V70: Advise on purchasing a second hand V70 (2.5 142hp B5252FS)

[Radler]

Good afternoon.

Within the next month I plan to purchase a second hand car in order to travel around and due to several reasons, I restricted myself to the executive class (or Kombi, as we call it in Germany), petrol engine and around 3000€ value (around £2700).

A model which fulfills these conditions and that I always liked is the first generation Volvo V70, which for that price have between 150.000 and 200.000 miles on the counter. Most concretely I have in mind the 2.5 142hp (code: B5252FS) version.

Some of the units I've found belong to private sellers, others to dealers who offer no warranty and others -few- to dealers who do offer warranty. In this sense I'd like you to advise me on what are the main flaws and most common failures of this version, most importantly regarding the engine and gearbox. What should pay more attention to when purchasing this car?

Due to a lack of time to check and repair the car on my own I'll get on the road almost directly after buying it, so it's important for me that I can make 3000/6000 miles on it straight away.

Thank you for your help and time.

[bob12]

Hi Radler,

I am new to my 1998 V70 T5 (Kombi) auto with the B5234T3 engine myself and sorry I can't offer much help as yet as I am still getting to know it.

If you look back over the posts here for the last couple of months you will see other people asking similar questions before buying, including myself.

I was very fortunate to acquire my car locally. It came with a full history since new and is in excellent cosmetic and mechanical condition excepting a few minor easily fixable items which have cost me about £50. It has only done 88K miles and cost me £275. On that basis the cost of similar cars in Europe seems rather high to me.

Best of luck, Bob

[john.wigley]

Yours was undoubtedly a bargain, 'bob 12', but I agree. I paid £550 for a 2000 Ph1 N/A V70 in 2016 with 118k up. This makes me wonder if it might not be to 'Radler's advantage to import a UK car - assuming he had no objection to a RHD car?

On the whole, I've been well pleased with my car, which was my first FWD Volvo following a long line of 1, 2, 3, 7 and 9 series cars. I had my last 740 for 18 years so the V70 was something of a culture shock. It's rather grown on me over the 4 years that I have owned it, but i still find the steering lock unwieldy after the tight turning circle of the RWD cars.

There is an excellent buyer's guide for these cars written by 'capt jack' on this forum which should answer many of 'Radler's questions about what to look for when considering the purchase of one of these cars.

Regards, John.

[Luxobarge]

Yes, have a read of the buyer's guide in the "Wants" section. Why is it there I have no idea....

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=68650

[Radler]

Originally Posted by bob12

Hi Radler,

I am new to my 1998 V70 T5 (Kombi) auto with the B5234T3 engine myself and sorry I can't offer much help as yet as I am still getting to know it.

If you look back over the posts here for the last couple of months you will see other people asking similar questions before buying, including myself.

I was very fortunate to acquire my car locally. It came with a full history since new and is in excellent cosmetic and mechanical condition excepting a few minor easily fixable items which have cost me about £50. It has only done 88K miles and cost me £275. On that basis the cost of similar cars in Europe seems rather high to me.

Best of luck, Bob

£275 for a 88K mile V70 sounds like a scam to me, congratulations on that! In my case I'll have to go up to 2000€ (£1800) for one around 200K miles. I'm surprised by the prices of cars in the UK.

Originally Posted by john.wigley

Yours was undoubtedly a bargain, 'bob 12', but I agree. I paid £550 for a 2000 Ph1 N/A V70 in 2016 with 118k up. This makes me wonder if it might not be to 'Radler's advantage to import a UK car - assuming he had no objection to a RHD car?

On the whole, I've been well pleased with my car, which was my first FWD Volvo following a long line of 1, 2, 3, 7 and 9 series cars. I had my last 740 for 18 years so the V70 was something of a culture shock. It's rather grown on me over the 4 years that I have owned it, but i still find the steering lock unwieldy after the tight turning circle of the RWD cars.

There is an excellent buyer's guide for these cars written by 'capt jack' on this forum which should answer many of 'Radler's questions about what to look for when considering the purchase of one of these cars.

Regards, John.

Yeah, FWD is one of the characteristics I don't like about the V70 compared to E46 Touring or MB T models, which are other options I'm considering at the moment.

Originally Posted by Luxobarge

Yes, have a read of the buyer's guide in the "Wants" section. Why is it there I have no idea....

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=68650

Thank you for the link. I'll take a look at that guide.

[bob12]

Well, thanks John and Luxobarge.

