V70: General Buying Advice

[Edinburgh101]

Good afternoon.

I am a Volvo fan but have virtually no mechanical knowledge. I am looking to update my car and fancy a nice Volvo V70 and was hoping someone could help suggest what I should be looking out for.

I currently have a 2005 S60 2.4 D5 SE (my 2nd of the same model) and feel that an estate would be more practical for my lifestyle. I love the overtaking power it has but I especially love the comfortable leather seats and the reasonable economy.

My budget is around £8000-£9000 and ideally I want it to be hassle free ownership (I can't fix anything myself).

Should I stay clear of high mileage examples or is that not a big issue?

Anyone have any tips on what spec I should look for (I want a manual).


Thanks as always!

Gordon

[convertisaab]

Hi Edinburgh101,

Worth a look at in the for sale section on this page ? ( don't know if it's still available !! )

FS: 2011 V70 D5 Geartronic Polestar

Regards,

Roger

[Edinburgh101]

Thanks Roger - that does look very nice!

Can you or anyone else advise what is high mileage when it comes to a V70 - what I should cap my search at?

Thanks again for all the help!

[andyg]

The generic answer is that higher mileage Volvo diesel vehicles, say >125k miles, are not necessarily a problem if they have a good maintenance record, ie. oil and filter changes, aux and timing belt changes. Also check for zero warning lights on the dash throughout a good test drive that includes several engine on/off stops. Generally it is best to avoid any cars that have had many owners because the maintenance record is normally impossible to verify.

Many of my Volvos went to 120-140k miles before I sold them without any major problems. One of them, an S60, went to a friend and was still going strong at 190k.

[leylandp38]

Your S60 is mechanically similar to the V70 so you already probably know some of what to expect. The D5 is a brilliant motor, as are its later siblings the 2.4D, D3 etc (any of the 5cyl 2.4 diesels).

In terms of mileage, as andyg says they are good for many many miles. I sold my 2000 model (Audi TDi motor) at 225,000 miles. I now have a 2002 V70 D5 which is on 175,000 miles and does not miss a beat. I recently bought an immaculate 2008 XC70 D5 with 125,000 miles, I expect to keep that for the next 3-5 years. Only thing, I don't want to sell the older one as it is still excellent.

All my cars are/were manual gearbox, I prefer to drive manuals and they age very well. Older automatics are good provided they have had the fluid changed and filter where fitted, otherwise they can be problematic at higher mileages. I have read elsewhere on this forum that a change at 100,000 miles is advised, despite Volvo stating these are "sealed for life".

For your budget you should be able to get a good one 2010 or younger. I would suggest buying privately for best value as dealers will outrageously overprice. Personally I think it best to go for condition, specification and service history ahead of age. A 10 year old car in excellent condition with 60,000 miles will probably be a better vehicle than a 5 year old one with 150,000 miles (although as stated, 150,000 miles is no biggie with a V70).

Things I have been aware of needing to fix (based on my P2 with 175,000 miles):
- Starter motors give out with age. You can buy a brand new RTX one from Euro carparts for about £90 and it's an easy job to fit (garage will do it in under an hour)
- Alternator clutch can fail. Replacement clutch unit around £60 or if you shop around you can get a whole replacement alternator for about £120. Again, easy to fit.
- Aux belts and pulleys should have been replaced at the same time as the cam belt (generally every 80,000 miles but some people say 100,000)
- Top and bottom engine mounts can need to be replaced at high mileages. Again, 3rd party units can be bought fairly cheaply.
- Rear discs are known for rusting. That said I've never had a problem with these.
- Suspension wishbone rubbers can get worn out at higher mileages, these are heavy cars. Replacement wishbones are easily located but it's a few hours to swap them - not a huge job though.
- Shock absorbers will get tired at about 120,000 miles, I fitted new Boge blue ones to my 2002 V70 at 150,000 miles and it drives like a new car.

Oh and if you buy a P3, be aware that there was a widespread windscreen sealing fault. Plenty on the forum about that and nothing to be alarmed about provided you follow up with Volvo to get it fixed.

That's all I can think of for now - good luck.

Al

[Potski]

I can't help feeling that in some ways a well chosen 5 year old car with 150k under its wheels may actually be a better bet that a 10 year old car with 60k on the clock.

Its likely to have spend a fair amount of that time on motorways/A roads, nicely up to temperature & turning over at modest revs. Couple that with the fact that there's and of course there's 5 years less for environmental factors to have taken a toll (salt, moisture penetration, degradation of plastics and so on)

Just an opinion - which is probably wrong.

[tommyweaves]

I agree with Potski. Lack of use does more harm to a car than using it daily for a good run.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a young high mileage V70. It will likely have been a middle aged exec's company car. Unlikely to have been thrashed, mostly motorway miles. Regular daily use and no expense spared on maintenance at the dealer, so excellent service record too.

[Edinburgh101]

Thanks for all the responses - this is incredibly helpful.

I do love my D5 and love the power it has for overtaking.

I have also been through the same thought process - surely a high mileage company car has been cruising the motorways which may be better than an older car that has been pottering around. Having said that I agree completely that a car that has been loved is worth a lot. I feel like a manual would suit me best.

Really interesting to hear the views of experienced owners!

[green van man]

Originally Posted by Edinburgh101

Thanks for all the responses - this is incredibly helpful.

I do love my D5 and love the power it has for overtaking.

I have also been through the same thought process - surely a high mileage company car has been cruising the motorways which may be better than an older car that has been pottering around. Having said that I agree completely that a car that has been loved is worth a lot. I feel like a manual would suit me best.

Really interesting to hear the views of experienced owners!

I drive a manual 2wd xc70, finding manual D5 engine cars is like finding hens teeth, finding a 2wd xc70 manual was unicorn droppings. When I was looking, of the 460 v and xc70 on the selekt program 60 were manual,not many D5 spec, and 1 was manual and 2wd xc. I drove 12 hours to view it and buy and the same the next weekend to pick it up.

Anything D5 after about 2010 will be geartronic, the reason this will be my last volvo.

Paul.

[Ant B]

Originally Posted by green van man

I drive a manual 2wd xc70, finding manual D5 engine cars is like finding hens teeth, finding a 2wd xc70 manual was unicorn droppings. When I was looking, of the 460 v and xc70 on the selekt program 60 were manual,not many D5 spec, and 1 was manual and 2wd xc. I drove 12 hours to view it and buy and the same the next weekend to pick it up.

Anything D5 after about 2010 will be geartronic, the reason this will be my last volvo.

Paul.

This is true for XC70s, but for V70s I found the opposite; wanted an auto but could only find manual cars (which is what I ended up buying)!

Re: what to buy for £9000ish, I would agree with those who would choose higher-mileage cars (say a 90,000 mile 2012 car) over lower (eg 40,000 mile 2009 car). Volvo seemed to make changes and improvements almost annually on the P3 V70, eg R-Design trim from 2009, twin-turbo 205hp D5 from 2010, improved 215hp D5 from 2011, facelift (interior and exterior) from 2012, better audio and nav tech from 2013 etc. so with this in mind I would go for the newest car you can.

Assuming it’s been looked after and serviced correctly (especially the belts), no need to be scared of higher mileage - mine’s on 107,000 and is wearing very well, has only needed brakes, tyres, couple of belt changes and standard servicing in that time...