Should I buy a V70 or an XC60 or.... ?
 

Hi

After owning a Mondeo 2.0 TDCi manual Titanium hatchback for 18 months I’m starting to get an itch to go back to a Volvo.

After stupidly selling my 2004 53 V70 D5 manual estate just over two years ago at 190K because it had one or two big bills due, I bought and then rapidly resold at a loss a Skoda Superb hatchback with the DSG gearbox. No real fault of the Superb but me and it just didn’t get on well. Ergonomics, DSG, noise and a poor sound system were my main gripes. The engine and handling were, however, superb (!!).

I replaced the Superb with a much higher mileage and much cheaper manual 2009 59 Mondeo. It's a better and more rounded car than the Superb (IMHO), and it's given excellent service for 42K miles. But I now want an automatic car and something that will last me for several years.

So I’m now pondering what to get.

My needs include a good sound system with CD player and USB plus built-in Bluetooth. I need the space and comfort and utility of a large hatchback or estate, and I need a comfortable ride, good performance and decent handling. For economy reasons I need a diesel and for ease of use reasons I need it to be an automatic. I also average around 30K miles annually, so the ability to go to a high mileage is also key.

The car has to be easy for my disabled mother-in-law to be able to get in and out of, i.e. not too low down and not too high up. It also needs enough boot space to take her stroller.

Buying new is out of the question, and a really low mileage example probably doesn’t make sense since I’ll put 30K on every year and consequently clobber the residuals ever so quickly.

In terms of Volvos, the main contenders that I can see are the now-discontinued V70 and the old shape XC60. The V60 is probably just a little too low and small for my needs. I’ve always liked big cars, and any smaller cars that I’ve purchased have always ended up being moved on quite quickly.

So… V70 or XC60 or something that I haven’t thought of?

Also, D3, D4, D5 etc.? Which would be the best?

(I think that I'll rule out the Ford/PSA 4-cylinder 2.0 diesel right now, but I'm not certain whether I'd be happier with a 5-cylinder or 4-cylinder true Volvo engine. For what it's worth, I loved the engine in my old D5.)

Any views or advice that you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

My budget will be around £8K - £12K.

Many thanks in advance.

All I can say is, I have a 2010 V70 D5, bought with 112k on the clock, now 150k and it has cost me nothing other than consumables and 40 quid to have an exhaust hanger welded.

It’s immeasurably more refined than my P2 and despite the nay-sayers saying how P3s are trash, not “proper” Volvos and won’t last like a P2, it’s equally well made with an interior that doesn’t rattle and squeak like the P2.

Needless to say, I’ve changed the transmission fluid and PAS fluid as a precautionary measure.

The rear is a bit over-sprung for solo driving, a symptom of being an estate.

Have you thought about an xc70 if getting in and out is a problem. It was the reason I changed from v70 to xc70. The v70 I could get into no problem, getting out was getting very undignified with it being so low. Have found the xc almost as easy to get in and out of as my discovery where I just slide in. Wife being shorter preffers the xc.
I looked at v60s but found them rather claustrophobic compared to the 70.

Paul.

The XC70 might be a good choice. I suspect it is not quite as high off the road as the XC60, but you need to check this. My XC60 presents some challenges getting my elderly mother (5 ft stature) into the passenger seat !

Many thanks for this.

I suppose the next question about the P3 V70 is which years are better. Did Volvo improve them and is, for instance, the facelifted version better than its predecessor?

Also, when I nearly bought a 2008 example, one of the things that I found is that although rear knee-room was good, there was no room for rear passengers to put their feet because the front seats were too close to the floor. Did this ever change?

Now that's a good thought. Many thanks for this. Opens up another avenue for exploration. :)

Many thanks.

Hmmm. Is that two votes for the XC70?

My mother-in-law is around 5'5" with long-ish legs, so this might make a difference but, then again, it might not.

What's the XC60's handling like?

This is difficult, simply because I have active 4C suspension and I run on the optional 17"/65 profile tyres. The ride is very smooth, but I have the option to reduce body roll in either Sport or Advanced mode (at the downside of increasing the ride hardness).
I'd suggest a test drive over roads you know. Even if your budget puts you out of the dealer network stock, you could still test drive dealer stock to assess your options. A bit cheeky, but you need to get it right.

Many thanks.

I've now been able to establish that an XC60 would be too high for my mother-in-law, so that's knocked it out of the running for the while.

Sheesh!

I'd go down the xc70 route, recently traded my xc90 for the xc70 . My dad, knocking on 82 finds it a lot easier to get in and out of. Cheaper tax, insurance and running costs also a bonus:thumbs_up: