All my other car buying threads on here have been really helpful so here we go again…….

Had a Volvo S60 D5 Sport which was really good. Did 150k with no real problems.

Need an estate, preferably with the extra flip-up seats in the back for occasional use, and quite like the idea of a V70 D5.

Only spending £2.5k or thereabouts which gets you a high miler obviously. There are a lot around with full histories from long term owners.

According to HonestJohn these seem to have a lot of gremlins – or more than I’d anticipate at any rate.

Good/Bad Points V70

Any thoughts/experiences? Any particular things to look for like when timing belts should have been done etc?

Someone selling a 2.5k D5 Volvo will be selling it for a reason. At that low price it wont be a bargain with all the electronics and turbo etc. It wont be a bargain, it’ll have a bill around the corner IMO. On your own D5- I assume it was newer and not a 2.5k V70 equivalent?

I’d buy a petrol V70 instead – I looked at the D5 and was put off by some potentially large bills that would wipe out the fuel saving difference between the diesel and petrol. The petrol is a relatively simple engine especially in the 140bhp non turbo form-ours is on 130k miles now with no major issues apart from needing quite a bit of brake work (large heavy cars).
Ours has been abused beyond the norm being used for business.

Petrols are even better value for money.

Would go out and buy another today if needed.

Hey Hora – thanks for the quick answer.

My S60 was a 54 plate so similar kind of age and value to a lot of the V70s I’m looking at.

£2-3k seems to be the going rate for a 10-12 yr old V70.

Obviously there are often bills around the corner for this age/mileage but you can minimize them if you get the car that’s had certain things done by the previous owner that you won’t have to.

Yeah on the petrol thing I can’t manage the fuel bills against the likely mileage.

What about the BiFuel LPG versions? I’ve got an LPG Saab 9-3 Aero that’s wonderfully economical to run but a 2.4 lugging a big car around can’t be that great can it?

but presumably you are getting ‘in’ to a 2004 D5 at the point where you were getting out of your S80 if that makes sense? You have a rose-tinted view. After your ownership- in the next two years what may have happened to your S80?

If older I’d be going with a N/A petrol Volvo.

Saying this I bet there are loads of 200k+ Volvos happily running around with consumables replaced regularly

LOL – you’re right. My fond memory of how good the S60 probably clouds how accurately I’m assessing a good a V70 might be.

I’ll have a look at the petrols too.

There are plenty of 200k+ V70 D5s running around but I guess you never know how much it cost to get them to that point and how much longer they’ll last. 😉

i had till last year a 1999 S70 2.5 petrol and managed 40 plus mpg on long motorway journeys and it was an automatic too! we went out for a diesel amanual estate and came back wiht a pertol auto saloon as the prices difference is substantial.

The milage was 140k but its age related wear and tear was the main reason for chopping it in – lots of little things starting to need work/replacement. But for the money a big comfy car (i miss the heated seats on cold wintery mornings!)

lots of little things starting to need work/replacement.

Thats the thing, it becomes a rota of replacing all the bits reaching the end of their design-life. Fine if you are retired/only doing 5,000miles a year. Bad if you still want to commute on cold mornnings/cold starts every day etc.

I’d love a petrol S60. I think they are gorgeous.

Hi mate. Had 2 S60’s in the past. A 53 plate s60 se and an 05 s60 d5 sport. Both great cars, good mpg. However I had a serious issue with my s60d5 sport. Basically got in the car one morning and it failed to start. AA diagnosed possible immobiliser issue so car towed to local volvo main dealer (chester) as under warranty.
I get a call later that day to say water had ingressed the car via the plennum gasket and my entire engine management system was goosed. Total bill £2k 😯
Ok, still under warranty, but no, small print said no water damage covered.
Anyway, after much legal messing about, and 6 months later I got half my money back.
But, spoke to a volvo independant dealer who said this is a known fault (basically leaves and debris clog up the drainage on the scuttleboard where the windscreen wipers are). Recalles for this fault in USA but not in europe.
After the way volvo uk treated me I haven’t touched a volvo since.

Can only find the recall for the XC but the problem exists for s60 and V70 too

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/defect/results.cfm?action_number=PE10025&SearchType=QuickSearch&summary=true

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/volvo-v70s

hora – Member

lots of little things starting to need work/replacement.

Thats the thing, it becomes a rota of replacing all the bits reaching the end of their design-life. Fine if you are retired/only doing 5,000miles a year. Bad if you still want to commute on cold mornnings/cold starts every day etc.

I’d love a petrol S60. I think they are gorgeous.

It was the tipping point of keeping it and spending lots on all the little (but by no means nesasary) bits to have it all working. It had just sailed it’s MOT so it wasnt a basket case. at the 2.5k mark you will belooking to head into £££ soonish – we got ours when it was 5 years old and added 80k to it but spent very little in that time bar maintanance/servicing.

With hindsight.. i’d have kept it another year or so.

After the way volvo uk treated me I haven’t touched a volvo since

This is my main issue with Volvo. I love my XC90 but when it comes up for renewal in March I probably won’t touch another Volvo because of their crap service.

Maybe not such an issue for the OP as I guess you’ll be looking at indies for servicing rather than main dealers on a car this age.
Independant Volvo specialist seem to be a bit thin on the ground though

Volvo’s are great just got a new addition to my collection

C70 Convertible Metallic Sapphire Blue with full leather interior very low mileage……….just a super drive 😀 😆 😀

Does it not create a lot of wind noise when folded back like that higher2012…? 😀

Had a V80 D5 for many years, dealt with the electrics and interior over ebay. If you want a luxury motor which just keeps going with amazing mpg, just do it. We’re talking into the high 60s here. Even driving like a twit.

The second you get electronic problems, pass it down the line – spent a good part of my life trying to find a drivers’ door module just before someone wrote it off…

Consider the first shape v70. A lot less electronics on it to go wrong and parts are much cheaper.

I had a 2000, second shape model. Dullest car I’ve ever driven. Swapped it for an Alfa and all was right with the world again

They’re nice cars in a lot of ways but with big estates you’ve always got to do the Mondeo Comparison really, and performance and economy wise the D5 drives almost exactly like a Mondeo with a broken fuel injector.

Hi takisawa2 No it’s so quiet when the roof goes on & off & even the engine is so quiet I sometimes think I’ve not started it!!! I love it 😛

Not sure what you mean Northwind,it’s a 2.4i & is rather quick 🙄
nothing like a Mondeo maybe it’s the driver rather than the car 🙂

Friend has an 03 XC70, owned it since new. Got about 130k on it and raves about it. Very little has gone wrong with it ever

higher2012 – Member

Not sure what you mean Northwind,it’s a 2.4i & is rather quick

2.4i is a petrol surely? None of the diesels are quick.

I have exactly the thing you are looking for. 03 V70 D5. It is surprisingly fast. Much more so than similar size diesels. Very comfortable. And great to use as a van too. The only problem I have is that it is bigger than I need now but I can’t see anything else which would replace what I have.