Volvo V70 Wagon Experience

sosborne301 · June 2003

blockislandguy...thanks for the feedback. That is very scary. I guess the new Volvos are out for all those who have to park their cars on the street. I'll have to keep looking. Maybe Audi:)

blockislandguy · June 2003

Sosborne301, if you have your heart set on a great weekend vehicle (i.e., a Volvo), you could consider some aftermarket bumper protectors that you see disfiguring most cars in NYC. Or, just give in and lease the new Land Rover Discovery 11 for $395 or so per month and never, ever have to worry about some rude clown backing into your grille. He would damage his ride first. Keep it simple because the upscale versions of the Disco have real leather and sunroofs. The imitation leather on the base Disco is longer lasting and you won't have to worry about someone jimmying open one of the two sunroofs.

sosborne301 · June 2003

I haven't yet looked at the Discovery....I'll start the research process...thanks. I love the look of the Volvo, but the bumper protection needed and constant worry is probabaly not worth it.

revka · June 2003

Here's a new discussion that some of you may find interesting: Saab vs. Volvo Wagons.

Thanks for your participation!

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

jcw · June 2003

Greetings! I'm new to this board (although I've been browsing it for some time). You all have been a tremendous help in identifying all of the great and not so great features of the Volvo V70. Undeterred by some of the minor quirks, we're planning to purchase a base V70 soon to accomodate our expanding family.

There's been some discussion about child seats and Volvo's "Integrated Child Booster Seats." After doing some research on the Volvo site, I'm unable to find any weight guidelines for using those seats. Does anyone have any ideas about the lower and upper limits for seating a child in those seats?

avenger1 · July 2003

Would love to see more information regarding this feature...

Does it help? Is it adjustable? Do you lose any feature by using this (fold down seats, etc)?

GregC

libertycat · July 2003

Then sign the petition at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/vs4ds100/petition.html
so far, there are 87 signatures. Add yours and maybe Volvo will build the car. Also join in on the Volvo S100 conversation under Future Vehicles.

libertycat · July 2003

I believe the V70 is too small for some people's needs and Volvo would steal sales from the E Class with a V90.

shieatt · July 2003

jcw... don't know if you got your question answered elsewhere yet, but we have a 2001 V70 T5 (which we love, incidentially) with the integrated boosters... they are awesome - you should get them. As far as age/weight requirements, I don't think weight matters as much as age and height. I can't remember the height requirement, but the age requirement was 3 years. So, assuming your kids are average to above-average size for their ages, 3 years and up would be your number. Our 5 and 3 year olds use them and love them.

shieatt · July 2003

I was reading some of the earlier posts in June regarding high depreciation of the T5 model, which we currently lease. I love the car and would be happy to buy it out of the lease if the price was right, but like others, the way it looks now the buyout will be above market. I was wondering if there is anyway to make a deal with the dealer to turn the car in to Volvo at the end of the lease and THEN buy it from the dealer at less than the lease buyout. I don't really know exactly where a turned-in car goes at the end of a lease, but presumably Volvo Finance sells it to the dealers for far less than the lease buyout amount. Anybody know??

volvomax · July 2003

Volvo Finance is very proud of the V70 wagon so they don't give the dealers a break on them either.
Sometimes your dealer can negotiate a lesser price on a lease buyout but it depends on the car and what Volvo Finance believes it can get on the open market.

automan227 · July 2003

I have a question for you, because we also have a 2001 V70 T5 wagon, and its lease will be up in January. We are not going to buy it when the lease is up, but I am curious to know what kind of residual you were given (I mean I know there are options and such that I am not accounting for when we compare).

But on our wagon with geartronic, the residual for a 39month, 12k/year lease is $22.5k.

Thanks.

AS

shieatt · July 2003

FYI, Volvo Finance's web site (volvofinance.com) will give you current buyout as well as all your other lease info. We are exactly 24 months into a 36 month lease. The current buyout on our T5 is $26,867. Residual at the end of 36 months is $21,640. Retail on the car was just over $40,000. Just looking at the current buyout, it is slightly more than the Edmunds.com TMV for a Dealer Certified used. Obviously I have a year to think about it, but I actually would be willing to pay the premium buyout price if I could get the benefits of a certified pre-owned.

geis3 · July 2003

Are all the 03 V-70s pretty much gone by now? I live in NC and haven't seen one in over 2 months. Just got a quote on a 04 2.5T with Premium, Touring, Versatility, Sport, and Climate Packages for $35136.00. Thats about $2,600 below MSRP, but not that great compared to the deals I saw people on this board getting earlier this year on 03s.
Should I wait a little longer for Volvo to start discounting again?

