Volvo XC70??

[climbgdh]

My wife and I are in the market for a new (used) car. She says we have to get rid of our beat up Toyota pickup which will probably outlive us both. Any opinions on Volvo XC70? We'll probably look for something in the 2003 - 2005 year range. Appreciate your experience with reliability, fuel mileage, comfort, etc. with XC70 or V70. The other option that my wife dearly wants is a used Audi Allroad but I'm leaning towards the Volvo. Thanks.

[Ozz]

Honda Pilot

cheaper, more reliable, better gas mileage, bigger....

A friend of mine has an Audi Allroad.....loves it, and spends all his extra cash keeping it running. :rolleyes:

[malcolm]

volvo has really good deals right now on '09 V70s, around 6-8k off msrp and 5 year 50k warranty and 5 years maintenance included.

[mgm777]

We drive a 2005 V70 2.5T that we've owned since new. We now have 50K miles on it. We love the car! So far, it has been problem-free. When I was test driving the different versions, I felt the V70, with the standard engine, was a bit anemic in power. The 2.5T makes our car a rocket. For me, the best feature of the Volvo are the seats. They are super confortable. Nobody, IMHO, does seats like Volvo does seats. The wife and kids primarily drive the Volvo. My daily driver is a '07 4Runner, but I am seriously considering selling it for a another Volvo. The only complaints I have, and these are minor, about our V70 is: 1. Turning radius is large for the size of the car (due to front wheel drive), 2. Tires wear quickly - due to the 2.5 T engine I suppose. Otherwise, the Volvo has been my favorite car. I will by another.

[tch]

..for me. The Allroad is full of technology that you don't want or need and that costs money to fix. I don't like the Volvo's. They are a narrower car; not as much room inside. I have an A6 wagon, 2002. It's huge. I put my bike in the back intact. Lots of width, leg, and shoulder room. The back seat is as roomy as some limos.
I have 4-wheel drive, get 23 mpg in non-highway driving, and have not had a problem since I bought it used 3 years ago.

[myette10]

are you a wealthy man? if so, buy whatever you want.

if not, get a honda. or toyota and make it work.

[jasonw661]

Look for a certified used. They have a very strong warranty, and your not paying new car prices. Mine came with the built in booster seats wich is very nice if you have small children. Two bikes and gear fit in the back with the seats folded up.
Just my .02

[landshark]

We've got a 2002 V70 2.4t and a 2002 XC70. DEFINITELY get a certified pre-owned if you get an XC70. The XC70s got better every year, but 2005 and on was the best. The 2007 models were just about perfect (very last year of the "P2" generation; 2008 and beyond are much different), if you can swing them (about $25-26k certified right now) - you could even extend the certified warranty and be totally protected for quite some time

And, look around here:

http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/

for useful info.

We love many things about the XC70...but it does require a fair amount of service and money to keep them going....

[steveo]

I recently purchased a 2005 Volvo V50 and love it so far. I've only put on about 2 thousand miles or so but have no complaints. ~23 mpg average (some highway, most not). Can fit my bike easily in the back with the seats folded down. Only complaint...and it's not really mine but others', is that there isn't much leg room in the back.

Really comfortable, handles well...a little sluggish (2.5 inline 5) but I can handle that.

Oh yeah, picked it up for $11,000 in excellent shape with 60,000 off of a small, local, Craigslist dealer.

[97CSI]

Check out an '06-7 Chevy Malibu Maxx. Based on a design from Opal (same as the 9.3 Saab). Hatchback in which the seats lie flat to allow 2-3 bikes inside. Even the passenger seat lies flat to allow for 8' 2x4s, etc. I average 30mpg with mine and I'm not particularly light-footed. 200hp 3.5L V6 will rip the throat out of a V70 if you are into drag racing. And, ciimb into the back seat to check out the leg room. Has about 6" more than the Volvo as the Maxx has a 10" longer wheelbase than does the regular Malibu sedan. Excellent handling and in 71K miles I've done nothing but routine maintenance (oil & filters every 10K, tires, brakes). Only thing I wish I had sprung for is the rear window wiper. Comes with heated seats, which my wife loves. The biggest upside is they are about $5-7K less than the Volvo and every bit a reliable an automobile. Now I'm jonesing for a Chevy HHR after driving one last night. Even better mileage at ~35mpg. The Maxx suffered from terrible marketing by GM as they continued to push their SUVs and pickups till they pushed themselves into banckruptcy.

[Spinner]

... is my third volvo and one of my favorite cars of all time. it is quiet, comfortable and low cost to maintain (i use a non-dealer mechanic).

as a result of my employment, i have rented hundreds of different cars over the years, driving most of them hundreds of miles per rental. imho, the v70 is a choice road mobile; comfortable, spacious, quiet, economical (27+ mpg highway, with a 500+ mile cruise range per tank) and i can throw my serotta in without removing the wheels.

this car begs for a road trip.

[victoryfactory]

I put 150K on my '98 V70XC before I sold it last year
Great car. A little sluggish and slow handling in town, but
a long distance highway rocket on long trips
Good on snow and mild off road too.

As mentioned above, you must find a good local specialist to work on it.
the dealer prices are absurd!

Replaced it with an '09 Subaru Forrester
Which I like even better!

VF

[Chris]

I have an 07 XC70. It's a great car. I have a local independent Volvo mechanic do the basics and only go to the dealer for warranty work. I've had it a year and a half and it has been a good car. The normal quirkiness that comes with a Swedish car. It's a great car for a bike guy though.

[nahtnoj]

Volvo wagons are the ideal bike car.

allroad (Audi doesn't capitalize it) is smaller inside and the rear seat doesn't fold flat. Very weak effort IMO in packaging. Also, Audi repair costs are insane. My parents spend a few hundred every 5K on their A6 3.0, which isn't nearly as quirky as an allroad.

[93legendti]

I'm on my 2nd XC90 and will get a third when my lease is up.

[billrick]

We drive an '04 XC70 - highly recommended. It handles great, good pick up, excellent manners in bad weather. If you go with a used XC70, be aware that in 01 or 02, Volvo switched to a Haldex AWD system. (IIRC, please research to confirm the year.) Do not buy the old system - if you drove on a small sized spare it would really mess the AWD system. The Haldex is much more reliable.

Good luck! I'm in the process of car shopping - Honda Odyssey minivan - and it is no fun.

:)

[zap]

We sold our trusty '94 turbo last month.

I'm not sure if the newer '01-'07 Volvo's are any worse or not reliability wise. Some say yes, others no. I was thinking about getting an R but all had more miles than I wanted.

Looked at new '09 Volvo's, sat in one, hated it. Never test drove it.

Looked at Audi's but no.......reliabilty issues. Fancy VW.