Well, I gave it a good try, but I will be selling my 2009, newly purchased XC70. I have had it for several months, and my conclusion is "I don't like it". Why? I have had a list of Volvos (142, P-1899, 240, 740, 760, 850, S40) as well as Mercedes 300te, BMW2002, MGB's, VW's and a favorite- Porsche 914.
I really enjoyed the 850 wagon, but it hit 250K, and was not so reliable any longer- gave it to my son. I wanted to stay in the Volvo family, and felt that the newest incarnation of it would suit my needs (wagon, comfort, some level of luxury). What I found was a slow, poor handling gas guzzler. It's almost too heavy! I just don't enjoy the 'driving experience' while in that car....and, I love driving. I feel quite isolated from the road, not the experience I had with my prior cars . So, I am going to wait till Spring and see what I can do. However, I am stumped. I had considered the Subaru Outback (interior space, better mpg, reliability) prior to the Volvo, but the wife wanted a higher level of luxury. Back to the drawing board. Since the car is an Pre-Cert Owner vehicle, there remains a warranty, but I paid top-dollar for it. I will lose money on the move from this car, but I am sure that most of you (car nuts) understand that the driving experience is a large part of car ownership.

One thing that you might consider is a nice set of smaller, wider wheels (mind brake clearance) with low profile performance tires.

You might be able to drop the car 3 inches or so and get some of the road feel that you want.

The too heavy feeling that you get might be a too tall. Most cars today are heavy.

We have a 2012 XC 70 with FWD and I certainly prefer to drive my '96 855R. I do wonder how much is due to the low profile Yokohama Prada spec 2s. These tires are so sticky that I find acorns stuck to the top of them after a drive.
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'96 855R,'64 PV544 driver, '67 P1800 basket case, '72 Yamaha Rd400, '68 Honda 350-4, '12 XC70, the first 5 are mine, heh, heh, 525,000 miles put on 10 bricks James A Sousa

I too agree. Although I haven't driven your specific model, I have driven a friend's 2012 XC t6 (no more 70 in the name). It is a beautiful car, the t6 engine is terrific but I found it too heavy and it certainly lacked driver feedback. I also drove my Dad's 2001 V70 and thought the same thing although that car was a little lighter.

I don't think I'd ever buy a "newer" Volvo. Maybe a V40 or V50. Depending upopn how they drive. I understand the first generation (S40/V40) handles quite well!

As suggested, maybe a mint 850 or early V70 would be your cup of tea? They are certainly "sportier" and have more road feel than the newer cars.

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95 855 GLT Sportwagon 218k, 90 244 DL 300k - after 11 years has a new home

Then again, there are a lot of people who find fault with their 'new' car. You could live with your decision and look for the good things in it. Considering that it costs over $40K for a new one, $25K aint so bad.

For mpg, make sure the tires are 2-4 lbs over inflated. Use 89 octane if you live in hot or hilly terain. If you do a lot of short distance driving (less than 10 miles one way), take it out on the highway once a month to burn off all of the condensation in the oil and exhaust pipe.

Re-adjust you driver's seat. Up as high as you can and still be comfortable. This change helps your attitude, really. If you drive close to the steering wheel, slide the seat back so that your elbows are just slightly crooked. Amazing what that does for some folks.

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My name is Klaus and I am a V♂lv♂holic

You can always go back to an 850. There's a 96 850 turbo sedan with 32K on the meter in Richmond, VA on ebay. Bid is $4051 and it hasn't hit the reserve yet. Just a thought :). I know what you mean. I have an 04 xc70. It's OK but not as fun/special as my 97 S90.

Sorry to see you go, but I concure with your decision. My wife had a 2001 Audi A4Q 2.8 with only 91000 miles on it until we traded it in yesterday. We looked at everything out there, including a new XC60 T6. She wanted to be able to see down the road and have AWD.

The XC60 was most impressive, 300bhp and NO turbo lag. It was just bigger than what she needed.

We looked at a Subaru Forester with turbo (my wife likes to go) but the wind noise above 60 was just too much. Besides, the 'new' Forester comes out next month.

We climbed into a new BMW X1 with the turbo 4 and she fell in love. Just the right size, decent mpg, fast enough, and the handling was first class. Plus 4 years of free maintenance. Not 'cheap', about the same price as the XC60, but easier to drive and park. There is no rearview camera, but it has a large rear window and the X1 is low enough that we don't have to climb in or out.

Your 2009 XC70 has the 6 cylinder engine and the mpg is dismal. The newer ones are a bit better because of a tranny change. The handling is sloppy due to the extra engine weight and the turning radius has always been too large for my comfort.


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My name is Klaus and I am a V♂lv♂holic

My issue is that I blew my cash on the 2009 xc70, will not recoup that $25K upon resale. I have to find a pre-owned vehicle that meets my needs. I cannot crawl into a 2013...no cash left.