Thinking about a a vovlo V70
Need an estate car, and something that will tow a BIG 4berth caravan.....
Article in Car Mechanics s Magazine about the new shape V70, how low spec ones are gettin down toward £4K ( I don't think I'd buy one that cheap though)
I am prob wanting to spend £6-7K maximum.
Diesels seem extremely overpriced considering they are prob only £1K more when new.... s/h it seems ot add about £3k to the price.
I wondered what peoples opinions were as to old shap e vs. new shape and the pro's and con's of each.
The car would need to be auto , as I live in London - I know I will need a fluid cooler for towing .
I understand the new shape are a 5 speed auto old ones 4speed auto, but the engines are otherwise extremely similar, except for the diesel which is a new design.
I use my own mechanic who comes to me, so what is aftermarket spares availability like for new shape cars - I imagine it is good for older ones, and also possibility of sourcing speiclaist from breakers for older car parts.
What is reliability of new vs. older shape ? Any common problems HJ doesn't mention ? I know old shape has expensive aircon problem - replicated on new shape car ?
And is new shape car better to drive than older one ?
I would probably be looking at the 2.5 low pressure turbo petrol or a diesel engine, as I imagine they will tow the best, and the turbo-petrol seem quite available
What is the mpg of the 2.4 LPT petrol engine like when coupled with autobox (Horrific ?) - has anyone towed anything with this set-up and can comment on how it coped ?
Many thanks for the advice guys
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Diesels - the early new shape cars still had the old tdi engines. The early D5 engine had probs with injectors - should have been fixed by now ?
Anecdotal evidence is that changing the pollen filter regularly helps stave off a/c probs.
The new shape v70 has a huge turning circle. If you test drive one I would recommend trying a 3 point turn and reversing into tight spots to see if that will bother you.
Get your mobile mech to register with Nordic as a trade buyer - you will get parts significantly cheaper than the owners club discount (even the owners club deal with Nordic).
have you looked on the owners club web site?
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Oh - expensive prob (if it happens)on the petrols is the throttle body, hundreds of pounds.
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Is this throttle body problem just on new shape V70's or does it happen on the last of the old shape cars, which presumably have this engine also ?
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If you've got a Bosch throttle module 2003 onwards then it should be ok. If you have a Magnelli ETM (upto 2003) then these can fail. 2003 saw both types fitted.
Ive got a S60 which is the saloon version of a V70, 2002 so it has the Magnelli ETM. £700 replacement at dealers, but can be cleaned out to prolong life. I also read somehwere that a software upgrade had to be made to stop these cars dropping into limp home mode (40mph) when the ETM went haywire.
As has been said, do check out the turning circle as it is dreadful.
Apart from that. Good car, excellent quality interior and quite a bit of power if you go for the 2.3 / 2.4 T5 version which to be honest is no less economical than its 2.0 versions. 30mpg.
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I had the misfortune to have two 2004 D5s and they were dire. Really badly screwed together and unreliable. Also pretty terrible fuel consumption and limited performance. Dealer backup was very poor, especially after the first one was swapped.
The air con seems to be a flawed design, some cars need resetting each time the car is used and the dealers regard this as something that some V70s do.
Both of mine needed new injectors but this did nothing to make the engines anything like acceptable. And the turning circle is like the Queen Mary's.
I now have a Subaru Legacy and frankly it is what most people perceive a Volvo to be - well built and totally reliable plus it has the added bonus of being great to drive.
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I have always had Japanese cars in the past, but apart from the Legacy they don't seem to make any very large estate cars. Avensis/Primera size doesn't have the towing capacity I need, and I don't want a 4x4.
This is why I have been asking on the forum about reliability etc...... of vovlos....
Everyone Iknow who has had a arge/luxury european car eg. Audi/BMW/MErc?Vovlo has usually had some kind of horrific bill or problem at some point, despite the supposed "high build quality" of these cars.... Or perhaps they just have design flaws which the japanese don't make so many of.
The Subaru Legacy was one of the other cars on the potential shopping list........
Is the legacy fuel consumption as bad as peope claim on these ? - it is the only thing that has put me off buying one in the past, as I have driven one of the early Outbacks, and thought it was fantastic to drive. 4WD would be good for the caravan too.....
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V70 2.4T owned from new in March 2003, BSR chip tuned for much of that time.
Probs? Turbo boost solenoid (£40) and the steering wheel leather degrading because of poor supplier choice of treatments affecting some of them (see post a few days ago). 50% Volvo goodwill payment without even asking.
