Three years ago I nearly bought a black 2008 V70 D5 SE Lux Geartronic to replace my old 2003 V70 D5 S manual.
A problem was that I'd so enjoyed the long drive to the dealership in my old car that I couldn't really justify swapping it in for something that didn't add much of value in terms of space or comfort or performance. I also (probably wrongly) mistrusted it a bit because it had a lot of Ford content. Also, the stereo in the SE Lux wasn't as good as the one in the older and more basic D5 S.
A week or two earlier I'd stupidly bought a Skoda Superb Elegance 2.0 TDI DSG and hated it. Hence, I hadn't sold the old V70 and was considering moving on the Superb at a loss in order to stay with Volvo. The old V70 had 190K on the clock, however, and some big bills were anticipated, e.g. clutch and cambelt service.
In the end, I sold the old V70 but should have kept it and done the work.
Shortly thereafter, I also sold the Superb and bought a Mondeo of similar age for half the price. That was a lovely car but not something to keep forever.
Last year I did far better and part-exchanged the Mondeo for my current 2014 V70. This is also black but - from my perspective - a far better car than the 2008 example.
What I appreciate now is that the P3 V70 actually benefitted from sharing a platform with the Mondeo in terms of space for the driver up front along with height since it's a taller car than my old 2003 P2 V70. I also prefer the power curve and throttle response of the 2014 V70 D4 over the 2008 V70 D5, which was a bit "All or nothing at all.".
What I do find amusing, however, is that when I lock the car I hear exactly the same sound as the door mirrors fold as I did with the Mondeo. I suspect that the electric motor is the same make and model.
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