To 'R' or not to 'R' - that is the question...

[Sojournermike]

Before I had the XC70 D5 I'd never have thought of a V70R, but now I could very happily keep one as an alternative carriage

[Turbodave]

Difficult to put in to words but if you like the XC70 D5 and the reasons you like it are because it's an XC70 D5, ie big chunky tyres and raised suspension which make for a soft, forgiving ride and the engine has low down torque and great MPG figures which in turn makes for a very relaxing tool to drive... then an R as a replacement would be a fate worse than death. That said, as a car to have alongside an XC70 D5 then yes I guess it would be a great thing but owning both is a sure fire way of making you realise the merits and indeed the pitfalls of both models and thus you may find yourself starting to realise that both models are compromised and that neither are the ideal machine.

That's my issue... for example, just back for 250+ trip which started with a cross country run to a friends, then we were in to the city, then back to his overnight then it was more cross country to meet my wife and baby for a few days away, then I was coming back home with said baby whilst the wife followed on later. "Great Dave, but your point is?" you may be thinking and my point is that I stood for a good 10mins on Saturday, debating which car to take and it was then I realised that I was the guy above, the guy who realised that both cars are flawed and that neither were ideally suited.

The R... fantastic on the right road and by that I mean billiard table smooth, flowing and free from speed cameras and a very nice place to be and with it comes that sense of occasion that a D5 could never bring. The perfect tool for covering huge distances, very quickly and effortlessly. But, then again it can't as the slightest hint of a broken surface (ie, 99% of our roads) and you're standing on the brakes in fear of a cracked alloy or rib... and then there's the fuel economy, yes it'll do 35mpg on a run but drive it properly and that's nearer 25mpg and then parking / dumping it in less than ideal places overnight and risking dents and so on, plus it'll be laden with general stuff that us middle aged blokes like to cart around... see aforementioned wife and child and then the wife won't drive it it so that's restrictive.

So... in the end I took the D5 and sadly, enjoyed it more as potholes are part and parcel and the wheels can take it. It's soft and quite, the controls are lighter and thus it's arguably quicker point to point in the real world than a nice R as you simply don't care so much and then there's parking it... nobody looks at it twice so it's nigh on invisible plus the wife drives it without worrying about a divorce or that it'll break down at the mere hint of something slightly outwith the parameters set by the 874th ECU it has. Plus seemingly 58mpg was the average for the trip.

But, it's not an R and I guess sometimes it's nice to not have potatoes and spam for dinner... and take off the grey pullover and then head out for a nice steak wearing a fitted suit jacket. That however isn't a viable option day in, day out... potatoes and a pullover are and there's nowt wrong with that and indeed, that's sometimes a more satisfying thing to do of an evening.

So yes, fabulous things... but very compromised hence I doff my cap to those with the minerals / money / mentality to run one day. The fact I struggled to decide and found pro's and con's for either leads to only one conclusion... I have both, neither are suited to my needs and that's something I'm becoming more aware of and thus find myself thinking something with the R's pace and presence mated to the D5's running costs and usability may be better but I'm struggling to think of such a car... which is probably why I have both. And so the vicious circle continues!

[CaptainSlow337]

Originally Posted by Turbodave

Difficult to put in to words but if you like the XC70 D5 and the reasons you like it are because it's an XC70 D5, ie big chunky tyres and raised suspension which make for a soft, forgiving ride and the engine has low down torque and great MPG figures which in turn makes for a very relaxing tool to drive... then an R as a replacement would be a fate worse than death. That said, as a car to have alongside an XC70 D5 then yes I guess it would be a great thing but owning both is a sure fire way of making you realise the merits and indeed the pitfalls of both models and thus you may find yourself starting to realise that both models are compromised and that neither are the ideal machine.

That's my issue... for example, just back for 250+ trip which started with a cross country run to a friends, then we were in to the city, then back to his overnight then it was more cross country to meet my wife and baby for a few days away, then I was coming back home with said baby whilst the wife followed on later. "Great Dave, but your point is?" you may be thinking and my point is that I stood for a good 10mins on Saturday, debating which car to take and it was then I realised that I was the guy above, the guy who realised that both cars are flawed and that neither were ideally suited.