Thanks,
JG

bodble2 · July 2003

Any particular reason why Volvo would stick with a turbo I-5 for so long rather than go with a nice modern V6? Turbos are generally high-maintenance and isn't a straight 5 inherently an inferior configuration in terms of refinement?

bodble2 · July 2003

Volvo Canada is already offering low interest financing and $1,000 cashback on '04 models, which I thought is kind of early in the model year to do.

libertycat · July 2003

Volvo likes to be different and apparently belives turbos are most fun to drive and powerful. I don't care one way or another (horsepower and handling, etc. mean nothing to me).

bocatrip · July 2003

My girlfriend purchased a 98 Volvo V70GLT New for almost 38K at the time. Since the day she owned it, there were nothing but problems. Bulbs, Bulbs, Bulbs and more Bulbs had to be replaced and finally all the receptors one at a time. This problem stayed with the car until she sold it. At 20K miles, the evaporator went(Covered under warranty) would have been a $3500 job as the entire dash had to come apart and the part was pricey. The check engine light came on numerous times. They would reset it and it would last for awhile and then start again. After 20 thousand miles or so, plastic parts of the interior would fall off in our hands. The clips holding the sunvisor, the cupholder, the lenses for the courtesy lights in the doors. The rubber seals outside of the glass windows also starting coming lose. I actually will not go into every detail but the list does go on. At 50,000 miles , she traded the car to the same Volvo dealer she purchased it from and then went out a bought a 02 325 BMW. I know of a number of people experiencing similar electrical and other nightmares with these cars. Volvos are not the cars of the 60's (122, 142) They are safe cars but quite unreliable and costly to maintain. Read Consumer reports for the late 90's Volvos. The new ones are not much better, only newer. I hope this is not to disheartening to those that own these cars, but it has been my experience with these cars. I have had many in the past. Bottom line, If you choose to buy one... Get a warranty.

libertycat · July 2003

yet am more active in other discussions. Go figure.

bodble2 · July 2003

But are post-2000 V70's based on a different (and more reliable) platform? And I thought I had also read somewhere that in the past couple of years Volvo made a conscious effort corporately to improve the build quality of their cars.

libertycat · July 2003

and are WAY more reliable than previous ones.

ponnie · July 2003

I own a 2002 V70 2.4T which I purchased new, and have driven for 1 year and 17,000 miles. I have had a trouble free experience. Only oil changes, wheel balancing and rotations, and alignment. I too was worried about the terrible OBD II Volvos of '98 - '00, but my research on the '01s showed these issues had cleared up and thus I purchased the '02. No regrets. I also have a '93 850 which has been a reliable car, but had a few electrical repairs the first couple years/20K miles. I know others that have the "new" V70 model and they have had great reliability also. I also don't see any systemic problems being mentioned on this Board for the '01 - '03's. The V70 is a hard-to-beat overall package, especially for a family with 2 small children. Volvo knows this customer segment well. The BMWs may drive better, the Audi's may be more elegant, but the V70 is best compromised for my family needs. And it's definitely as reliable as the others.

libertycat · July 2003

Mine fits my needs well (although I am tempted to trade it in for a luxurious Sienna Limited). It has nice looks inside and out, is comfortable, has enough features to suit me, is SAFE, and has plently of cargo room.

ponnie · July 2003

But if you go to a minivan you will ruin (raise) that center of gravity. A minivan is great if you regularly have to carry more than 3 passengers or mostly drive the highways, but for around town errands a wagon is less cumbersome and lot more fun.

volvomax · July 2003

The last of the 03's carried large incentives from Volvo to the dealers. The 04 cars do not.
Perhaps at the end of the 04 model year you will see some incentives.
Also, Volvo reduced the price of the 04's esp the turbo models by an average of almost $2000 AND increased hp and equipment.

