Couple question for all you 2002/2001 V70 owners out there. I'm considering buying a 2002 2.4T or T5. I asked the local dealer a couple questions but I question the answers I got actually being correct.

1. Can a full size spare fit in the wagon as long as I do not have the third row seating? (either a 2.4T or the T5) I see it is an option for Overseas delivery yet the dealer said no they do not fit nor was he aware that was an option to order since he is the one that runs all OSD orders. I see that it clearly is an option with either steel rim or alloy rim.

2. Does anyone know if any 2.4Ts that are shipped over have the DSTC option on them or if I really want that would I have to special order? The dealer said the STC on the 2.4Ts is the same as the DSTC on the T5s but the brochure clearly explains the difference and I personally would like to get DSTC. It also clearly shows DSTC as an option that can be ordered on the 2.4T. I just was not sure of the likelyhood of a dealer being able to find me a 2.4T already over here that has DSTC.

3. The only T5 this dealer has for me to test drive had the 17" rims/low profile tires. So it seemed to vibrate more than the 2.4T that I test drove. Can anyone compare the ride difference between a T5 with the standard tires and a 2.4T - for both ride and how the auto. trannys shift. I plan on going to another dealer that has a T5 with standard size tires on it. Just looking for feedback.

4. I thought I read somewhere that someone complained about excessive glare on the current V70s if you get light color interior. Unfortunately the day I test drove the cars was very overcast. I asked the dealer about this and he said there is no difference.

5. The radio that comes standard on the T5, and is part of the premium package for the 2.4T - does this radio get poor reception or is decent?

Great information here, thanks for any help anyone can provide. I felt like this first dealer I went to just did not have a very informed salesman and I am not sure if it will be any better at other dealers.

2001 2.4T - not happy with the purchase
-Left us stranded/bad throtle body
-excessive tire noise on 17 inch tires after 5 K miles
-burnt out headlights at 1 every 2 months
-trailer hitch cover has fallen off three times
-the car is a magnet for door dings, not well protected at all
-head light fogged on left side
-2 wheel drive is pityful in snow
-mediocre gas mileage
-I haven't rolled it yet to check the saftey features
*****comfy seats, nice stereo
buy a BMW,its worth the difference and you can count on customer support, Volvos customer support hardly exists!

I agree with Yannis except on one point. The reflection of the top of the dash in the windshield is awful on sunny days. We have the taupe interior, which is probably not as bad as the lighter sand color in this respect. I think the reflection is caused by the extremely raked windshield angle. I am surprised that safety oriented Volvo would make this compromise of form over function.

Peter Bradley
2001 V70 T5 classic red

Well you got some correct and incorrect answers (mostly incorrect)...

1. If you go with 16" alloys, the you can install a full size spare. If you opt for the 17" alloys (my personal choice as the ride is much sportier adn the car steers better, not mentioning that it handles nicer and will have killer looks!) then you cannot have a full size spare. The alloy would fit but not with the 235/45-17 tire! Why are you worried about that anyway? For the next 4 years you will have FREE 24-hr. roadside assistance and I bet that if you surveyed 10 people who had installed a full-size spare (at a great cost unless you go Euro delivery, but that costs $$$, too), I doubt that you would find more than 1 who had to use their spare tire in 5 years. And if you do get one, do not get a steel rim as it will come as a 15" and your other wheels are alloys anyway.

2. You are not (well, your Retailer) going to find too many V70 2.4Ts (if any) with DSTC. It is an $1,100 option and most Retailers avoid it like the plague because it does inflate the MSRP and also only 10% of us know how to really explain its great effects. And it is a feature that, in order to appreciate what it does and also justify the extra cost, must be explained in great detail and/or demonstrate on a wet/snowy road, if necessary. If you can afford it, get it. You will rarely need it but when and if you get in trouble, you will definitely be glad you had it. For me, it was a toss-up between DSTC and the Dolby Surround Sound System (I had already reached my budget limit)...since it was a manual and felt I cold have more control with it, I opted for the Audio upgrade (I also owned a '98 V70R with the Dolby, previously, so my ears were...spoiled!). But there is a definitive difference between STC and DSTC. No question about that, right? ;)

3. I have already covered that...tire size? 16" for the T5 are 215/55-16 (METIS is an ugly looking wheel) and 17" are 235/45-17 (AMALTHEA are beautiful rims!). For the 2.4T, standard are 205/55-16 (MIMAS is a nice looking wheel , you can upgrade to 215/55-16 (again, METIS are pretty UGLY!) or to the same 17" found in the T5.

4. The glare "problem" is a subjective observation. If you drive in a brightly sunlit day, all cars have some type of glare. The S80s have it a bit more. And also, a lt.beige interior may produce a bit more glare than a dark grey interior. But I do not find it a problem.

5. I get great reception with my radio (although mine is not the standard) or when I drive my demo which usually has the standard system.


Best of luck!

Yannis


P.S. If you are thinking about the Euro delivery, you better make up your mind quick and current delivery dates are set for mid to end of July and then the factory "packs it up" for one month (vacation)...

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2001 V70 T-5M SR, Classic Red/Graphite Lthr., ipd ME7 ECU Upgrade, K&N Air Filter, Cold Weather, Dolby Surr. Sound, Rear Spoiler, 17" 'Tethys' alloys

Yes, full size spares have been a Euro-delivery option, not just on the 2002, but were on the prior generation 70s and the 850s, too. I am certain a full size 16" spare will fit in the prior generation 70 because I have added one. I tried to order a US delivery 2002 70 with the full size spare, it apparently can't be done from the factory but surely your dealer can figure out how to put one back there. At a price of course. The 17" will NOT fit, as far as I can tell, but the 16" will. My problem with the std T5 16" wheels is that I think they're ugly. My solution was going to be to order the 17" wheels, and use my extra 16" alloy as a spare. A 16" steel wheel should be cheaper and work temporarily for a few hundred miles on a trip which is my concern. You may not want to dive into every corner at 10/10 with this setup but in normal driving I'd think it would be much better than the doughnut spare.

You may find it helpful to find a larger dealer who deals exclusively with Volvos, because the one you've seen seems to have problems with the product line. Volvo dealers are NOT all like this. If you have questions that they can't answer they should call Volvo NA for the answer. My own dealer has a pretty knowledgable sales force (it's the service department where they are awful).

-Punxsutawney Phil

Hey! I thought I read in one of your recent posts that ou were not going to buy another Volvo again!

Yannis
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2001 V70 T-5M SR, Classic Red/Graphite Lthr., ipd ME7 ECU Upgrade, K&N Air Filter, Cold Weather, Dolby Surr. Sound, Rear Spoiler, 17" 'Tethys' alloys