Volvo XC70 / V70

Scuzi

Scuzi

Scuzi

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We decided a few weeks ago that we would like a bigger car with more and better accessible boot space and a bit more room in the rear seats. Something with a smoother ride than our current E90 330d would be a bonus.

£25k was a figure plucked from the air so I immediately began researching the 530d GT. The wife thinks it mings hard but she likes the new 5 Series Touring. £25k doesn't offer a lot of options and we're not willing to up the budget so I began to look outside of the BMW sphere.

Audi A6 Avant? Would want the newer model and would not want a 2.0TDi. Not a lot of options left it would seem.
Mercedes E Class? No. It looks like a great car but we both just said no.
Spend less and get an E61? Not an option.

This led me to the Volvo V70. We could get a newer car for less money, probably a 2012 car with the new infotainment system. I had a look at the various engines and trims and my eyes glazed over. It would seem that Volvo list every minor detail of the car in the spec sheet.

My wife gave the V70 a thumbs down though because it's a "station wagon" and only old people from Florida drive station wagons.
She seen an XC70 at IKEA today and said it was a good looking car :confused:

So it would seem somewhat of a compromise. I have had a quick look and I do really like the look of the XC70. I have no need for AWD but from what I have read, the XC rides much better than the V70 and the raised ride height is a bonus. It's a nice looking car. I like it.

Volvo Selekt doesn't offer a huge 'selektion' (hoho). There seems to be a lot of ex-demo cars in the mid to high £20k's, followed by <£20k and then into the real depreciated pre-'07 cars.

My question is - if we like the car there is a possibility we would keep it for quite some time in which case buying a more recent and more expensive model isn't quite as crazy as it may sound. However, if we can get a slightly older example for a hell of a lot less, we could drive it for a few years and then move on. It would lack the newer Volvo Sensus system and would probably have one of the older engines, which makes it a less attractive deal.

What are your thoughts on the XC70 as a daily driving family bus and Euro tourer? Is a newer model worth the extra £?

Before the "under the thumb" comments crop up, a bit of compromise here could lead to a Ducati, so work with me :D
 
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5 gt slightly out of budget, so look at xc70...xc70 slightly out of budget, so up budget.. Therefore you can look at the 5 gt again? :p
 
What's the big deal with options? Do you really need all the fancy toys on the built in computer and whatever else you get?

If it was me. I'd suck it up and opt for a 530dGT and forget about what it could have.

It looks significantly better than a Volvo XC70.
 
Looks are an entirely personal matter so a load of opinions on which looks better isn't of much use to me :p

I'm not asking which car I should get. I'm well aware of the merits of the 5GT, I'd have one tomorrow if it was that easy. I just need some info, experiences and opinions on the Volvo to help me weigh up the available options and make a decision.
 
rG-tom said:
5 gt slightly out of budget, so look at xc70...xc70 slightly out of budget, so up budget.. Therefore you can look at the 5 gt again? :p
Click to expand...

Wife doesn't like 5GT
Wife likes XC70

Goes and buys XC70

Remember the driving dynamics does not matter here, the main thing is the way it looks and the space it provides. If it means he can get his bike the XC70 is the one to go for :)

Sorry I do not have any further input :D
 
I've had an 09 XC70 D5 2.4 SE Lux for much the same reasons for a couple of years now. If you can get over the "but it's a Volvo, have you given up on life" stuff it's a really good all round family car. When it comes to a family car and estates I tend to think bigger is better, nothing annoys me like having an estate for the family and then constantly not being able to fit stuff in (like the kids because you've needed to put the back seats down ;) ). The XC70 (and V70) will swallow pretty much anything you throw at it.

I went for the D5 2.4 auto. 205bhp means it drags it's somewhat substantial mass around pretty well and the 5 pot diesel actual makes a plesant enough sound when you boot it.

4x4 works really well, arguably better than the XC90 and if I recall the wading depth is not far off the like of discos. The slightly raised driving position means you can generally see over the car in front but it's not so high as to give excessive body roll. Front seats are possibly the most comfortable seats for long distances short of putting an arm chair in. A mate of mine with both a 5 series and 6 series, both under 4 years old swears by the XC70 seats if we have to do a long distance.

The ride is very comfortable, if, as to be expected a little on the soft side, you're certainly not going to be chucking around corners at high speed although to be fair it never feels like it's going to topple in the way some of the large 4x4s can.

Interior is really nicely done with a quality feel to it, people often comment on how attractive the scored aluminium trim is as well as the floating console.

I tend to get somewhere around 34mpg, the price you pay for the 4x4 system, extra weight and slightly less aerodynamics. On the flip side it doesn't seem to make any difference to the performance if it's just me in there or the whole family plus half of Ikea :) Had no problems with the snow at all over the last couple of years, it comes with all weather tyres on (Pirelli Scorpions on mine) which whilst not quite a good as dedicated summer/winter tyres seem to cope with everything pretty much cheerfully enough.