As for the I5 engine, it is inherently more balanced than a V6. A V6 needs counter-rotating balance shafts to dampen vibration. Meaning the engine becomes larger and heavier than it needs to be.
The I5 is lightweight and compact, it can fit sideways in the engine bay and allow alot more crush space in the front end for safety.
Also, if you look at the specs on fwd V6 cars they tend to much more nose heavy than the fwd Volvos do.
With the turbo engine you get a small displacement, lightweight fuel efficent engine that can blow away cars with bigger motors.
My 2.3L I5 in my C70 puts out 250hp and can smoke anything in its class, plus I get great mileage.

bodble2 · July 2003

Do you find your 2.4T motor burn oil more than normal? I don't have one (yet) but I've heard some comments that the Volvo motors tend to burn a bit more oil.

bodble2 · July 2003

Again I don't have direct experience, but I have also heard some people comment that the I5 turbo is not particularly known for smoothness, especially at idle. Maybe those are the exceptions rather than the rule.....

spmcc123 · July 2003

We have been offered a 1999 V70 5-speed manual, non-turbo, non-CC/XC, non "winter packaged", with 70,000 for $15,000. Jut how dodgy are the pre-2000 V70s

ponnie · July 2003

I have not found the I5 to burn oil excessively. My '93 850 (normally aspirated) with 140K miles uses about 1 QT per 2000 miles. It has had this rate of consumption since around 100K. I've always used AMSOIL synthetics and change every 10K. The '02 V70 2.4T uses virtually no oil. It has 17K miles total, about 10K on the oil and the level is still at the full mark.

ponnie · July 2003

Beware the '99s unless you know the person selling and know it has a clean record of reliability. This car could beat the odds and be very reliable, but most likely it has the electrical gremlins of that vintage. You could probably get an '01 for not much more money. I've even heard that the end-of-the-year '00s had the bugs worked out (if you prefer the older style).

libertycat · July 2003

I just like LOTS of passenger and cargo room and think bigger is better (but am not a true American because I give drivers of truck-based vehicles evil stares unless they're farmers

). I just think the Sienna has a beautiful interior and it has really made me want to get a minivan. I myself have always believed a family of two or less should have a wagon (no sedans, coupes, or convertibles) and a family of three or more should have a minivan (no SUVs, pickups, or full-size vans). But as usual few agree with me and wagons and minivans are some of the slowest selling body styles on the market. But when I save up the money from my minimal teaching salary, I will hopefully get a Sienna although I do LOVE my V70.

dwg0re · July 2003

This is a quote I got from a dealer for a Euro delivered T5:

"The Volvo V70 T5 manual transmission with the premium package and sports package is $34445. You would save $3445 over the US MSRP plus two roundtrip tickets to Europe. If you have any questions, please call."

I have read several of the forums here and it would appear this would be a good deal or do you believe I could do better?

I was considering several cars, including a BMW 325iT which I got a fairly good price quote on, Euro price and another $1600 off of that. Unfortunately though I am very concerned about the power and the space. If the BMW had either more space or more power I would probably buy it, but the two combined really makes me think the T5 is the way to go.

I also considered the C320, too expensive considering the competition. I did like the power and handling, the cargo space was adequate too.

I am a little concerned about various postings complaining of bulb replacements, problems with the electrical system and other annoyances? Are the current volvos really that unreliable? Or are the postings the exception not the rule? I really want something fast and with plenty of cargo space as well as luxury which is why I am not looking at a Subaru WRX. All comments and opinions welcome.

~David

bodble2 · July 2003

"...always believed a family of two or less should have a wagon"

What in heaven's name would they do with all that space?

Actually you said "or less", so that means a single guy should also buy a wagon?

bodble2 · July 2003

Apparently, according to owners of recent vintage V70's (see some of the recent posts here), Volvo has exorcised most of the electrical gremlins and reliability issues from the current V70.

libertycat · July 2003

but fell in love with the Sienna's new interior and always wished for more room. Sorry, boble, I meant a family with two or less children not a family of two or less. Please forgive me. I also just said that was what I "had always believed" and that doesn't mean a family with two children would be worse off with a minivan, just that I believe at least a wagon is necessary as trunks IMO don't offer enough space for storing kid's stuff. Also, when did I ever say I was single?

dwg0re · July 2003

Hey, I am a single guy and getting a wagon. It will haul my dog or dogs and provide plenty of space for outdoors gear. Oh, and it can carry people too. I do have a car that is fast carries two people and has a trunk that you cannot even put groceries or one piece of luggage in.

shieatt · July 2003

libertycat... how can you not care about handling and power???? I mean, sure they may fall lower on your priority list compared to other features, but to not care! Shocking.

We have an '01 V70 T5, and except for a burnt out tail light and crappy Pirelli tires, the car has been magnificent after 30K miles. I agree that for a family with two children, there is no more ideal vehicle. Second-to-none safety, built in booseter seats, lots of power, great handling, comfortable ride, incredibly comfortable seats, good mileage, lots of cargo space, etc., etc., etc.