That's totally amazing that the 'Jod T5' advice is hidden away under 'Wants'. It should be moved to a sticky under 'General'. I have noticed that this Group Page is rather sparse on such advice and information unlike the 740/900 etc Group.

John, I haven't been able to located the 'Capt Jack' advice. Can you post a link please and that should also form a sticky where it can be immediately seen by prospective buyers.

Yes, I was very lucky to acquire my latest 'toy' in the exceptional condition it is in and, at the price. I am still trying to work out how to get my hand on to the auto box dip stick to withdraw it to enable me to see the box level!! Maybe it will be clear when I open the air filter box.

Today, I received a set of new 'DEPO' clear front indicator lenses at a cost of £26, delivered. Not that there was much wrong with the existing except one had lost its spring fixing and both had gone slightly 'green' at the gills! From experience on my 30 year old 745, 'DEPO' are the only acceptable alternative makers. As I anticipated the quality and fit is outstanding.

Cheers, Bob

[bob12]

No scam Radler.

I was very lucky as there were special circumstances that drove the sale. I had been waiting for 2 years with first refusal. I hadn't even seen the car but had been told it was 'nice'. Then suddenly I received an unexpected telephone call.

I research UK prices but it was difficult for a very old car. I came to the conclusion that the price should be about £500 or so and was prepared to go higher when I saw it. But, that all changed when the seller and car arrived at my house.

Best of luck with your purchase, Bob

[john.wigley]

Bob, you're right; the piece seems to have disappeared since I last checked - I just assumed that it would still be there - apologies. Fortunately, I saved a copy as a word document which I will send to you as an attachment if you can provide an email address via PM. Perhaps we can get it reinstated - it was certainly very helpful.

Regards, John.

[marcb]

Once these cars go beyond a certain age they almost worthless unless they have a classic value. Certainly you'd be crazy to pay any more than £1,000 for one and it would need to have few faults.

Apart from age, you have to factor in poor fuel consumption, high vehicle tax, high charges for local authority parking permits, and possible exclusion from low emission zones.

Currently I pay £330 annual tax and £214 parking permit = £544 just to keep our 2005 2.5T V70 on the street. Any older and it wouldn't meet the London low emission zone.

[john.wigley]

Originally Posted by marcb

Once these cars go beyond a certain age they almost worthless unless they have a classic value. Certainly you'd be crazy to pay any more than £1,000 for one and it would need to have few faults.

Apart from age, you have to factor in poor fuel consumption, high vehicle tax, high charges for local authority parking permits, and possible exclusion from low emission zones.

Currently I pay £330 annual tax and £214 parking permit = £544 just to keep our 2005 2.5T V70 on the street. Any older and it wouldn't meet the London low emission zone.

You paint a bleak picture, 'marcb'. I suppose it depends very much upon one's personal perspective, but I regard these cars as being quite a 'green' choice.

Depreciation:

Expensive when new, they are now at the bottom of their depreciation curve. Given that a new car will lose two thirds of it's value in the first three years. that alone is a big saving. Bought well, it may even be possible to make a little on resale.

Road tax:

Relatively expensive, certainly, but my V70 is still only half what I pay for my retirement toy, my Saab 9-3 convertible. At over £500pa, that sounds a lot, but in reality it is just over £10/week - I could easily spend that in one evening at the pub if I was so inclined.

Fuel consumption:

I've never really understood the current fixation with squeezing the last mile per gallon out of a car. Granted, now that I'm retired I don't use a lot, but even when I was working and doing 20 - 40k per year it didn't greatly worry me. There is much more to motoring cost than the price of fuel!

Emissions:

I can't really comment on this aspect as it does not apply to me.

Capital cost:

Another expense that owning an older car avoids. I do not have the lost 'opportunity cost' of having tens of thousands of pounds tied up in a new car, neither do I suffer loss of interest (minuscule as it is) on the capital employed. Alternatively, I do not have to fund a lease agreement or some other deferred payment option.

End of Life costs:

My car is now 20 years old and will hopefully last for a while longer yet. This means that EOL costs will be amortised over a much longer period than a lesser car that is scrapped after only 10 or 15 years.

Our cars may not be economical in the accepted conventional sense, but I do not think that they are that expensive to run given the quality and comfort that they provide. A friend has a late model Fiesta. It is certainly economical on fuel, but I think my 20 year old V70 is a better car in all other respects.

Regards, John.