorizon on  Sat Nov 22 16:12 CST 2014
Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS] RSS Feed     [IGNORE ALL POSTS]
last visit: Sat Oct 18 15:42 CST 2014
[RELATED]

I'm nearing 300K on my 1996 960. Overall it's served me fairly well. That having been said, I'm looking for something newer now. Definitely a wagon, not an SUV, and not a sedan. I haven't settled on anything in particular; I'm considering Mercedes E350, BMW (my mechanic told me to avoid any BMWs later than 2003), Audi (though I'm biased against them), VW TDI (though they're considerably smaller).

So, this brings me back to Volvo. My very good Volvo mechanic told me to stay away from the ~2001 and later V70s, not sure why. What years should I avoid? Are there any I should even consider? Ideally, regardless what I choose, I'm looking at cars ~2003-2007 depending on price and mileage. AWD is desirable for me, so ideally I'd like a car with AWD, unless known to be troublesome for the particular model / year in question.

Any thoughts / suggestions very much appreciated. Thank you.

KaiS
1967 P210 and 1996 960 (and 2002 986)








  •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE Replies to this message will be emailed.    PRINT   SAVE 

    Advise on model years V70 - which to buy V70-XC70

    posted by  KlausC on  Sun Nov 23 11:35 CST 2014
    Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS] RSS Feed     [IGNORE ALL POSTS]
    last visit: Fri Oct 24 10:15 CST 2014
    [RELATED]

    Your mechanic is correct, avoid 2001 and 2002 because of tranny issues.

    I would look for 2004+ XC70s, the 5 cyl versions. Quite reliable, if maintained. So make sure there is maint history on any used car you get. A one owner would be great and bypass those brokers who buy at auction and 'flip' cars.

    The normal mpg is 20 around town and 26 highway. The AWD does use more bhp and lowers the mpg verses a V70 FWD, but less than 2mpg for most cars. The newer cars use a Haldex system to drive the wheels and because of the complete electronic control can eliminate spin outs while on the throttle.

    An E350 wagon uses a bit more premium gas(required) and has less interior room, but it is quieter. Maintenance is the problem there as parts are quite expensive and if you don't DIY, watch out for the hourly fee.

    Audi wagons... If you enjoy taking the front of the car off to get to the thermostat, or most any other engine part. Like Mercedes, rear room is smaller.

    VW has the same problems as the Audi, and is smaller and cheaper. The TDI sounds good, but diesel fuel is harder to find and costs $1 more per gallon. Plus the carbon buildup in the intake manifold will be costly at about 120-150K miles.
    --
    My back feels better when I sit in a Volvo seat








  •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

    Advise on model years V70 - which to buy V70-XC70

    posted by  lukeball on  Sat Nov 22 22:38 CST 2014
    Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS] RSS Feed     [IGNORE ALL POSTS]
    last visit: Tue Oct 21 20:12 CST 2014
    [RELATED]

    Just my opinion: the older AWD system isn't that great compared to the newer Haldex system. I still wouldn't consider them true AWD unlike Audi. Volvo's system only provides 5% bias in the rear when under 25 mph. It does work, but it can be expensive to repair and expect 10 mpg less compared to FWD.

    I own a 98 V70R AWD. I have done much work to this car. For me, it drives well, is reliable and has the absolute best sound system that I have ever had with Dynaudio speakers, subwoofer. The seats are also really nice. To me it is a work car and doesn't get decent gas mileage at all 16 mpg in the city.

    I would prefer a decent RWD wagon instead, except that most of them are abused. In general, I would prefer to find a single owner Volvo or something that was cared for.

    In terms of Volvos, my general thinking is this FWD







<< < > >>



©Jarrod Stenberg 1997-2022. All material except where indicated.


All participants agree to these terms.

Brickboard.com is not affiliated with nor sponsored by AB Volvo, Volvo Car Corporation, Volvo Cars of North America, Inc. or Ford Motor Company. Brickboard.com is a Volvo owner/enthusiast site, similar to a club, and does not intend to pose as an official Volvo site. The official Volvo site can be found here.