However, we have more than 2 kids, actually having our 4th in a few months, and as a result just purchased a Suburban for our other car. While we considered minivans - actually only considered the '04 Sienna - with 4 or 5 kids you really can't beat the Suburban. The problem with minivans is that there just isn't much room behind that 3rd seat, and if you need to use the 3rd seat all the time, that becomes a problem. With all the rebates and 0% financing, etc., we got a loaded up LT Autoride Suburban that stickered for about $10K more than a loaded up XLE Limited Sienna at sticker (which of course is what you have to pay for a Sienna) for a lower monthly payment!!! And, given its size, the Burb actually gets decent mileage - we have recorded 18 MPG on the highway.

Still, the V70 is a great car. As others have said, it really seems to be the perfect balance of performance, luxury, comfort, styling, safety, reliability and price. Other nameplates may do marginally better in any one area (except safety), but nobody has a better package than this.

volvomax · July 2003

I've been around plenty of rough V6's and V8's and I would say the I5 is no better or worse than they are. The I5 also has a distinctive sound which some people like and others don't.

The Euro Delivery prices are fixed, unless Volvo has a special going on.
Currently there are no price specials for the V70.
However, if you take a car out of stock and pick it up in July or Aug. Volvo will offer a free trip to either London or Nice.
The T5 wagon is a very hard car to beat, M-B and BMW can't offer you more car only more badge.

lancerfixer · July 2003

Smoothness? Can't beat a straight six. It'd be nice to see the S80's six crammed into a V70. :-)

bodble2 · July 2003

"also, when did I ever say I was single?"

You didn't, and neither did I so imply.

bodble2 · July 2003

re: "...perfect balance of performance, luxury, comfort, styling, safety, reliability and price."

I can't say I disagree. But on the issue of luxury (looks and feel), do you (or anyone else) feel that the V70 is on par with other brands in a similar price range? Let's say...MB C-wagon, Audi A4 Avant, Lexus RX, etc.

libertycat · July 2003

"Actually you said "or less", so that means a single guy should also buy a wagon?"
Yes, you were referring to me because I had just said I probably would get a minivan in a few years. I think the V70 is not only on par with others, but above the bar set by these competitors, boble.

bodble2 · July 2003

I was merely interpreting your statement that a family of 2 or less should get a wagon. Well, according to my math, a family less than 2 means a single person, guy or gal. You did later clarify that you meant to say a family of 2 children or less, but hey, I was responding to your first statement. Nowhere did I even remotely suggest YOU should get a wagon. I think you were inferring that yourself. Hell, I didn't, and still don't, even know if you're single, or have a harem along with a dozen kids.

But this is way off topic and we're probably boring the crap out of other posters who have no interest in this word interpretation game.

volvomax · July 2003

I agree the I6 would be the best solution.
The smoothest engine configurations are straight sixes, straight eights, and V12's.

The next generation I6 will be shorter in length and should fit the current S60/V70 cars.
Also, Jaguar will use the engine as well.

The I5 is a compromise between Volvo's need for safety( a large crumple zone in a short nosed car) and their desire for better performance.

bodble2 · July 2003

So the next generation XC/V70 would come with an I6? How many more years does the current generation has on its life cycle?

libertycat · July 2003

It was redesigned in 2001 and there are no plans for a redesign in sight, so possibly 2007 or 2008 will yield a redesign.

volvomax · July 2003

Actually the S80 redesign is being finalized now.
Along with the rest of the P2 cars.
However, given the lead time necessary it would be 2006 at the earliest before any of these cars would be seen.

libertycat · July 2003

V70/S60 redesign FYI volvomax.

irollit · July 2003

Our broker's auction list shows a blue 2.4T. Were there two blue color options in 2001 V70s? I want a light colored car.

There are many T5 2001 V70s listed. I don't know anything about the T5 except that it has more horsepower.

How does it compare to a 2.4, 2.4T or a XC? Those are our choices. Any other information you can give me?

We drove the XC and really liked all it's features but there is only one 2001 on the list in a light color (ash gold) so we may not be able to get it. XC is the one we really want.

We had a 2.4 2001 until this month. The insurance company has totalled it because it is too costly to repair. We would like to have one that is higher off the ground than our previous Volvo.

libertycat · July 2003

It has enough power, available AWD, and personally I like its styling better than the XC. The XC has AWD, more ground clearance, and love it or hate it body cladding. But the 2.4T has the AWD option for a lower price overall.

Volvo V70 Wagon Experience

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