I am leaning heavily toward buying a V70 and I wanted to get the lowdown from Volvo enthusiasts. I am hoping to combine two fairly old but trusty vehicles: a 91 4Runner and a 97 Accord, both with lots of miles. (The third car, soon to be second car, is a 91 BMW M5 in near-cherry condition.) I put about 20k miles/year on my Accord for work, so the economic case might be tenuous. Regardless, I think it is the perfect combination for my wife and I. Fairly fast (Turbo of some sort is a must) with good mileage and lots of storage space for a labrador mix for $30k or less when new. Not much else out there that fits that description.

We checked out the new cars at a dealership last weekend. Mostly XC70s and V70Rs, but we were able to get the picture. The 2001+ cars seem to be a must because of the much nicer interior.

I had been considering a used car mostly to avoid massive depreciation because of all the miles that I drive. But they had a good deal right on the lot. A 06 V 70 2.5T with leather, in our favorite color combo: titanium metallic with graphite interior. $39500 MSRP for $31500. Looks to have convienence package, but I have to check for sure. 17" wheels of some sort.

The used 2001+ cars seem to all be in the $20-30k range. More for Rs, less for non-turbos. 30-40k miles in the right color combo for $20 or less would be ideal.

So I have a few questions that I would greatly appreciate being answered. Please be as candid as possible, but please don't start any flames!

1. Are there any reports for the replacement of the current V70? It's a nice car, but it has been around, more or less, since 2001. So it must be due for a redesign soon, right? Any photos or links?

2. What are the major used car problems to look for?

3. How reliable, in general, have the 2001+ V70s been?

4. What's with the 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 engine designations. Were there significant engine block changes?

5. How well does the iPod kit work?

6. What is the best way to get an iPod to work with a V70 that doesn't have the official Volvo kit?

7. Is the third row retrofit-able for a capable DIYer?

8. How many miles are people really getting in the 95+ volvos before they start to have serious problems?

9. Am I nuts to buy a Ford?


Thank you all in advance. Please cc your response to elee @ davisenergy.com.

Regards,

Eric Lee
Monterey, CA

If you enjoy accelerating in traffic, the awd versions use about 20bhp just to spin the drive shafts. The light pressure turbo is your best bet, lots of torque without turbo lag.
MIJ is correct, the newer the better for the V70. At 20K/year, you will be hitting 100K in 5 years which is time for a timing belt. The milage will depend on the tread compound, I lost 3mpg when I went to ContiExtremeContact, but I love the grip and quiet.
The V70 is the best wagon on the road today or yesterday. Lots of room, good visibility, and comfortable.

Klaus
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(V♂LV♂s 1995 854T, 1998 V70R)

+1,000,000
I agree with everything said here.
Get the newest V70 you can find and afford and by all means make sure it has service records and checks out with an indy mechanic before purchase.
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1998 S70 T5 Emarald Green Metallic, 2004 V70 2.5T Ruby Red, Previous Owner of Black '94 850 Turbo Wagon. My cars have been running so well lately they've got me worried.

get a 540iT? Or a 528iT? Or a 525iT turbo? Why change gears now? Get her a BMW Touring. You know the cars. You know the marque. You can keep your same mechanic and satisfy the urge to carry lots of stuff, quickly. I've got a 99 V70 and an 88 535i 5 speed, chipped and diffed. I'm looking for a good looking E34 525 Touring that I can convert to a 535i with a 5 speed. If I had the money, I put on a turbo from TCD for about $5k or go for a 540i with a 6 speed. I (my wife) like our V70, it's quick, but no where near as quick as the GLT or the T5. But stay with BMW.
My appologies to this board. I really do like my (wife's) V70, but if I was driving an M5, it would make no sense not to drive a BMW Touring.

Thanks, but NO THANKS!!

Your comment about knowing the marque is an interesting one. Most old-school BMW fans would argue that no one knows what the hell the BMW marque stands for these days. As always, the engines are jems, but the cars are heavy and full of quirky electronics. as for the styling, no one would say it's beautiful. And what's with the cast-iron calipers on the new M5/M6? (you can't buy a BMW with monoblock-style calipers.) how about some eye-candy that means something, rather than confusion that is flame surfacing? but sales are brisk (up 10% every year, Volvo looks to be about 10% down this year :( so can you blame them?

I have never thought I would buy a new car. I'd prefer to let someone else take the depreciation, while getting a car I could never otherwise afford. I don't care about car status, just performance and good looks and a sweet interior. I'll take the gravitas of my very bad-ass 91 black/black M5 (with only 101k miles) that most people probably think has a fake M5 badge because it doesn't have the 4 exhaust pipes of current M cars. but wait until the first opening in traffic and you'll know it's for real. I flog that car every chance I get, and it loves me for it. But driving a car that fast everyday would be tempting fate for me.

But the deal on this new V70 is really good. $31.5k for charcoal metallic, graphite leather, premium package, convienence package, climate package, sat radio....MSRP is $39.5k.

