Hi All
Currently trying to decide between an 18month old XC90 D5 SE (185bhp version) Geartronic with Sat Nav+Phone+Privacy glass+Winter pack thats done 25k miles and a new XC70 D5 SE Lux manual with Family pack on a 2 year discounted PCP via my work.
Deposits and monthly repayments are about the same (within a few quid) and I planned to keep the XC90 for 2 years, which in "theory" should give me a bit of equity when selling. But the lure of a newer car and the better drive,handling & economy of the XC70 are very tempting but the XC90 still has the 7 seat option which is useful for my large family.
Looking for any owners who have experience of these cars to help me decide !
Many Thanks
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 10/10/2007 at 01:53
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OP: XC90 or XC70?
Depends entirely on what you want to do with it. They're not really the big and small version of the same car, as Volvo would have you believe.
The XC90 is a big, smiley, SUV with reasonable ground clearance but very, very limited off-road ability. Caravan club tests suggest even the 3 litre is a poor tow car. So, not much use as a 'proper' 4x4, but probably the most socially acceptable SUV you can buy for the school run. And, as you say, if you want a 7 seat Volvo, its your only choice.
The XC70 is a V70 on stilts. Limited ground clearance but, within those limits, good on unmade roads and green lanes and, I think, a better towcar than the XC90. For five passengers and luggage, it offers as much useful space as the XC90.
Drive, handling or economy are not XC70 strong points, due to the higher centre of gravity and added weight of the 4WD system. If none of the off-road stuff is relevant to you, go for a standard V70 instead.
Neither car is the best in its class at what it was designed to do. A Toyota Land Cruiser or Kia Sorrento would run rings around an XC90 as a 4x4; the Subaru Legacy or 4WD Mazda 6 do everything the XC70 does, better, at half the price. But I'm coming at this as someone who hauls dogs, DIY gear, boat parts etc. on bad roads and forest tracks for fun.
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Friends have got an early XC90 D, with which they have had a lot of trouble, and have found it woefully underpowered. The later ones are slightly better in the power department.
The XC70s (and all V70s) have IMHO surprisingly small boots. I remember being surprised that a Kia C'eed estate boot is only marginally smaller! If you don't really need a 4x4 (image or ability) I would look at an E-class, an A6 or a 5.
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playpen
I had a V70 2.4D SE Geartronic until recently. Hated it, and I have had Volvos on and off for about 15 years. It only managed 34 mpg (ignore the computer as they are usually 10% optimistic).
Our local main dealer service manager told me I shouldn't complain about the mpg on my V70 as the XC90 is 10mpg worse on the D5 Geartronic !
The XC70 will be more economical than the XC90 and has a very good ride quality compared withe the V70 which is dreadful on 17" wheels.
Get a Subaru Forester like I have just done. My petrol turbo 2.0 XT will probably be more economical than an XC90 and it is a joy to drive by comparison. Unless you need the 7 seats the XC90 is a dog to drive other than on long motorway journeys. Have you tried driving one for more than a few miles?
Also, bear in mind that Volvo servicing is some of the most expensive in the business. They are very expensive cars to run and in my mind not worth it as they are only mediocre at best.
HectorG
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Thanks for the info all.
Bear in mind the XC70 I'm looking at is the all new version, so would hope some of the issues on the previous one have now gone.
Agree with the fuel economy issues - volvo's quoted figures seem to be very unrealistic.
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Don't know the lease company used but I found out our previous one (Leaseplan) could also source new vehicles to buy at a discount. A colleague got £6000 off a new Mondeo a few weeks back. This is not PCP or anything it is his car paid for with cash. So a £21k car for £15k... He's sorted some of the first year's depreciation already.
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The XC70 will be more economical than the XC90 and has a very good ride quality compared withe the V70 which is dreadful on 17" wheels. HectorG
I would say that depends on the wheel and tyre combination.
V70's and S60's are a real white knuckle ride on Pirelli P6000s (which for some reason were the recommended tyre from Volvo) but use Goodyear F1's and the change is quite remarkable. No tramlining and tyre roar is all but gone.
My personal preference out of the two would be the XC70.
The XC90 is never going to give 40mpg and it's not a true offroad 4x4 so why bother unless you really need seven seats ?
There have been a few issues with the four wheel drive not engaging, rear wheelbearings giving problems and uneven tyre wear on the XC90's too.
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>For five passengers and luggage, [the XC70] offers as much useful space as the XC90.
That may be true(ish) for the all-new V70 / XC70 but it certainly ain't for the just-deleted one. That has better rear headroom than the S60, with which it shares a wheelbase and much else, but no more legroom, so with tall adults in the front seats, there's really room only for children behind. The XC90, being taller, allows room for all 1.98m of me to sit behind the driver's seat I've just set to my liking.
I'm also sceptical of the general admiration for the old V70 as a load carrier. The width is good, and the space is square with a flat floor, but that floor seems very high, so there's less height available than you might imagine. A Mondeo estate seems, to me, to offer far more usable space, but that's just an aside.
I'll be interested to see if the new, longer V70 would do as Beest family transport - although I'll probably have to wait till I can get a two-year-old one.
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Have you driven either? I recently drove XC70, a brand new demonstator and good used example of the old model, and I was horrified at the high volume of engine noise. I expect any engine to be loud at full throttle but the D5 was just unbearable at idle and at low speed. They should have let Ford engineer the 2.2TD4 into the XC70, like they did with Freelander 2.
The Volvo 850 had a justified reputation for space but the V70/XC70 never grew so have been overtaken by Vectra and Mondeo.
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...I was horrified at the high volume of engine noise. I expect any engine to be loud >> at full throttle but the D5 was just unbearable at idle and at low speed.
That does surprise me. I have not driven an XC70 but I do have that engine in an S60 and it's barely audible below 4000rpm.
Maybe a result of extra ground clearance or the propshaft ?
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