Quote:
Originally Posted by Sotosound
Since my last post I’ve test driven three Volvos: -
1) A 61-reg V70 D3 SE automatic
2) A 15-reg V70 D4 SE Automatic
3) A late-reg-old-shape XC60 D4 manual
Of the three, my favourite was the D3.
The XC60 was noisy, relatively unrefined and it understeered a lot. It just wasn’t the car for me.
The V70 D3 only got test-driven around the town where it was on sale, i.e. not a wonderful test drive. But it was cosseting, with soft leather seats, a comfortable ride plus a nice smooth 5-cylinder engine and a nice smooth gearbox. The car was also more responsive to my demands than I imagined it would be. I suspect, however, that such a car won’t be quite so fabulous on the motorway with only 136 bhp under the bonnet. A Polestar upgrade would sort that, however. The stereo was only OK, however, being the most basic unit.
(This is a frustrating thing about P3s. The basic P2 stereo in an SE (and even an S) wipes the floor with anything that the P3 gets unless (I’m imagining) you splash out for a Dynaudio set-up.)
The important thing, however, was that I just settled into the car as though it were a second skin.
The 15-reg V70 D4 was a different animal, however. Greyish silver on the outside, grey leather and grey brushed aluminium on the inside. The seats were well-shaped but quite firm. The ride was firmer and the handling was sharper than the earlier D3. The engine noise was quite well suppressed but it was clearly a 4-cylinder engine. Build quality was massive, as was performance. This car had 143K on the clock but didn’t show it. The High performance stereo was better than the basic one in the D3, but it didn’t have the class of the one in my Mondeo. (My Mondeo’s Sony 6-CD DAB in combination with the higher performance speakers is superb sounding, if just a touch short on power. The tweeters are absolute stars and there’s great musicality. The V70 stereo was as grey as the rest of the car.) In the end, it was like driving a German car more than a traditional Volvo. Perhaps a Volvo Passat estate. And to this end it was very efficient in doing everything but it just didn’t tug at my heart. Shame.
At present my wife and I have had a financial reprioritisation, meaning that car changes will now come behind other projects, but when it comes to time for a new car it’s likely to be a V70 D3 or D4 auto with the 5-cylinder engine and with SE Lux trim and Winter Pack, provide that I can get one with a good, Volvo-like stereo.
And following the purchase, there will be Polestar upgrades to consider.  |
So... after some time and after viewing loads of Autotrader ads etc. I've now narrowed things down somewhat.
I suspect that my next car will be a 2012 or 2013 V70 SE Lux Auto and a D3 (136hp), D4 (163hp) or D5 (215hp). Mileage is likely to be around 100K to fit my budget. The D3 would probably need a Polestar upgrade to keep me happy but D4s are harder to find. I'll be looking for a car with the newer fascia with the integral rather than pop-up screen. (It looks so much nicer.)
Set against the D3/4 is that it'll be no more powerful than my 2.0 Mondeo. In its favour is the quiet, tractable and smooth behaviour of the two litre 5-cylinder engine.
Set against the D5 are that it might be noisier and coarser than the D3/4, that it might not be as tractable and that there is a risk that it'll blow its head gasket. In its favour is that it will be very, very adequately powered. Does the twin turbo improve tractability, by the way?
I've also accepted that the High Performance sound system is as good as I'll probably be able to get unless I get a massive stroke of luck and land a vehicle with the Premium sound system. (Has anyone upgraded the speakers on the High Performance system, by the way?)
Those are my basic choices, i.e. one model with one level of trim but a choice of rather different engine options.
Has anyone got any views on the three engine choices to help me towards a final decision?
I'm hoping to test drive a D3 and a D5 this coming weekend and, perhaps this will solidify my views, but with me that's not guaranteed!