High mileage V70 diesels

[windy millar]

I was originally looking at buying a manual V70 D5 around 2005-2007 with fairly low miles and good history but keep seeing the newer model in various guises of Diesel engine for reasonable prices but more miles obviously, got my eye on four cars with between 160k and just shy of 200k, two are 2.0 diesels and two are D5's. Are the newer models as capable of huge miles as previous incarnations or more likely to be a money pit? I really like the more modern look both inside and out but really don't want to end up with numerous problems (I know it can happen with any car you buy) I am more inclined to go down the D5 route if I took the plunge as I am wary of any Ford derived motor after being previously bitten! So anyone with experience of taking these to high miles, your thoughts would be very welcome.....

[Model flyer]

The D5 is a very strong engine and will easily do very high milage poviding it has been regularly serviced. the P3 V70 running gear however is not s trong as the P2 as its been re-designed by Ford .Check for suspension noisesfrom the front especially a light knocking overslightly uneven surfaces ; this is likely to be the front shocks although they can still pass a bounce test.Squeaking and kocking from the rear can be the rear trailing arm front bushes . If you cant do these jobs yourself then expect a hefty bill. I still rate the P3 V70 so buy carefully as there are lots about . Look for one with good service history in good condittionand yyou should be OK . Hope you find a good one .

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by Model flyer

The D5 is a very strong engine and will easily do very high milage poviding it has been regularly serviced. the P3 V70 running gear however is not s trong as the P2 as its been re-designed by Ford .Check for suspension noisesfrom the front especially a light knocking overslightly uneven surfaces ; this is likely to be the front shocks although they can still pass a bounce test.Squeaking and kocking from the rear can be the rear trailing arm front bushes . If you cant do these jobs yourself then expect a hefty bill. I still rate the P3 V70 so buy carefully as there are lots about . Look for one with good service history in good condittionand yyou should be OK . Hope you find a good one .

The above is spot on advice - very rarely do you see any cars being scrapped or sold as spares or repairs due to engine failure (cambelt snap excepted) the D5 engines nearly always outlast the car. The D5 engine and gearboxes are pretty much the same in the P3 V70 as the P2.

[windy millar]

Thanks for the advice gents, the first job I would do with a D5 would be replacing the aux belt and tensioner and clean out the EGR inlet. Anyone with experience of the 2.0 litre diesels covering high miles? Would prefer the D5 but I like the idea of cheaper tax and running costs with the 2 litre

[Scooser]

It a very heavy car for the relatively small 2.0 engine. If you going to buy a Volvo it needs a decent engine and I'd go (and do have one) with a D5 all day long.

[tommyweaves]

You could always look for a 163ps D3. Proper 5 cylinder Volvo engine but only 2 litre capacity. But if you do go down that route check it IS the 163ps D3 as Volvo also did a 136ps D3 and the original 163 was rebadged D4.

I bought my MY2011 D3 (manual) new in October 2010 and have now done 103k miles. Always been serviced by Volvo and runs as sweet as a nut. 50mpg on long runs and still well into the 40s with just local use. Loads of torque (almost as much as the D5 of the same period) and in my opinion smoother and quieter power delivery than the D5.

[MikeBJ]

I bought my 2011 V70 D3 Auto (163 / 5 cyl Volvo engine) in September last year and while it couldn't be described as a road-rocket it does have more than enough oomph to do what I want it to do. A lot of my driving is heavily loaded, long distance, on A roads in Scotland where the ability to get safely and quickly past the slow-movers is useful to have.

I find I'm able to make quicker, safer overtakes in the Volvo than I was in my previous manual, petrol, A4 Audi 2.0. As "tommyweaves" notes, the 5 cylinder engine has great torque. And sounds sooooo nice! If you had one with the "sport" function on the box, I imagine it would be worth having.

That said, I've found that kickdown is a little slower to engage than I'd like, so I often use the manual over-ride to pre-select my "over-taking gear", the box holds on to whatever's been selected somewhat further up the rev range than it will on normal auto. It'll change up anyway in manual when it needs to, in order the protect the engine. This little feature is, sometimes, useful!

Road tax is much less than the Audi - fuel consumption better (but on a cost per mile, probably broadly similar) and overall the Volvo autobox experience is a good one. I did briefly consider the bigger engined variants, but couldn't find a nice one at the time. As suggested, consider the 5 cyl engine option.

FWIW, I'm getting 38 mpg overall (on the DIS) - not great compared to what's been noted above, but liveable with.

[windy millar]

Thanks again for replies, my main concern is on issues of mechanical reliability when they have started to get into high miles. 2.0 diesel got fairly favourable reviews when launched with good torque making up for a lack in outright BHP but I am wary of it's ability to cover big mileage and still offer good reliability where I would think a D5 should be better able to cope. I will certainly go for a manual box as I am not a big fan of autos and would rather have to replace a clutch and DMF than have an auto rebuilt and besides, the six speed auto in the Volvo doesn't really seem to be the best regarded of it's breed.

[tommyweaves]

In terms of reliability the actual 5 cylinder block and head is as good as it gets. The issues generally come from ancillaries/peripherals such as DPFs caused by incorrect or absent servicing, DMF and clutch master/slave cylinders, as well as Ford parts in the suspension - e.g. trailing arm front bushes.

Correct oil servicing is a must in my opinion and the most important consideration if you want reliability from the core engine and the DPF. Volvo service history counts for buckets in that department.

Let us know how you get on with your search and what you finally end up with!

[Tatsfield]

the six speed auto in the Volvo doesn't really seem to be the best regarded of it's breed.

I suspect you may be right there but I am an auto driver since 1990 and can't imagine constantly playing with three pedals and a lever just to get the car to go! The XC70 is a very fine car and I wanted an auto so I'm lumbered with the Geartronic box and its shortcomings but I am adapting to how it works and how to get the best from it. I do suspect that brake wear on the front pads will be somewhat higher due to the lack of automatic engine braking.