D4 - late V/XC 70
So - I'm still very happy with my aged P2 XC70, but am starting to think about what I'd replace it with. I think the V90 is very attractive, and loved the SPA XC90 I hired a couple of years ago on holiday, but I suspect they're a bit fragile.
I know some D4's are variations of the 5 cylinder D5, are the late D4's the original versions of the engine that's now powering the V90's? I know and trust the D5 in the P3 cars, would I be making a dreadful mistake with a late D4? Are the late P3's hiding any problems not shared with the earlier P3's? |
I think the issue with the new shape XC90 is it's popularity and therefore cost - early (2015) examples in good order with sensible mileage are commanding north of £25k still, with the last of the old shape models with similar provenance selling for £10k less.
Back to your question though, in the run-out years for the XC/V70 (2015MY & 2016 MY) the cars had two engine/gearbox combination. AWD cars - 5 cylinder Volvo engine and 6-speed auto (D3 & D4 = 2.0, D5 is 2.4) harks back to the D5 intorduced in 2002. 2WD/FWD cars - 4 cylinder 2.0 Volvo VEA diesel engine and 8 speed auto (D3 & D4). All are very good and reliable, but as you would expect the later 4 cylinder engine and 8-speed gearbox gives more refinement. The 4 cylinder D4 engine is also ultre reliable but make sure its had the EGR recall work. The P3 platform is fairly solid, no major issues, not quite as robust as the P2 but nothing else is.... |
If you don't need AWD, if you can find a good 15/16 D4 with the 8-speed auto, that's a lovely smooth drive.
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I don't strictly need AWD, I don't tow anything other than a small trailer for tip runs, and I don't off road. But I couldn't bear the idea of having an XC that wasn't AWD.
Late V70's don't attract anything like the premium late XC70's do - and the V90's are available at very attractive prices. Best value new XC90 I've seen was an category N 66 plate XC90 in my favourite colour and trim combination (brown and amber trim) for £22k. Very reasonable mileage as well. That was tempting. Also tempting is setting aside £10k for the next ten years to keep the P2 going! Just nicely run in at 190k. |
I'm oscillating as to whether to replace my 2015 XC60 with 135k on it with the very best old-shape XC90 I could find and run that for a number of years, probably to circa 200k.
When Volvo stopped taking orders for P3 V70/XC70 in March 2016, my local Volvo dealer ordered 15 XC70's "on spec" knowing they would all be sold by the time they were delivered. |
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Not sure what you describe makes sense to me. Haldex isn’t permanent four wheel drive - it only engages drive at the back when the front wheels lose traction.
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In terms of best bang for buck, the last of the V70s are the best that you can get.
A 2016 D4 SE Lux Geartronic is the one that I would choose. Well-built, comfortable, refined, and great performance. The 8-speed automatic is a great 'box, and the D4 engine has balancer shafts that make the engine extremely smooth. It's also worth noting that the P3 sits noticeably higher than the P2 in all versions, and is much easier to get in and out of. You'll also find the Sensus infotainment system quite handy, with loads of useful features but, thankfully, no touch screen and no distracting screen swiping required. Some familiarisation would be required, but it's a doddle once you get to know it. Here's an example being sold by my local Volvo specialist, Horton Cars. Not a million miles away from Reading. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...sort=price-asc Horton also have a couple of more recent P3 XC70s in stock, so a visit might work for you. A test drive or three would probably help you decide what really works for you. |
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Thanks for the consideration about height and access, but that's not a problem. |
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