V50 Which Engine?

[Gum]

Hi Looking at Volvo v50 to buy. Not sure what engine to go for? What's the 1.6 diesel-like. Had an S40 and the clutch went, dont want a repeat of that. Tried other cars but coming back to Volvo.It seems a good move .

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Gum

Hi Looking at Volvo v50 to buy. Not sure what engine to go for? What's the 1.6 diesel-like. Had an S40 and the clutch went, dont want a repeat of that. Tried other cars but coming back to Volvo.It seems a good move .

the 1.6D could be a nightmare if you are buying someone elses problem of a neglected engine .Most are trouble free though if serviced properly which is vital .
2.0 D is ok , volvo 2.4 5 cylinder petrol lovely but thirsty so better off with T5
Go for a 1.8 or preferably 2.0 4 cylinder petrol , simple and trouble free .

[phil1968]

2.0D or better still D5 if you want to go the diesel route. The clutch is a wear item BTW.

[SwedSteel]

I have the 2.0D in my Mondeo, quite a good engine I think.

In the Volvo I would prefer the D5 as a Diesel or a T5, also the 1.8 or 2.0 could be interesting if they have enough power for your purpose
A friend of mine, has the 1.6D in his C30 09 R Design. A nightmare!

[RollingThunder]

I'm a bit biased, but if you want a diesel go for the D5 (or D4 if you can stretch to one). Proven design, reliable when looked after and usefully torquey and powerful. Not all D5s have the DPF so try and find one without - my 2007 D5 is DPF free. Yes you pay more road tax, but it does save you the hassle of the DPF regeneration, and eventual replacement.

Otherwise stick to the Volvo petrol engines. The 1.8 and 2.0 petrol engines seem pretty trouble free. The T5 would be a hoot, but its expensive to insure and run.

[aalt1n]

Good engines D2(1.6d 2010->), D5, 2.4, 2.4i and T5 (the best).

Engines to avoid 1.8, 2.0, 1.6d(<-2010). Those small petrol engines (ford engines) are thirsty for oil like VAGs. You have been warned.

[T5R92011]

The 1.8i petrol is known for oil consumption issues but the 2.0i petrol is not commonly affected. These are Mazda 'L' engines that are chain driven and easy to work on.

My house mate has a 2.0i petrol C30 and absolutely nothing whatsoever has gone wrong with it.

If you look at the forums, there are hardly any posts about 2.0i engine problems, most of the problems are 1.6D and 2.0D limp home mode issues. Ive been coming to this section of the forum for over 10 years and it is always filled with 1.6D and 2.0D issues... Appreciate those engines are very common but the 2.0i also quite a common engine especially in the C30, but again there are hardly any posts about 2.0i engine problems.

I owned a 2.0d for 3 years when I was in my late teens/early twenties (with not much money to maintain it, I may add!) and whilst it always started in the morning, it was one thing after another chasing limp home mode issues. Made me wonder what is the point in owning a vehicle that gives you anxiety to put your foot down incase it goes into limp home mode.

I traded it in for a T5 in the end because I was tired of the power being restricted at random when trying to overtake something.

However the T5 (and 2.4i) are very expensive to fuel compared to the other engines , so for anybody who wants the most reliable engine, with the least amount of maintainence costs, with the best compromise on power vs mpg, and easiest for a DIY'er to work on, then the 2.0i is the best choice!

The big 5 pot diesels are good as well, though they come with Volvo maintainence costs, which are a bit higher.