That's it.
Great car. Reliable, quiet, refined, no squeaks or rattles, effortlessly long-legged, went well with 200bhp/285NM and now goes like the wind with 258bhp/444NM. The first car I have been totally happy with.
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I can't see a petrol Legacy being any more thirsty in the real world than a V70 petrol. No diesel Subaru though. Having owned a Legacy for several years I'd definitely recommend them. Great fun to drive and excellent for towing too. Try getting out of a wet field up a slope towing a caravan without 4wd.
I've had no reliabilty or repair problems with mine ( a 2000 2 litre with 125k on the clock).
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Thanks for the advice so far !
This D5 injector problem that some of you mentionned is on the HJ Car by Car breakdown......
What are the symptoms of it, and how could one spot the problem beginning to occur if one was looking at a used car - Or is it a question thatthey just fail and the engine dies on you, so cannot be predicted fromany beginning symptoms ?
Old shape diesels still seem mega-overpriced . Some cars with way over 100K miles are priced at about £6k on autotrader. I can only presume that people are still buying them at this price. Are they not likely to be moneypits ? Can anyone verify this ?
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D5 injector problem: 2002 and older only. Later 163 bhp models have unaffected injectors and 185 bhp models have redesigned injectors with additional holes that are also unaffected.
Initial symptoms are difficulty starting in cold weather, circa 4 deg C and below.
Eventually no starting at all.
If I were buying a 2002 or older D5 I would check that new injectors had been fitted, and if they had not let it stop me buying an otherwise sound car. Apart from this glitch they are a cracking engine.
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My old boss has a 04 plate V70 D5 geartronic.
Went in for a couple of small warranty items, But apart from that & normal servicing its been faultless.
Unlike the S80 it replaced that was forever going wrong.
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Sorry SjB, lots of problems with injectors right up to the start of 2005, and you and I have exchanged enough posts for you to know that I see this engine as very far from "cracking".
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A 2.4T on an auto box will do about 30MPG on a mainly 80% motorway, 20% town run. Can't speak for a full auto but my Y reg new shape V70 had the 5 speed geartronic option which when in use was a lot more fun than leaving it in auto mode. I would guess that the diesel would tow the best, the LPT didn't have vast amount of low rev torque but could shift when required, once you got your head around the throttle lag. From a servicing point of view 2.4T's are very partial to front tyres, front disks and front brake pads. Mine seemed to be mechnically ok , although it had a annoying habit of the Cruise control unit shutting down (needed a ignition turn off and on to reboot), the autobox thought it needed a service (but didn't - ) and it had the turning circle of the Queen Mary. The leather interior trim was not very tough either (prone to marking and scratches) and a number of bits of trim squeaked a lot. Oh, and if you get one with a sunroof (rare), watch out it for leaks into the passenger footwell cauased by the drain holes blocking up and the sunroof dropping down by about 1mm when closed.
Your budget might get you a 2.4T on a private sale with ~90K on the clock if you shop around, you could of had my 80K 2.4T for that price a few months ago!
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Sad about the turning circle. Volvos used to be famous for having spectacularly small turning circles, doubly so in such big cars.
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I guess Surrey is asking has anyone perhaps had an older shape V&0 maybe a 99 or 98 model and moved to say a 2002 or 2003 model and if so how would they compare the two models.
Does the newer V70 handle drive better than the previous shape?
Thought about the new accord tourer?
I think a Subaru tourer would be wonderful but they don't have a smuch luggage capacity and it seems they are a bit thirsty? Any comments on what a 2.5 2003 tourer is like?
Also anyone driven a newish modeo estate? How would it compare to the V70 or Accord or even a Subaru tourer?
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My father has had both models- a 96 N 2.5 20V, replaced by an 02 D5. Not had any problems with either. I drove the older one halfway across France and it was fantastic. Very comfortable, and after 9 hours driving felt I could do it all over again.
Didn't really drive it through the twisties, but watching him drive both through Spanish mountains both seem to handle well. The 2.5 (IIRC) used to do about 30mpg, and was better than the V40 2.0 it replaced. The D5 does about 40mpg.
He's not really complained about the turning circle on the new one, but don't think is something that would really affect him that much anyway.
Only drove the D5 for a couple of miles myself, as he switched to SAGA insurance shortly after buying it and they didn't want to touch me as am in my 30s still. Again, handling felt good, and car felt much smaller to drive than it actually was.
