Looking at a buying a V70R am I mad

[TheCyclist]

I currently have a V60 which I am now only doing about 3000 miles per year, I was doing 30,000 plus hence the reason for a D4 and its fuel efficiency.

My commute is now only 7 miles each way and I plan to cycle it during the summer or get a lift with someone so if I continue using the V60 for short journeys I will no doubt run into DPF issues etch.

So I want something petrol and auto that still is practical but fun. I am looking at this with my eyes wide open and appreciate the potential high running costs. I have found a 2004 V70R auto that is a UK supplied car with full Volvo dealer service history that has done 94000 miles. I have read all of the horror stories about the 5 speed auto and the old style haldex and 4c suspension.

Am I mad to consider this or could it be an exciting prospect with the occasion running repairs I would appreciate some feedback from current owners with their experiences.

[XC90Mk1]

Originally Posted by TheCyclist

I currently have a V60 which I am now only doing about 3000 miles per year, I was doing 30,000 plus hence the reason for a D4 and its fuel efficiency.

My commute is now only 7 miles each way and I plan to cycle it during the summer or get a lift with someone so if I continue using the V60 for short journeys I will no doubt run into DPF issues etch.

So I want something petrol and auto that still is practical but fun. I am looking at this with my eyes wide open and appreciate the potential high running costs. I have found a 2004 V70R auto that is a UK supplied car with full Volvo dealer service history that has done 94000 miles. I have read all of the horror stories about the 5 speed auto and the old style haldex and 4c suspension.

Am I mad to consider this or could it be an exciting prospect with the occasion running repairs I would appreciate some feedback from current owners with their experiences.

Well.... is it mad.... an additional 10mpg will save you only around 1k in 35,000 miles. Buy an ‘R’, and buy it well and you will probably lose sub 1,000 quid in 5 years so that’s less than £1 a week...

Parts are plentiful. And in reality, if you stump up and buy immaculate you will probably sell it for more than you paid for it. So no, not mad.



Don’t scrimp on a basket case, get a good one.

[T5R92011]

If your sole intention is to own it for it's luxury and comfort and uniqueness, then Id say go for it. You wont see another one on the road.

Its not a car I would want to drive hard thats for sure, but I think the geartronic tends to discourage you from silly behaviour anyway.

Certainly a car you want to treat with mechanical empathy unless you have money to burn.

It's the T5s you can thrash about in, but a V70R is something that you need to treat as a small investment as they WILL start to go up in value soon if not already.

[Existential Crisis]

I find myself in a simialr position now covering many less miles than previously, and have went through the stages of considering a big old SUV, a performance saloon, a classic etc... Do your homework, try before you buy and drive what makes you happy would be my advice. I keep overlooking the fact that I have a lovely wee f56 mini which hasn't put a foot wrong and I genuinely love, so maybe I'm considering change for changes sake?

[DSK]

No, its perfectly fine and I shunned my nose at new soulless eco boxes and reverted to using my C70 T5 to do 1,000 miles a week for a decade prior to lock down.

They are unique and will hold value. The only major thing that I would be mindful of, is the split liner issue but, the likes of Tim Williams and Shemtek are the folks to sort these, easily and with knowledge, as well as push them somewhat further if you should wish.

Do not listen to people who think old cars are expensive or anything that can't do 40+mpg is suicide.

My personal buying advice would be low number of owners, comprehensive service history and a few quid aside to get things like a stage 0 service done which, these cars thrive on.

[S60D5-185]

I really can see the appeal of an R but for me it would be a V70 T5 with the later 2.4 engine which kicks out about 260bhp RELIABLY.

Admittedly it's front wheel drive rather than AWD but still offers truly exhilarating performance and the engine is far less potentially troublesome than the R.

[Forg]

Given that buying an S60R or V70R is really a "special purchase" which is probably more emotive than it is sensible, and hence Fun would be in the mix ... can't find a manual?

[Bonefishblues]

Dirty Harry said it best

[S60D5-185]

Originally Posted by Bonefishblues

Dirty Harry said it best

So did Nat King Cole.

[Brimfull]

If I was to buy a V70R and I did consider one before my V50, you do have to consider that the V70 is starting to get a bit old so many, will in the near future need a lot of restoration work to keep them on the road especially if you're going to use one as a daily driver.

This was one of the reasons I choose a newer V50 t5 which I picked up for a fraction of the cost of a V70R. This enables me to spend the money saved, on improving and maintaining the T5.