Advice on Mileage and Age

[Anubisxc70]

2004 XC70 D5 awd. 217k

Hello i bought mine with 187k its ow 217k diesel.
Just returned from France 760 miles and i got to Poole with 150 miles of fuel....try that Petrol.
Well petrol or diesel i will not start that fight.
I was scared to buy a high mileage car. If it was well serviced believe me 500k its nothing for this engines ( Diesel or Petrol). But its not only the engines that wear. Inter-cooler , Rad AC, Suspension electrics etc etc. Annual maintenance!!! well it will be according the car past and how you take care of it...... change oils regularly. Its and auto..check the oil...KEEP IT RED

Buy One with loads of service. Pay attention to detail. Like if you see that the owner paints the chips caused by gravel ..its someone that takes care of the car. The one in the photo....well...lets say it was a bad day.

Petrol or Diesel THEY ARE AMAZING CARS. THEY WILL MAKE YOU CRY GO MAD BUT ALSO GIVE YOU LOADS OF PLEASURE.

Keep us posted

[ThomasG]

Look at my signature.

Avoid early ones, with magbetti Morello throttles.
Make sure that at least some maintenance was done on automatic gearbox
"Oil for life" is a lie.

Post-2006 petrols suffer from higher "road tax"- over £500 mark.
Pre-2002(I think) had that magnetti Morello throttle.
So in my opinion best to go for 2003-2005 model.
Don't change the water pump unless it actually leaks. Original ones are known to work well even after 500 000 miles, aftermarket can collapse (and take out your cambelt camshafts/valves) in as little as 70 000miles.

[BlueRubber]

The diesels are good if you are going to do more than 10,000 miles a year, any less than that and they aren’t worth the extra complication in my opinion.

Otherwise I would say either go for the none turbo petrol or if you want to have a fast car go for the T5.
I think it’s worth avoiding the normal turbo models as they only provide about 30 more bhp but are much harder to work on and have more to go wrong.

If you are going to be doing your own maintaince on the car it is worth buying VIDA – it is a fantastic tool.
It is also great for checking a car before purchase.

Look for cars 2002 > 2007 as after this the cars are more Ford than Volvo.

This is a helpful video to get an idea of what issues you may encounter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA10J38BBG0

Also look up peppermint’s channel on youtube, he has a buyer’s guide too.

Don’t be put off by the issue list, all cars have known problems.

I have a 2002 V70 non turbo and love it.

PS do update this thread with what car you end up buying!

[Anubisxc70]

If you need a teacher for doing that maintenance go to youtube and search
SiRobb and peppermint’s is also very good.

And GET VIDA. BEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE TO YOUR CAR AND YOURSELF


Ask advice to cheshired5 about Vida

[Dollyxc70]

I'd definatley check what extras come on the car and check they work
properly.
Having just bought a car with leaking 4c electronic suspension and Xenon headlights with internal fading

[Sojournermike]

Originally Posted by Dollyxc70

I'd definatley check what extras come on the car and check they work
properly.
Having just bought a car with leaking 4c electronic suspension and Xenon headlights with internal fading

Drop me a pm and, after the holiday, I’ll try and remember to update you on sorting the xenons for less. Whatever you do, don’t rush to replace and throw the old units away - there are bits you’ll need.

I’ve also just done 4 x 4C shocks with front springs, top mounts etc and poly bushes the control arms. All at 149k miles. It’s a bit smoother and quieter and I hope it will be ok for a couple of years at least!

[simonwedge]

Personally I wouldn't be put off a diesel regardless of how many miles you did. On the diesels, generally speaking the 163 bhp cars (black engine cover) don't have a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) whereas the 185 bhp cars (grey engine cover) do.

DPFs can clog if you don't do many miles but can be cleared by taking it for a good run. If you don't do many miles ideally you'd get a non-DPF car but I wouldn't let this put you off a DPF car if it was good in all other respects.

[Rammer 46]

Hi thank you for allowing me to join this forum
I too am looking at changing from a Mondeo Ghia to aa XC 70 so any advice is more than welcome I have around £8000 to spend so what Model would members advise me to go for 2.0 ltr 2.4 ltr
I do prefer a diesel
Any comments and advice most welcome

Regards


Rammer 46

[Phooey]

Originally Posted by Anubisxc70

If you need a teacher for doing that maintenance go to youtube and search
SiRobb and peppermint’s is also very good.

And GET VIDA. BEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE TO YOUR CAR AND YOURSELF


Ask advice to cheshired5 about Vida

Best advice I read for a while. Totally agree, especially Vida.

[eternal optimist]

Originally Posted by Rammer 46

Hi thank you for allowing me to join this forum
I too am looking at changing from a Mondeo Ghia to aa XC 70 so any advice is more than welcome I have around £8000 to spend so what Model would members advise me to go for 2.0 ltr 2.4 ltr
I do prefer a diesel
Any comments and advice most welcome

Regards


Rammer 46

Key question is are you bothered about how old the car is? If not, I’d suggest a facelift P2 car with the 163bhp Euro 3 engine as the best overall compromise. Look for something that’s been maintained without regard to cost and probably run as a second or third car. You would probably pay more than for a younger Mondeo based P3, but overall, it’s probably a more robust car.