The R... fantastic on the right road and by that I mean billiard table smooth, flowing and free from speed cameras and a very nice place to be and with it comes that sense of occasion that a D5 could never bring. The perfect tool for covering huge distances, very quickly and effortlessly. But, then again it can't as the slightest hint of a broken surface (ie, 99% of our roads) and you're standing on the brakes in fear of a cracked alloy or rib... and then there's the fuel economy, yes it'll do 35mpg on a run but drive it properly and that's nearer 25mpg and then parking / dumping it in less than ideal places overnight and risking dents and so on, plus it'll be laden with general stuff that us middle aged blokes like to cart around... see aforementioned wife and child and then the wife won't drive it it so that's restrictive.

So... in the end I took the D5 and sadly, enjoyed it more as potholes are part and parcel and the wheels can take it. It's soft and quite, the controls are lighter and thus it's arguably quicker point to point in the real world than a nice R as you simply don't care so much and then there's parking it... nobody looks at it twice so it's nigh on invisible plus the wife drives it without worrying about a divorce or that it'll break down at the mere hint of something slightly outwith the parameters set by the 874th ECU it has. Plus seemingly 58mpg was the average for the trip.

But, it's not an R and I guess sometimes it's nice to not have potatoes and spam for dinner... and take off the grey pullover and then head out for a nice steak wearing a fitted suit jacket. That however isn't a viable option day in, day out... potatoes and a pullover are and there's nowt wrong with that and indeed, that's sometimes a more satisfying thing to do of an evening.

So yes, fabulous things... but very compromised hence I doff my cap to those with the minerals / money / mentality to run one day. The fact I struggled to decide and found pro's and con's for either leads to only one conclusion... I have both, neither are suited to my needs and that's something I'm becoming more aware of and thus find myself thinking something with the R's pace and presence mated to the D5's running costs and usability may be better but I'm struggling to think of such a car... which is probably why I have both. And so the vicious circle continues!

A fair summary. I ran one for 18 months. I sold it as I got tired of the ride and the sense of impending doom. I now have my second XC70, but still hanker for another R. The issue is that every car is a compromise.

[aland]

Thanks TurboDave.
I've had my V70 D5 for 11 years, and i'm rather attached to it. I used to do mega mileage with a previous job, so ride and MPG were important.
These days I work from home, do few miles, and if going out as a family usually use the XC90. It handles like a bus but is spacious and far better than the V70 at towing my caravan.
My V70 is usually used by me, or as a load lugger.
The R has been on my radar since my friend bought it, and became cheap enough to dive in.
I like 'sleeper' cars that don't give too much away - I ran a supercharged Polo G40 many years ago, as well as an 850 T5 and a V40 T4. For the limited miles I do, I can live with the harsh ride!

I'm not yet decided if i'll sell the D5, or keep both - is 3 Volvos excessive??!

[Simmy]

Originally Posted by aland

Thanks TurboDave.
I've had my V70 D5 for 11 years, and i'm rather attached to it. I used to do mega mileage with a previous job, so ride and MPG were important.
These days I work from home, do few miles, and if going out as a family usually use the XC90. It handles like a bus but is spacious and far better than the V70 at towing my caravan.
My V70 is usually used by me, or as a load lugger.
The R has been on my radar since my friend bought it, and became cheap enough to dive in.
I like 'sleeper' cars that don't give too much away - I ran a supercharged Polo G40 many years ago, as well as an 850 T5 and a V40 T4. For the limited miles I do, I can live with the harsh ride!

I'm not yet decided if i'll sell the D5, or keep both - is 3 Volvos excessive??!

no three volvos is not excessive I have three. buy it and enjoy

[jgjones095]

Get the happy medium.... a v70xc 2.4t.
The ride of an xc with the fuel economy of an R 😂

[T5R92011]

If you can afford it, an S60 T6 is your best bet. Not as harsh as the R, but just as quick and with AWD. T6 is crap on fuel however, probably worse than the R.

Also, the S80 V8 (while not quite as fast as an S60R or S60 T6) is a very special vehicle if you can afford 18mpg average.

