New Volvo V50 Owners - Give Us Your Report!

PF_Flyer

Congratulations on your new V50 wagon! This is the place to let us know what you love about your V50 now that you've actually got your hands on it!

louiskie

Hi. I bought a T50 V50 a few weeks ago (manual with premium, convenience and climate package, and premium sound system). I love it. It is very solid and quiet, with tons of little features that make it fun to drive. My wife and I also looked into the overseas program but there are a couple of things that we found less than ideal. The main one is that it takes several months to have the car shipped to you. So you get to drive it in Sweden (or pick it up elsewhere in Europe, for a fee that seems to range from $600-$1000), but then go home and wait around for a few months until your new car gets here. I think you still have to make the car payments though in the meantime (not sure about that). We priced it out and found a dealer here that was only $400 more expensive than the European delivery, plus we could take advantage of Volvo's good financing and have our car now. It worked better for us to get it here, but it is a fun thing to think about, especially if you want to be in Scandanavia in the dark winter (ha ha ha). Overall I am very happy with the V50- I've only had it for a few weeks but it is really fun to drive and very, very solidly built. Hope that helps.

pranav23

I purchased the V50 T5 AWD automatic two weeks ago. So far, it runs great. Excellent acceleration. Great handling. Fantastatic audio. I purchased the above car with premium and audio pkg for approx $31,800 + tax/title @ Bill Gray, Pittsburgh, PA.

I considered the VW Passat Wagon, Audi Avant 1.8T.

volvodog

I bought a new v50 t5 AWD 6 speed 2 weeks ago. I have 2 leased Outbacks in the past 6 yearslast one an '02 5 speed nonturbo. The v50 is a more refined experience. It is smoother, more quiet and less taxing to drive than either of my Outbacks. I bought the v50 for 1800 under dealer invoice with only 2 options-convenience package and built in booster seats. The only complaint I have is that the visibility out the sides, front and back is not as good as I'd like. It is unfair to compare the "02 Outback to the v50 as the there is about a 7K difference in price. I feel the v50 is worth it. My experience with the dealer was excellent. I can't speak about reliability. The Subarus were very reliable; never had a problem with either one. The build quality on the"02 Outback was not good-hard thing to put one's finger on. The v50 has it beat by a long shot and Consumer Reports doesn't address the difference in refinement and the feeling of quality that the v50 has.

frank_c

Just bought a 2007 V50 T5 with the premium package, the climate package, and metallic paint for $ 29,900 (plus TTL). MSRP is 33,830, Edmunds's invoice is 31,592, TMV is 31,080.

On a side note, TMV consistently overshoots the market. Example: Current TMV for a stripped down 2006 S60 T5 is 26,694. Northern California close-out price: 24,888.

We had an offer on a VW Passat which was thousands less but given VW's reliability issues (we have a 2005 Passat which has had more than its share of problems) and a yet another lousy VW dealership experience we opted for the V50.

All in all a good deal as far as I can tell on one of the nicest mid-size station wagons available.

tessh

Is it possible to take my 2007 V50 to any Volvo dealer for warranty concerns or must I take it to the dealer from whom I bought it? How about for the complimentary 7,000 mile service?

Things I love about the V50:
Accelerates nicely
Smooth ride
Comfort plus!
Great sound system
Fun to drive
Lots of cargo room
Feels safe
California zero emission vehicle
Can change the volume/CDs on the steering wheel
Nice exterior styling

Things I dislike:
Layout of the interior
No room for cell phone, sunglasses
The little storage space in the doors
The little storage space behind the control panel is awkward to get into
Ignition is close to the windshield wiper lever
My coffee cup disappears into the cup holder

As you can see, the dislikes are small design issues

bmis

Just leased a T5 AWD, MSR (Premium), Climate, Audio, Int. Boosters. Took delivery in early October.

Traded in a 2004 Nissan Quest SE :lemon: for it, and so far, we love it. Handles great, love the transmission, very fun to drive.

We were concerned about the size (especially going from mini-van to a small sport wagon) but we took our first trip this past weekend, and our family of 4 and luggage fit just fine...we'll see what happens this summer when we go somewhere for a week! :P

Anyway, so far we are SO much happier than we were with the dreadful Quest and very happy to be 'back' in a Volvo again! :shades:

tgrabe

wondering how two adults and two kids, ages 12 and 8, will fit into a V50 for long trips, or just around town. anyone with any experience with a V50? we now have a Volvo Cross Country Wagon but are considering buying the smaller wagon with better gas mileage.
thanks.

blicero

I have had my T5 AWD V50 for about six weeks now. With automatic, and the premium, climate, and audio packages, MSRP was about $36,400. Purchase price was just over $32,000, which included Ford Z-plan pricing (invoice minus direct-to-dealer incentives, which are $2250 through July 1).

I wanted a wagon for the versatility --I have two dogs and need space for them as well as other things like Home Depot trips (!). The V50 was a nice combination of small size, good handling, good acceleration, and decent mileage. And it looks nice, too.

The best things about the car: the seats (very comfy, best I've had); the steering-wheel controls; the perfomance; the MP3/AUX input; and the looks. Things that could use improvement: interior space; interior materials quality (especially lower dash plastics, glove box, and lower door plastics); and the brakes, which feel a little mushy. The mileage is good on the highway, but not very great in stop and go city traffic.

I have taken the car on a 1500 mile road trip and it was very comfortable. There were two of us (adults) and we both felt the seats were the best we've experienced for a long trip. I would think that kids might be less happy in the back, which is cramped, but it would depend on their size. Another drawback for kids is the lack of interior storage.

Overall, the V50 is a good car, but it's not for everyone, nor is it tremendously exciting to drive. For singles, young couples, and families with smaller children, it's worth considering. It's very safe, it's comfortable, and it performs reasonably well. As a value proposition, though, it may not be ideal. The price escalates quickly with option packages.

obxfox

I am considering getting a V50. I've been driving an S60 for the last 3 years and other than a software problem at 7500 miles which was taken care of right away, I have had no problems with the car.

In reading through some of the discussion areas I'm a bit concerned about some of the problems that have come up. The closest dealer to me is 1 1/2 hours away so I don't want to spend time driving back and forth to get problems taken care of.

So the question is, "Should I or shouldn't I?"

Thanks

hartotis

Bought a used V50 in December of 07 with 25,000 kms on it. So far so good, love the looks of the car inside and out. No mechanical problems to report, I have been running on regular fuel since I bought it. While not overly quick I am satisfied with the performance of the 2.4, very happy with the way the auto trans works. Long term reliability is a concern, Volvo has had it's share of issues in this department. Gas mileage has been a bit better than expected even in some brutally cold weather that we have had the last month or so. I will post again around the sixth month mark.