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I am looking at buying a 1999 S70 and am interested in any feedback other owners can offer. Consumer reports does not seem to recommend the '99 model - what do you think? Would you recommend them to friends?
Thanks for your input!
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We purchased a 1995 850 base wagon last July and a 1995 850 base sedan last December. We love them both. We just got 28.3 mpg on our 1500 mile vacation trip, I do not spare the horses or the AC, although I drive a smooth 65 on the highway.
However, nine years and 275,000 miles driven in Volvos has taught us the value of what we call "Volvo Dollars". At a dealer all repairs are rounded to the nearest $100. If you cannot get with this fact of Volvo life, I would reccomend that you pass on Volvos.
I do reccomend a thorough inspection by a good tech, and I did get extended warranty insurance on both of our "new" cars. Our dealer will do an inspection as if they were going to certify the car for two hours labor, and give us a written report.
On our sedan, we were able to get 4 years, 48,000 miles. So far we have had a thermostat and an AC compressor done for a total of $60 for a recharge not covered. This is for both cars and about 18,000 miles.
BTW, you should see the pictures of our '89 740 Turbo sedan that was broad sided by a drunk driver. A trauma center x-rayed our daughter's hips and legs because the ambulance attendants could not believe that she was unhurt. Her three passengers were OK also. The steering wheel was touching the roof of the car, and the driver's footwell was only 6" wide after the accident. Perhaps the people at CR do not have daughters.
When we bought our first Volvo nine years ago, my mechanic said "No more Chevies for the Sousa family" He was correct!
Good luck with your decision.
--
2 8s & 2 7s 600,000 miles total
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posted by
someone claiming to be 99S70GLT
on
Mon Aug 12 14:57 CST 2002 [ RELATED]
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CR rated the Subaru Outback as one of the most reliable cars, I bought a 99 Outback and that was the biggest nightmare in my life. I ended up trading it in for a brand new 99 S70GLT and have been driving it for over 3 years, it has been reliable so far except having a dead battery just a month ago.
You feel safe and comfortable sitting behind the steering wheel of a S70, the only problem I have with the car is it seems to give other drivers an impression that all Volvos are slow and they would make every effort to stay in front of you.
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posted by
someone claiming to be Morris
on
Mon Aug 12 08:55 CST 2002 [ RELATED]
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Consumer reports collects data and reports the results. If you understand the basis for the circles and the charts, they are informative.
The Used Cars to Avoid and Best Buys in USed Cars is more subjective, but again based on years of cost of repair data. Notice that the 94, 95, 96 & 97 850 series is frequently represented in the Best Buys in Used Cars.
I have little use for "my S70 is great" or "my V70 sucks" stories. There are lemons and there are trophies. I want to know what my ODDS are of getting a lemon, and CR tells me that.
Where was the S70 assembled (europe or Mexico)? That may be more of an indicator of reliability....
My 2 cents.
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You don't get **true** results from CR as they are based on **voluntary** surveys, and you're most likely to hear from those who complain most. I don't have much use for anecdotal reports either...but that's the core of what CR collects in its, uh, surveys. Nobody to the best of my knowledge conducts a true reliability survey. CR is useful as far as it goes, but your own intelligence and experience are far more reliable.
Here's the variable CR doesn't cover that skews the results: expectations. If you pay $15K and you need new brakes and rotors at 30,000 miles you don't care as much (your expectations are lower) than if you paid $30K for the car. You think you should get maybe twice as many miles out of the brakes, even though you're stopping a far more powerful and substantial automobile in shorter distances. Hence the complaint that Volvos 'eat brakes.'
The CR info is useful as a general guide...but it is not statistically accurate in terms of probability. What gores my ox is the way they position themselves as the arbiter of objectively accurate information (compiled from subjective data - huh?). Objectivity would require them to do what C&D does, only on a larger scale - buy and maintain several of them, reporting the results.
Believe me, I've bought plenty of stuff they've recommended and been disappointed...and the Volvos they've trashed have been the best and most reliable cars I've ever owned. (And exceedingly more fun than their Best Buys.) For me, case closed. There's no subsitute for your own intelligence.
--
(98 S70 T5SE misc mods, mostly lighting, red calipers) (92 940GLE)
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david,
You're right on that one. It is only a part of the total picture.
My '98 GLT has not been nearly as reliable as my wife's '98 Accord. All problems taken care of under warranty except the delaminated door panel. Shame on you Volvo for not accepting responsibility for that!
But the Volvo is the one we look forward to driving and traveling in. That is something that CR is not going to quantify--the emotional factor.