One other comment, I was with a friend a few years back when he tested an old shape V70 TDi with sports suspension. Was extremely hard and the car crashed and bangd a lot (to the point where the dog guard fell out of its mountings). From my own experience the standard suspension seems to handle perfectly well, and would be the preferred choice.
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Thanks for the advice so far everyone......
I am still undecided........
I have been looking on Autotrader. Many of these cars have done huge mileages, and many seem very overpriced, especially at specialist dealers, but presumably some (stupid) people are buying them at these prices.
The diesels especially so - about £3K more at least than the equivalent petrol car.
Can a car that has done ~130,000 miles be worth £6k, even if it is a diesel as surely it will need some very expensive work doing to either the engine or gearbox at this mileage which i s likely to cosyt a few £000 ?
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It is true that many specialists ask silly money - very silly in some cases - prices do vary.
About 18 months ago I bought a 99V Tdi XLT (that was the run out model I think, leather, dual A/C, 7 seats) with 85K on the clock for £6500. It needed the t/belt (which came in not far short of £500 at volvo - couldnt find a specialist that inspired confidence aboutthe diesel engine - couldnt tell me how they would do the timing.
I had previously seen older, leggier cars for £2-3K more locally, lots more elsewhere.
I bought from a trader in Scotland that was really an audi specialist but had taken it in. Only problem was that the service history - which the previous owner was being chased for never turned up - I tried contacting the previous owner with out success so it was an owner issue rather than the dealer (had a couple of mot's so confident of the mileage).
They are big - which was my requirement - but I wouldnt have another. Passat is also a reasonable size and lots about - cheaper. My sis-in-law runs a passat 150(I think) tdi 4 motion sport which is rather good. But again I wouldnt get a passat unless it was the sport - seats miles better and handling better although the 17"wheels are harsh.
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With the increase in petrol prices I suppose everyone has gone silly about buying a diesel, esp. with the fuel consumption of a big petrol car.
I am sure this rumour of the £1800 gas guzzler licence tax does not improv ethings either !
I too have read of problems with timing belts... seems water pump jams which throws off belt with ensuing damage.
Does the injection pump have to be retimed at the same time as the belt is changed, or is that driven by another, different belt ??
I am interested that you say that you would not have another - out of interest why not ??
Is it reliable or did it cost for a lot of work to be done ?
Are there independent diesel specialists around that can do engine work/adjustment or is one forced to a main dealer ?
The year/mileage you quote, people are still asking that kind of money now.
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The fuel pump is driven from another belt at the other end of the engine, so thats another belt and tentioner - although if that belt goes (inspect at every 10K, check timing at 20K, replace at 40K) at least the car just stops rather than going bang!
Its OK on reliability, but not as good as I expected, trim isnt as solid as it should be. Seats arent as good as I expected (I need to put on weight, lots of weight, to fit better), its just a bit of a barge to drive. Even my wife says its boring and she is no racing driver. Our other car is an older a4 quattro diesel estate and is far far better as a driving experience. I suppose its competent but not good at much other than the load carrying.
Parts are expensive - significantly more expensive than audi parts.
If I didnt need to have the space I would have a 5 series estate. If I replace this and still need space then I will be looking at A6 quattro tdi or possibly passat.
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I test drove one last year but came away thinking an 80,000 mile car shouldn't have so many rattles or squeaks inside , and it felt alittle tired. I thought maybe it was just a "bad one"..... It was quite nippy though.
I also didn't think the trim quality was good enough for a car that with a few options could be over £30K new.
I have had old toyotas in recent years (and other older japanaese cars b4 that) and found them excellent, but apart from the Camry estate, which was discontinued years ago, they don't make anything big enough except for 4x4s. Avensis, primera etc aren't really big enough.
parts for Toyota are expensive too, although rarely need them, and seem to be apainto get too.... often end up going to a main dealer !!!
I thought there were independent parts specialists for volvos - do these not significantly reduce the cost ?
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there are indy parts suppliers but not neccessarily much cheaper than volvo.
eg leccy window switch - drivers door. common failure poor design, indy quoted me £85, volvo £89
some things are much cheaper, aftermarket drop links £20 rather than £60 from volvo. On the whole I prefer to use genuine or at least oem parts.
If you dont do the mileage to justify a diesel then I would look at the legacy or outback as being significantly cheaper (although parts are still expensive) and I would expect to be v.good for towing.
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