v70 D5 auto v's manual - driving impressions ?

[apersson850]

There is a significant different in how the steering feels dependent on which of the steering types you have.
Our D4 has the standard power assisted steering. Quite high resistance when reversing with a trailer or other low speed maneuvers.

Our D5 has the progressive adjustable power steering. I usually set it to medium for everyday driving, light for trailer towing and stiff for long stretches of highway driving. But since it's progressive it's much more comfortable at low speeds regardless of the setting and still doesn't lose the feeling at higher speeds.

The TF-80SC and TF-80 SD gearboxes are significantly better if you give them a regular oil change.

[yostumpy]

The later autos have ‘sport mode’ which definately changes the ‘push’ to a ‘shove’ and manual override. Further back someone said they drive their manual in 4 th a lot, as it’s flexible, well similarly I use manual override in back road, B road and general country side driving, as I like to make the engine work a bit harder rather than keep going up and down the box. With Overide, it will hang on to …say 5th, up hill, down to 1000rpm under load, and still pull away with gusto. We all drive differently, in a small petrol engines car it would be opposite, keep the thing buzzing along

[capt jack]

Originally Posted by Kev0607

What do you mean by twitchy ride? Give me an example.

This is how the What Car review puts it, and I completely agree:

"Unfortunately, the ride is far from perfect and even minor bumps and road scars will be felt by occupants. The V70 settles down a little bit at speed, though, making it an adept motorway cruiser."

And from Autocar:

"Much of the time, the Volvo's V70’s ride quality – surely a priority in a family wagon – is impressively pliant and on the verge of displaying that loping absorbency that was once the speciality of French cars.

It doesn’t quite have that suppleness, though, and at times its body control could be tighter, but overall this is a restful place to be. Until, that is, the wheels pass over a particularly scabby piece of tarmac and thump out a crude drumbeat that shatters the calm.

There’s often some light jerking to go with it, too. Which is a shame, because without this curious behaviour, the V70 would have a well-above-average ride, and handling that’s capable, if no more than that."

Personally I think it's a combination of the heavy 5-cyl Diesel engine, which is inherently less smooth than a petrol engine, big wheels and wide tyres, front-wheel drive and a six-speed auto gearbox. Remember that I'm comparing the car with a straight-six RWD four-speed petrol automatic saloon. Possibly the other thing that contributes is the tyre pressure, which Volvo suggest is set at 38psi all round for economy. I tend to go a bit lower than that to be honest.

Having said all that, when the car is fully laden, with four adults and luggage then I reckon that things definitely improve, and as I think What Car imply, it's less of an issue at higher speeds. Certainly driving the car in heavy stop-start traffic over the pot-holes and speed humps that litter the roads of Leeds is a wearing experience, and not the best way to enjoy a V70.

For me, the car is at it best on good, straight fast A-roads. It is a fine motorway cruiser - if you can find a decent stretch of motorway, but as my regular commute involves the West Yorkshire M1 and M62 morning and evening, a decent stretch of motorway isn't something that I see very often!

Jack

[barrybritcher]

LOL I've just come from a remapped daily driver T5 2.4 S60 to a D5 185 Geartronic, it feels like I'm not moving.

BUT! the D5 engine sounds really nice when give it some.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by capt jack

This is how the What Car review puts it, and I completely agree:

"Unfortunately, the ride is far from perfect and even minor bumps and road scars will be felt by occupants. The V70 settles down a little bit at speed, though, making it an adept motorway cruiser."

And from Autocar:

"Much of the time, the Volvo's V70’s ride quality – surely a priority in a family wagon – is impressively pliant and on the verge of displaying that loping absorbency that was once the speciality of French cars.

It doesn’t quite have that suppleness, though, and at times its body control could be tighter, but overall this is a restful place to be. Until, that is, the wheels pass over a particularly scabby piece of tarmac and thump out a crude drumbeat that shatters the calm.

There’s often some light jerking to go with it, too. Which is a shame, because without this curious behaviour, the V70 would have a well-above-average ride, and handling that’s capable, if no more than that."

Personally I think it's a combination of the heavy 5-cyl Diesel engine, which is inherently less smooth than a petrol engine, big wheels and wide tyres, front-wheel drive and a six-speed auto gearbox. Remember that I'm comparing the car with a straight-six RWD four-speed petrol automatic saloon. Possibly the other thing that contributes is the tyre pressure, which Volvo suggest is set at 38psi all round for economy. I tend to go a bit lower than that to be honest.

