Potential issue with my octavia and I’m thinking we need to replace sooner than planned.

tempted by the V70, looking at up to 3 years old.

Anything to look out for?

I’d prefer a petrol but not many about and don;t need 300bhp 2.5.

so prob have to be a diesel. so which one? 1.6 seems underpowered (is that the ford diesel with all the oil starvation to turbo issues?) what’s the 2.0l like?

Any real world experiences owning them?

cheers

I’ve the 13 plate P3 D5 auto. Had it as an ex demonstrator from 8k Miles . The engine is well matched and I think a small diesel or ‘normal’ 2.0 petrol would be a bit of a chore.

It’s got lots of toys and goes and stops well enough though it’s a bit floppy/wallowy. I get low 40’s mpg and have just changed the fronts and rear tyres at 56k. The first set of fronts I got 30k out of. I’ve also just had rear discs and pads and the front pads have about another 5k in them.

It gets serviced once p/a (or at 18k intervals if on mileage) which works out more than my previous A6’s which were on variable and usual went to 20k before they ‘needed’ doing.

It’s huge inside, takes the tandem with just the front wheel off and is very refined for long distance motorway cruising. The active cruise and all the other gizmos make for a good long distance lugger. I’d be less happy using it predominantly as a town car.

Nothing has gone wrong or fallen off so far (kiss of death). Any specific questions, please shout.

2.4L 5 cyclinder engine in my XC60 13 plate is strong 68K miles and no issues.

I have an older one, 55 plate, with the 5 cylinder 2.4 D5 engine.
For motorway cruising it is awesome, 3 years ago coming back from France on the toll roads I had to tell my good lady to slow down a bit. She was doing 105mph with the car fully loaded, 5 in the car with a roof box and boot full of stuff, the Volvo was taking it in it’s stride.
I’m sure it was on here that someone described sitting in them as ‘like sitting in your favourite armchair, just that it is capable of doing 120mph!’

I went from an Octavia to a V70 just over a year ago. It is a good, solid, spacious car.

I have a 13 Plate facelifted model with the D5 engine; 2.4l Diesel, twin turbo, 5 cylinder, 215 Bhp engine in it, manual, average over last 15k is 45.4Mpg .

The D5 feels like a very good match for the size of the car. It goes and stops very well, although as mentioned above it is not amazingly nimble in the turns, although it does feel less wallowy than the Octavia.

I spent a long time looking for one with the right milage, spec, condition and price. Found one with the D5 engine, Business edition (lowest spec), but with a lot of options added including winter pack, better entertainment system, fancy 18′ Alloys, leather for just under £10k. It seemed to have been very well looked after in the 100k miles it had covered when I got it.

The last diesels have a lower specific power output and do less mpg than the 2007-2011 (I think) models due to more stringent euro compliance. Generation 1 and 2 models can achieve a better MPG than generation 3 all else being equal.

Thats the info I carry in my head which may be utter rubbish or completely correct. Volvo owners forum would provide more info (with the usual forum proviso of needing to sort wheat from chaff).

Mine is the 163PS D3 – get a five cylinder for a ‘proper’ Volvo. If you get a geartronic be sure to change the transmission fluid. Check the auxiliary belts have been done also as from memory they have a shorter service interval than the timing belt, and can fail and take out the timing belt.

As always with these things all I can do is tell you my experience of owning one.

I bought a 58 plate V70 2.5T (5cyl petrol) in 2010 when it had 20k miles. I ran it untl September this year when I swapped it out for a simlar age/mileage/spec Skoda Superbe.

I paid £15k for the V70, put 60k miles on it and spent £3000 fixing the power steering assembly over and above the usuall servicing costs. The car was worth £4500 to an auctioneer when I chopped it in. I added up the total cost (not including fuel) and it came to just shy if £20k, which works out as 25p a mile.

Servicing costs are the most notable issue. Main dealers are pricey but the quality of customer care was excellent. Average service cost was probably £250-300 a year. It did feel like an expensive car to run in hindsight and I have heard that Volvo running costs are easily as high, if not higher, then other premium (German) brands.

I had several D3s and D5s as loan cars while mine was in for servicing and repair. The D3 feels rough; it’s not underpowered per se, but it does feel weak. The D5 feels smooth and is plenty powerful. All of them feel lumpy with such a big engine up front but the XC70 does feel better balanced when driving because of its all wheel drive.

The seats are the best I’ve ever sat in; they are very comfortable cars to drive. We made several 1800 mile round trips in ours with two small children.

Personally now I own the Skoda Superb, I would take a three year old one of those over a three year old V70; the Superb is a lot bigger in the back and I suspect will be cheaper to run. I’m lucky to have a L&K spec one and the seats and general interior is even better than the high spec V70 I had.