My first test with a V70 170 2006 gasoline: it lacks power??

[The Blacl Path]

Hi! New to the forum and new to Volvos.

Yesterday I test drove a V70 year 2006, engine B5244S (170), stick shift, gasoline.. and I would like to have the opinion of owners of the same/similar car since I have no base for comparison...never drove a Volvo before..

My general impression of the car was good but I felt that it lacks power. I drove on a little mountain road.. lots of curves and inclination around 6-7% ... 3 people inside the car, fuel deposit almost empty. To have enough power, I needed to be constantly on the 3rd gear, exiting curves sometimes 2nd gear. I drove very "moderately" without reving it too much because if I buy it, I don't want to spend a lot on fuel..

Well.. is this behaviour normal or maybe is there a problem with this car?

Another thing that I noticed was that on RIGHT tight curves at around 30mph the wheel was a bit shaky. Only to the right side (seller said previously that the tires were not at the right pressure, and later that this might be the reason .. )

And finally... I parked the car in a ramp. When the seller was leaving... he could not start the car. He said that it might be something with the battery since the car was parked for some days (!!).. He drove down the ramp.. geared and the car started. Later I considered that since the fuel deposit was almost empty, that it could be because of the inclination and the fuel pump could not get the gas? What do you think?

The car is from an official Volvo Dealer.. bought new at the same place. It has all the revision seals every year (always at Volvo.. only last 3 years in another place). The car is now 140.000 km (86.000 miles). They offer 1 year warranty on engine and transmission, as well as eletronics.

THANKS A LOT for any advices!

[100K+]

Many years ago Volvo ran a "Test Day" for customers. I took a test drive of a 170BHP V70. It lasted less than 1/2 mile. I found it totally gutless and returned it to the car pool.What surprised me was how relatively quick the 2.5T (light pressure turbo) was to my own T5. In real driving there is very little difference in MPG between all three engines, a bigger margin exists between manual and the auto option - manual some 5-10 Mpg better depending upon driving style.

Cheers

Bob

[Brendan W]

What car had you been driving before? I find a new car has an adaption period until you figure out how to get the best delivery from it. Only then are you sure it's underpowered
The no start was most likely as you suggest, related to low fuel level and could also be indication of failing fuel pump or a problem with the transfer piping between the tank saddles.
The shaky wheel could a be a lot of things. My first suspect would be the bushes or ball joint on the lower suspension arm, the left side in this particular case.

[old onions]

Hi There,

I have a 140 bhp gasoline manual V70 , so not quite the same as this one , but fairly close.

I do need to change down to 4th quite often when running loaded, but less often when I am driving alone. I only need to change down to 3rd , and perhaps even second when tackling very steep , narrow roads , with a load on. It does lack the punch of a turbo assisted motor that is true.

The wheel shake is most unlikely to be a question of tyre pressure, this would be a steady pull to one side in a straight line, or a slight instability when cornering. I am no expert but this sounds much more like subframe bushes or other suspension issues rather than a simple question of tyre pressures.

It also sounds like the battery is on the way out , it should start the car after a test drive with no problems.

If you purchase with a full year's warranty from a garage you trust , there should be plenty of time to sort out all the issues and end up with a good car. If you don't know the garage at all , or don't trust them then I would walk away and wait for another example.

[oragex]

No doubt that with three adults at board and on a hill roads this car won't be a rocket. But on flat roads it has enought passing power. This non turbo engine is quite more economical compared with the turbo engine in city driving. On open road the mpg is not much different.

As mentioned, fully turn the wheels and inspect the wishbone bushings both sides.

[charles p]

The 170BHP engine doesn't feel fast. It's a heavy car and the torque curve builds with revs. It's even slower and more thirsty in 5 speed auto form. Mine goes OK if you keep the revs up but it's built for comfort, not speed. My previous 185BHP D5 was much faster but lacked the smoothness of the petrol 5 pot

[RM955I]

In simple terms, the 170 has power but no torque - it needs to be revved hard to make good progress.

[2.4TSE]

Agree with the above. My experiece with my father's S80 (similar weight) and several rental V70s is that the 2.4 170 is torque-shy and needs plenty of revs before it will do anything.

Even in a Hertz S40 (so lighter than a V70) it felt like a slug compared to even the 2 litre turbocharged version of this engine - and I was the only person in the car with a laptop bag as luggage. The consolation is that when revved at least it sounded nice!

I agree with the fuel consumption comment too; the difference in consumption between my BSR PPC tuned V70 2.4T and my father's S80 2.4 170 was typically no more than a couple of miles per imperial gallon.

[The Blacl Path]

thanks for all answers guys!!! really appreciate!
I have just received the car service history and found out that the car actually is 140 and not a 170.... even more demotivate now

On the other hand these petrol, non-turbo, mechanical shifting would be the most "trouble free"? If I wait for a turbo diesel... is the engine more prone to damages?

[charles p]

Originally Posted by The Blacl Path

thanks for all answers guys!!! really appreciate!
I have just received the car service history and found out that the car actually is 140 and not a 170.... even more demotivate now

On the other hand these petrol, non-turbo, mechanical shifting would be the most "trouble free"? If I wait for a turbo diesel... is the engine more prone to damages?

The 140 and 170 are identical with minor software differences. I believe that the remap to 170 is simple. I had a 140 manual with the BiFuel engine and to be honest it didn't feel that much different from my current 170 auto.
As you say, the normally aspirated manual V70 is the low maintenance one if you hanker after membership of the 250k mile club. Turbo diesels have turbos, intercoolers, possibly DPF, more torque loading the cambelt and many other ways to make the lower fuel consumption be offset by higher maintenance costs. And they cost more to start with.

Charles