The used BMW wagons you found were all nice cars, but the average price was about $30k with about 35k miles. And there are several reasons that I would actually prefer the V70:

- way better storage. I'm looking to replace a 4Runner. The E39 5 series is about the size of an V50 back there. We camp a lot with our dog and 9 month old baby, so we need to carry a ton of stuff.

- rear seat legroom. Another problem in the E39. We need to fit an infant seat back there, and the V70 has enough room to allow real humans to still ride in front in comfort.

- mileage. 29 mpg hwy for the V70 2.5T. my freakin Accord rarely gets more than 30 mpg. The 5 series are probably all between 20-25 mpg. I will drive this car for up to 20k miles per year.

- performance (in a straight line). The 2.5T has 208 hp and 236 ft-lb. The 528i has about 190 hp and 175 ft-lb.

- weight. I was blown away to learn that the V70 2.5T was only 3400 lb. That's really light for such a spacious car with modern crash standards. The E39s probably all weight more than 3800 lb. The E60s must be over 4200 lb. credit some to the FWD, but also maybe Volvo realizes more than BMW that keeping weight in check helps all aspects of performance (acceleration, braking, handling). (BTW, Subaru has also figured this out. The legacy turbo gets to 60 mph in 5.9 sec. my M5 does the same thing, but needs 70 more hp to do so thanks to its 3800 lb weight.)

- interior. I was blown away by how nice the 2.5T looked in graphite leather. I'm not a huge fan of wood, but at least it's real. Very, very nice seats. lots of cool design features like 12V in the rear seat and cargo area. E39s are nice too, but I give a slight edge to the V70.

OK, I know what you're thinking...there are several reasons that the BMW is better. I would much rather have AWD or RWD. I never thought I'd buy another car with FWD and an automatic. (More than 90% of 3 series have autoboxes -- so much for being the ultimate driving machine.)

It all comes down to money and what I can get for that money. I pay my BMW indy mechanic enough as it is, and I only put about 5k miles per year on my M5.

From the sound of it, you should reconsider your E34 plans and look for an E34 M5. There are lots of nice examples with <130k miles for the low teens. Most have been loved their entire lives, and it's a rare car (only ~1800 sold in the US compared to 10k E39 M5s), but watch out for engine problems -- rebuilds are at least $10k.

....great talking with you....

Eric

You mentioned the V70 seats:
Yeah...mmmm, the ahhhh seats!
Wait until you do an all day trip in the V70. We drive ours to the beach (about 7-8 hours) several times a year (also a 2.5T...we love it!). You can actually get out of the car an function because you don't feel like you've been sitting that long at all. These seats are the comfort galore...better than most seats in the living room in front of the big screen!

If I ever buy a non-Volvo car in my future, I'd want to take the Volvo seats out somehow and put them in my new ride...I love them that much! :)
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1998 S70 T5 Emarald Green Metallic, 2004 V70 2.5T Ruby Red, Previous Owner of Black '94 850 Turbo Wagon. My cars have been running so well lately they've got me worried.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2003-540iA-Sport-Wagon-IMMACULATE_W0QQitemZ150004920815QQihZ005QQcategoryZ6008QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2000-BMW-528iT-Sport-Wagon-Safety-Comfort-Performance_W0QQitemZ290004772607QQihZ019QQcategoryZ6008QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2003-03-540IT-WAGON-FACT-W-TY-COLD-PREM-PKG-PARK-ASSIST_W0QQitemZ280006435302QQihZ018QQcategoryZ6008QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HARD-TO-FIND-540IT-TOURING-WAGON_W0QQitemZ130006211417QQihZ003QQcategoryZ6008QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

or this, an all wheel drive 5er
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2006-BMW-530xit-Hard-to-find-WAGON-BMW-CERTIFIED_W0QQitemZ260005901174QQihZ016QQcategoryZ6008QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

or maybe an X5!

Consider looking over at www.swedespeed.com There are some great used V70 deals there and the audio section will answer your questions regarding an iPod install kit. I believe the USA Spec is the best bet for you. In regards to realiability, the V70 just gets better with each year it's out, so the newer the better but more expensive as it goes as well. Others may disagree but I would avoid the '01 due to the known ETM issue...but Volvo has warrantied it up to 10 years or 200K miles, so it may be a non-issue unless you decide to keep the car for longer than the stated years/miles above. Good luck, and hope to have you in the club!
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1998 S70 T5 Emarald Green Metallic, 2004 V70 2.5T Ruby Red, Previous Owner of Black '94 850 Turbo Wagon. My cars have been running so well lately they've got me worried.

If the software upgrade means that the ETM will function reliably for over 100,000 miles before it fails, I think I can live with the potential cost of replacing one unit at my own expense over the life of the car.

My car just turned 5 years old. I've got 5 more years of warranty coverage.

If you know the odds and are willing to pay when it goes outside of the warranty period then you're way ahead of the curve! Enjoy your ride! :)
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1998 S70 T5 Emarald Green Metallic, 2004 V70 2.5T Ruby Red, Previous Owner of Black '94 850 Turbo Wagon. My cars have been running so well lately they've got me worried.