All in all a good work horse with bags of room, very family friendly, capable off road and in snow etc and good quality interior. I prefer it, in particular taking into account pricing to the Audi A6 allroad although I guess the Audi has the brand. You just need to get past the Volvo badge.

I got mine 18 months old for 22k ex demo. It included a bunch of options (sun roof for example) although I can't remember what comes in the SE Lux pack and which were options the dealer had added. It has most of the toys though, heated front seats, sat nav, parking sensors front and rear, iPod connectivity, sun roof, split zone climate control, electric remote opening boot, moving Xenon headlights, full leather, load gate/dog guard, cruise control, Bluetooth, privacy glass to rear etc. Seemed (still does) good value for the money although I think I caught a dealer at the end of the quarter and he needed to shift it asap.

Happy to answer any questions.
 
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25k will get you a 12 plate ex demo with some factory options.

You'd get close to 8k off a new one at the moment with 0% finance and fives years servicing included if you wanted to up the budget without the initial outlay.
 
Some very useful information there. Thank you!

I'm going to test drive a V70 and XC70 today. I'll report back later, no doubt with a million questions :)
 
I have just got rid if a V50 and am so glad I'm rid. The drive was lifeless, build quality terrible and running cost was higher than the A6 I swapped for it (looking back god knows why I did)

Definitely ask about service costs and intervals - mine was a diesel and was in 12k service intervals
 
It went well! I took out a 2012 XC70 D5 SE Lux with a high spec. Compared to our current car, this thing was like a van inside.
The interior felt very well screwed together, better than my E90 3 series, and the seats were unbelievable. I could have sat in that seat all day :p I liked the Sensus system but this is only available on 2012 cars and newer which come at quite a premium. Given the choice, I'd rather pocket 5k and get a slightly older model with the older Nav.

The drive was very smooth and relaxing. This car had the 4C chassis setup but to be quite honest I could barely tell the difference between the three settings. It's not an option that I'm going to be set on when it comes to choosing a car. I drove across some roads which in the BMW would have my teeth falling out, however in the Volvo it was completely uneventful. I thought the description of the steering in reviews as "vague" was a bit vague in itself but now I totally understand. Vague is an accurate description of the steering but it doesn't detract from the drive at all. If anything, it's quite nice.

Uneventful and relaxing to drive, it fits the bill for it's intended purpose well. The D5 engine was quite impressive too. It didn't have the sort of pull I'm used to with the 330d but given that this is a heavy car, at lower speeds it still pulled strong and had more than adequate performance.

I loved the car. It's a completely different beast from previous cars I've had but requirements have changed and I think we have found our family car.

All I have to do is find one now. I was supposed to look at a 2009 D5 SE Lux Premium today with an impressive spec sheet but I got a call an hour before my appointment to say it had just been sold. Bummer. The problem now is that the market seems to consist of nearly new 2012 cars priced at well over £25k, or scrappy 2007 cars priced at £15k. There doesn't seem to be much in the middle. We are looking for ideally a 2009 or newer with the D5 engine and high spec. There just doesn't seem to be many out there. We're in no rush though so it's just a matter of keeping my ear to the ground and waiting for the right car to come along.

Options I'm aiming for are SE Lux spec or better with the power boot lid, adaptive xenon lights, navigation, heated seats and front & rear park assist.
 
I quite like the current XC70 :).

Must if be the diesel through? I spent a month driving one loads of miles with the three litre straight six petrol and liked it (might even have been 3.2, can't remember). Didn't take it into mud, but went onto loads of non-surfaced road & tracks and it was fine.

It was a weird spec though. Had Bluetooth, Front & Rear Heated seats, and Radar Cruise... but no Nav, and no parking sensors :confused:. Loved Volvo's implementation of Radar Cruise, it would bring you to a complete stop whereas in our Lexus it disables itself at 30 and then its over to you to stop it, though Volvo's thing in the grill is a bit ugly.
 
I arranged to go have a look at another car today and got a call an hour later saying it had just sold. Maybe there's a higher demand for these cars than I initially thought!
 
Must admit I I'd love a newish v70 if I had the money, unbeatable cruisers, not as sporty feeling as German stuff, but just really comfy mile munchers if decently specced.

Mind you I'm at an age where sporty just means twitchy steering and overly hard suspension :D
 
I have got an old v70 (~10yrs), which I have inherited from my dad. They are lovely, reliable spacious family cars. Re old people comments; I never see properly old people driving volvos, it is more like 30-50 ( the age when you will have kids in the house!)
 
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