+ YouTube Video

[Turbodave]

Originally Posted by aland

Thanks TurboDave.
I've had my V70 D5 for 11 years, and i'm rather attached to it. I used to do mega mileage with a previous job, so ride and MPG were important.
These days I work from home, do few miles, and if going out as a family usually use the XC90. It handles like a bus but is spacious and far better than the V70 at towing my caravan.
My V70 is usually used by me, or as a load lugger.
The R has been on my radar since my friend bought it, and became cheap enough to dive in.
I like 'sleeper' cars that don't give too much away - I ran a supercharged Polo G40 many years ago, as well as an 850 T5 and a V40 T4. For the limited miles I do, I can live with the harsh ride!

I'm not yet decided if i'll sell the D5, or keep both - is 3 Volvos excessive??!

To be honest then, if you have the means and it's not a daily driver then go for it... life's too short and they seem to be holding their value, if not increasing slightly more so good, unmolested UK manuals.

As a second car they do make a lot of sense... I bought mine to replace a succession of 850 T5 / T-5R / R models as it was more suited to baby carrying duties but it was a bit unloved when I got it and so it's sort of progressed into a weekend toy, more so as it's just too nice / expensive now to drive daily.

Like you, I've had another car to run daily... initially a V70 T5 but just changed that to a V70 D5 which really is used as a tool, gets stuff chucked in, don't really care about dings and dents and so on and my wife has a V50 Sport that is used for child carrying more often than not hence the R leads a rather pampered life. It's quite nice to have a car you're not paranoid about!

At times it does seem excessive but if you have the means and the space, then as said an R really shouldn't lose you any money if you buy at the right price and keep it well. It also means that it's more of a sense of occasion when you do drive it... I'm fairly sure driving it daily would soon take the shine off owning one as the costs can be quite high and they're not exactly a relaxed drive!

I'd say go for it... if it's a good price and a good example, aside for a catastrophic failure then you really can't lose. End of the day, they're no worse to run than any other high performance car of that era and if you think R bills are scary, try an early Audi RS model!

Cheers

[aland]

Originally Posted by Turbodave

I'd say go for it... if it's a good price and a good example, aside for a catastrophic failure then you really can't lose. End of the day, they're no worse to run than any other high performance car of that era and if you think R bills are scary, try an early Audi RS model!

Car bought. The D5 will co-exist for a few months at least. The R isn't mint, but is generally in good condition.
It was registered 3 months before my D5 and is a '53' rather than an '04' but has under half the miles on it and FSH.
I suspect it will become a 'rolling restoration' to tidy it up.
Currently on the list are:
- Wheel refurb - all 4 are tatty at the edges. Been quoted £82 each (provided they can match paint colour, or a bit more if they can't and need to buy it in).
- Rear diff and angle box have signs of leaking. Have bought correct oil from Volvo and will drain and re-fill both over weekend.
- Exhaust - has met a speed bump in the past and is out of shape at the middle box, and expands and rubs the propshaft when hot, causing a ringing noise. Hopefully easy enough to bend back or adjust mounts - but....
- Exhaust. Not blowing yet but rear box is in a bad way. New cat-back system about £650 from Volvo, or been quoted £500 from PowerFlow for a bespoke system. Unsure if this would spoil the 'sleeper' characteristics of the car. I hate chavvy exhaust noise!
- Front bumper a bit low where it meets wing on one side. Suspect the plastic bracket behind there is broken, will investigate.
- Needs a front fog light. £ouch from Volvo so monitoring ebay.
- Eventually needs 4 brake disks, was an MOT advisory for corrosion. Simple enough job. Genuine Volvo or aftermarket?

[100K+]

Just read Turbodave's comparision of the AWD R and a D5. Can I say I can totally see where he comes from. I too am lucky to own both, a 2004R and a 2014 D5. Rather than highlight the others strengths, they highlight the others weaknesses. I do like my R over the D5, but neither hits the sweet spot of "the perfect" Volvo. My 2002 V70T5 in many ways got a lot closer to the mark, and I notice that the NEW V90 is now available in T5 guise. All they need to do now is offer a manual gearbox, and add an extra cylinder, and they'd have a decent car.

Cheers
Bob