V70: Information V70 older lower vs newer higher..

[youvegotsoup]

Hi, new to VF and would really welcome some advice. We had our pushchair stolen from our car this week and it was really the nail in the coffin for our 406 (not that it needed another nail) it's been dying a long and slow death.

So decision made - new car. I'm keen on the V70, but I know very little about what to look out for in Volvos. Any tips, advice would be greatly received and appreciated.
eg.
older (57 old shape) with lower milage 30k vs newer (59 with high milage 70k
D5 vs 2.0d
manual vs auto
problems
V70 over V50?
can i get good car for £8k - 9k?

Thank you

[martinrpeachey]

A good 2006 V70 will cost less than £5k. For the sake of servicing costs, avoid auto, AWD and Four-C suspension.

The newer models are safer, more luxurious and simply look newer but the auto box on the T6 model can be troublesome.

V50 is a good car too but not without it's niggles and not as comfortable as the 70.

Mileage on any 70 isn't a worry if there's plenty of history.

[I-S]

The T6 uses the same TF80SC gearbox as all the others, I've not heard of any problems specific to the T6?

Automatic suits the V70 P3 - it's never going to be a sports car, and wafting along in drive is a very pleasant thing.

The 2.0d will do the job and move the car around, and use less fuel doing so. I'm sure you could live with it. However, the D5 plays into what I said before, wafting along on a wave of torque. The T6 is probably the ultimate expression of what a V70 should be, but unaffordable for most people - the D5 gets you a fair bit of the way there, at more reasonable costs. So, you could live with the 2.0d, but you'll always wonder about the D5, and if you have a go in one you'll miss it.

You can definitely get a good P3 car in budget.

Problems - make sure that servicing has used the correct low ash oil, that all recalls have been done and look out for front suspension top mounts.

[martinrpeachey]

You've never heard of the T6 lump's extra power causing part of the gearbox to wear dramatically, requiring the box to be replaced between 80 and 100K miles?

[tt82]

The D5 is Volvo's own 5 cylinder 2.4 turbo diesel. If maintained well they are very reliable engines and will gon on for hundreds of thousands of miles. The 2.0d is the Ford/PSA 2.0 Tdci unit. These engines are reportedly a little more troublesome.
As for DPF's, the D5 should be good for the life of the car. There is an issue with fuel contamination of the engine oil in later D5's, due to the DPF regeneration process, but I'm not sure if it's just MkIII cars or the later MkII as well. The 2.0d needs an additive for the DPF and this means it needs replacing regularly. This was supposed to be every 80k miles at a huge cost but apparently it's not needed until around 100-110k miles and will cost a few hundred to replace.
The 2.0d will be more economical than the D5
Geartronic gearboxes on D5's can cause issues but it tends to only be if the ATF isn't changed. Volvo claim it'll never need changing but ignore that. Its needed every 80k or 40k if the car does towing or a lot of town work. Can't comment on the powershift fitted to the 2.0d. Manuals will suffer with DMF failures, just like every other manufacturer. Clutch wear is entirely dependent on drivers.
The V70 is Mondeo based and the V50 Focus based. The V70 is a much larger, comfortable, luxurious and expensive car. If you can afford the purchase/running cost then the V70 is a great car, if not the V50 is a worthy alternative.

[tt82]

Ps, if you get a MkIII D5, come to that section to find out all about the Aux tensioner recalls and issues and the correct oil level. Indy's don't have enough knowledge of these cars and if they don't service your car correctly, it can mean a new engine.

[martinrpeachey]

I thought the P3 V70 was the only car in the Volvo range that didn't share it's floorpan/chassis with any other car.

The S60 - yes - all they did was change the bumpers and fit decent interior.

[tt82]

No, the new XC90 will be the first Volvo for over 10 years that doesn't have a ford chassis.

[martinrpeachey]

The P2 chassis was developed before Ford's ownership and only 2 other vehicles share that chassis and they're US only (ford taurus and something else) No Europe spec fords use the Volvo P2 chassis.

[I-S]

Originally Posted by martinrpeachey

You've never heard of the T6 lump's extra power causing part of the gearbox to wear dramatically, requiring the box to be replaced between 80 and 100K miles?

I've heard of many problems with T6s and the GM 4T65 gearbox in the old S80 and the XC90.

As that drivetrain was never offered in the V70, and this question was posted in the P3 forum, it is not relevant to the car in question.

Are there any known issues with the TF80SC and the T6?