I'll agree with the majority. If you're not willing to undertake the costs of owning any of the premium European marques, get a Toyota or Honda.
Bryan
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posted by
someone claiming to be Jason
on
Wed Aug 14 15:49 CST 2002 [ RELATED]
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Yes, the annecdotal stories of "mine was great" or "mine was terrible" are worthless to me. I want the big picture. CR surveys many more people than you'll hear from here.
Anyways ... CR showed one year of S70 to be bad and showed all years to have above-average numbers of electrical problems. My guess is the bad year includes the troublesome AWD model which skews the results negatively. The electrical problems? Well, the S70 lineup had horrible prioblems with nurning out light bulbs which was addressed with a TSB and recall. My guess is that this is what caused the results to be so bad, and in my opinion is a non-issue once you get the cause fixed which Volvo will probably do for free if the previous owner has not already.
That being said, our other car is a 1998 BMW 528i/5 so we are accustomed to the occasional "European car quirks" and still prefer a great car to a boring one with no problems. If you want the best chance of no problems ... get a Honda or Toyota. Hondas/Acuras are more fun to drive, while Toyotas/Lexuses are a little more refined. However, the S70 is solid and a decent performer plus ladies seem to love them.
Jason in Dallas,
1998 S70/SE - 40K miles
1998 BMW 528i/5 - 70K miles
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CR has had bad things to say about all my Volvos - all five of which have given me (almost) problem free, high performance, spirited driving fun. Check other sources for opinions.
--
(98 S70 T5SE misc mods, mostly lighting) (92 940GLE)
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posted by
someone claiming to be Ray N.
on
Mon Aug 12 05:20 CST 2002 [ RELATED]
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I have almost the exact same experience as Phil in that my 98 had
initial problems but once sorted out has been fine (although Volvo
did not solicit me to purchase the extended warranty on my 98 and
they did on my wife's 95 850).
If someone drives Camry or Accord now then I would not recommned one.
If they are somewhat into cars and don't think of cars as appliances
then I would recommend one. Just check the service records and look
for repeating problems. Initial problems that were fixed once should
not be too big of an issue.
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posted by
someone claiming to be gazzer
on
Sun Aug 11 07:38 CST 2002 [ RELATED]
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Ebeth, the one thing that would put me off buying a 99 s70 is if I lived more than 40miles from a dealer, not an indy shop. Reason, the 99's were the first year with CAN networks. They require pc's plus software update that a small shop problem can't afford. I could be wrong about the small shops equiptment but I would ask around for a small shop that is equipt or a local dealer. As for Phil's unused warantee, I would still recommend buying one. An a/c evaporator is one repair you don't want to get stuck with.
Good luck and happy hunting,
Gazzer
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posted by
someone claiming to be Punxsutawney Phil
on
Sun Aug 11 04:31 CST 2002 [ RELATED]
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I have a '98, supposdly the worst year for the 70 series. Enough went wrong during the initial warranty period that I was spooked into buying the 100,000 mile warranty. SO FAR (and my car was just dragged to the dealer on a flatbed yesterday, so the verdict is stlll out) the extended warranty has been a definite loser for me. ie. the cost of repairs in the last 50,000 miles has nowhere near approached the price of the warranty.
Would I RECOMMEND one? Well, that's a bit complicated. I would recommend one to a bona-fide Volvo nut who knows what he or she is getting into. At about 120-150k I will pass my current Volvo on to my daughter, who I love more than life itself. After a couple of SAABs, a Porsche, and a Volvo, I know what I am and was in for before I even signed the check. I appreciate the performance, safety and utility of the design. I LOVE the seats.
However, most people just want to turn the key not be bothered by much else. To these people I recommend Toyotas and Hondas. We bought an Odyssey for my wife, and my elderly aunt just bought a 2003 Corolla on my recommendation.
I would avoid the AWD versions of the 70 series and also the S80, Volvo nut or not. I would also get any potential purchase checked out by a competent Volvo technician and ask for service records.
-Punxsutawney Phil
'98 V70T5m, 99k mi. hiberrnating on dealer's lot right now.
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I have one, just turned 50K; I like it. The few problems I have had would be miniscule if I were within 100 miles of the dealer.
I once bought a car based primarily on the rave reviews from consumer reports--it was the biggest turkey I have ever driven.
Verify the maintenance records, and see if there's warranty /recall issues.
Figure out exactly where your top dollar figure is, and let the seller know if you have to that you really don't care much whether you buy HIS car or somebody else's.
Good luck!
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