Having said all that, when the car is fully laden, with four adults and luggage then I reckon that things definitely improve, and as I think What Car imply, it's less of an issue at higher speeds. Certainly driving the car in heavy stop-start traffic over the pot-holes and speed humps that litter the roads of Leeds is a wearing experience, and not the best way to enjoy a V70.

For me, the car is at it best on good, straight fast A-roads. It is a fine motorway cruiser - if you can find a decent stretch of motorway, but as my regular commute involves the West Yorkshire M1 and M62 morning and evening, a decent stretch of motorway isn't something that I see very often!

Jack

Thanks for your response. I do notice my car a is a bit twitchy over uneven surfaces. Let's say I go down a road that has imperfections, like slight changes in the levels of the tarmac, the car seems to be a bit twitchy over surfaces like that (as in the steering wobbles over those bumps). Alignment has been done, suspension checks out fine. I guess it may just be a characteristic of the car.

One thing I do thing would improve the ride on these cars would be an upper suspension arm, like most other heavy cars have (double wishbones). The P3 Volvo's just have a lower control arm, but nothing higher up. I think this is why owner's may feel the ride is twitchy. Go down the same road in a car with a double wishbone suspension setup and you hardly feel a thing.

[simboc2004]

I have fitted an R-Design strut brace to my car and it has made the handling on rough roads and the turn in to sharp bends much better - I was amazed the difference it made, so the standard car must have quite a bit of flex in the front "chassis"...

i have also upgraded the rear anti sway bar to a thicker HardRace one - that, too has made a surprising difference to turn in, keeping the car flatter. Not sure why this wasn't standard...

[apersson850]

Originally Posted by yostumpy

The later autos have ‘sport mode’ which...

It was actually there already in model year 2008. But then only available together with the six-cylinder petrol engine.
I think my 2012 is the first to support it with the D5 engine as well.

[simboc2004]

Did Ford insist on Volvo cutting back on the standard components fitted? What a surprise!! I heard that Saab were even more insistent on improving the GM parts fitted to their cars (up to 70% on the later cars was changed from stock) - partly why Saab went to the wall.

Working on my 2017 V40 at the moment I noticed that the front strut tower has FoMoCo stamped into it. Interesting, I thought...

I have also found many parts to be swappable Ford/Volvo - it's just finding the alternative parts numbers that's complicated. I have just sourced most of the suspension rubber parts/anti-squeak, etc. for my V40 via Ford at a much lower price. As I did when I renewed all my V70's suspension a couple of years ago. Some of the parts I bought then in a Ford bag were marked Volvo on the item - and vice versa.

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by simboc2004

Did Ford insist on Volvo cutting back on the standard components fitted? What a surprise!! I heard that Saab were even more insistent on improving the GM parts fitted to their cars (up to 70% on the later cars was changed from stock) - partly why Saab went to the wall.

Working on my 2017 V40 at the moment I noticed that the front strut tower has FoMoCo stamped into it. Interesting, I thought...

I have also found many parts to be swappable Ford/Volvo - it's just finding the alternative parts numbers that's complicated. I have just sourced most of the suspension rubber parts/anti-squeak, etc. for my V40 via Ford at a much lower price. As I did when I renewed all my V70's suspension a couple of years ago. Some of the parts I bought then in a Ford bag were marked Volvo on the item - and vice versa.

That's interesting. I know the P3 models shared many suspension components with Ford, as Ford owned Volvo.

I thought newer Volvo's were made under Geely ownership. Maybe they have Ford links too?

[capt jack]

Originally Posted by Kev0607

That's interesting. I know the P3 models shared many suspension components with Ford, as Ford owned Volvo.

I thought newer Volvo's were made under Geely ownership. Maybe they have Ford links too?

As well as our two Volvos, we also have a Mazda 3 in the family fleet. And guess what, quite a few under the bonnet bits are stamped FoMoCo. I have a feeling that the Mazda 3, the Volvo V40 and the Ford Focus are related.

If I remember correctly the original S/V40 cars were I think essentially Mitsubishi Carisma underneath the skin.

Apart from the obvious VW stable cars all being similar there are others too. Mind you, it's nothing new back in the late 1980s the Rover 214 and 216 models were Hondas, the Mazda 2 was a Ford Fiesta, and going back even earlier the late and unlamented Lada saloon was a Fiat!

Jack