V70: General Are P3 cars "better" than P2 cars

[Clan]

Originally Posted by TheRapidRooster

Hi to you all. My own personal slant on the heading is initially from a totally different perspective and actually commences with the 850 2.5 10v CD Auto Estate and the Phase1 V70 T5 CD Auto.
I first fell head over heals for the 2.5 10v 850 Estate when I first went self employed and wanted a long distance comfortable cruiser. Then I bought my V70 T5 CD Auto which I ran for 10yrs and 240,000 miles with only the consumables needing replacement.

As a person of rather short stature I found my shift to my first P2 geatronic a bit disconcerting at times - this was/is caused by the shallower rake on the screen coupled with the thicker 'A' pillar and the real in my face driver door mirror. Collectively the create a quite huge visual obstruction and have almost been instrumental in taking-out cyclist and motorcyclists on traffic islands as they approach on the basis that they are the only ones on the road and they have rite of way anyway.

I really liked the simplistic and yet perfectly functional cockpit layout of the Phase1 but I absolute adore the Geartronic function for towing duties and especially on both long ascents and descents with a large twin axle caravan hanging on the back.

I am currently on my 7th Volvo Estate and now my 2nd D5 SE Geartronic.
I have stayed with the 163bhp variant in the D5 because of the less fussy and potentially less problematical engine internals.

Whilst technically the P3 variants are more economical and favoured by the stalwarts of the marque - I personally believe that cosmetically a great-deal was lost when the production of the P2 was ceased.
The rear-end treatment must surely have been designed with little thought to the potential shaking to death of the bulbs in the tailgate.

The 2007 on V70 is really a Ford copy of the previous version . There has been a lot of cost cutting , It is still a fine car, but i would say it has not quite got the quality the two previous V70's had .

[RM955I]

I think it's all a matter of personal taste. I came to hate the low slung seating position; the stupidity of getting to things like headlight bulbs, side markers and rear bulbs; having to cut a lump out of the cabin filter box to get to the heater matrix; BCM woes and other electrical gremlins; a CD changer made of chocolate; the rattles from the interior; plastics where the colour actually rubbed off (centre console); self destructing handbrake shoes....

Let's not forget the ETM and DIM woes of early P2 cars, dodgy injectors, splitting intercoolers and more.

No car is perfect and I think all the stuff about the P2 being a "proper" Volvo and the P3 a Ford with a different badge is nonsense.

[oilburner]

I'm just back to Volvo with a 2015 V70 D4 VEA geartronic I picked up last week. I have in the past owned a 2001 V70 2.4 and a 2005 S80. I also had a 2008 S80 D5 for a few weeks as a courtesy car.

I would say this, the depth of quality was far more evident in the P3 cars. From the feel of the leather to the thud of the boot lid, the P2 cars (especially the ones without Ford bits) were made to last. Both my old Volvos are still on the road according to their MOT history and both are around the 200k mark.

But you can't compare them to the P3 because the world has changed. Targets for CO2 and PM have changed the fantastic 5 pots to so-so 4 pots and increasing sophistication of safety and infotainment functions has changed priorities from quality to headline feature count.

However, the best comparison is to the 2009 Mondeo 2.0 Tdci I used to have. Obviously my P3 V70 feels very similar to the Ford, and despite the Mondeo being more enjoyable to drive, the V70 is like the same car but done a lot better. And that is a good thing - because the Mondy was still a very good car.

I will always have a soft spot for the old V70 (even though it suffered most of the common faults that all the early cars had) but I wouldn't dream of trading my P3 in for one, even if I could find a perfect condition P2 out there.

[100K+]

Just re-found this thread, and have re read it. Today, I ran down to Keele University, "A" roads to Tebay then M6 motorway. Sat at 65mph most of the way there and back, and returned 56mpg on computer. On the way back I ran over the hills from Brough to Stanhope, play time. Left the car in 4th gear 99% of time which would pull from 25mph to over 60mph. I was VERY impressed with the grunt. I've had the car 18 month, and this was the 1st time I was alone, on suitable roads and able to play.........
Have to say my V70 D5 is compatible with my old T5,on acceleration/pickup, however, it does understeer like crazy, which was fun in the corners - the front could be washed out wider with extra power or tightened with power reduced (like my old HLS Maxi ) but was totally rock steady and slowed very quickly under all breaking - no hint of the back wanting to step out or swap ends.
Perhaps I was not going hard enough....
My opinion of the P3 has greatly improved...

Good day, Good fun, canny car.

Cheers

Bob