V50 General : what are they like

[jack taylor]

Hi, I run a 1998 V70 2.5 petrol auto for business but rather fancy something smaller as a second car. I am looking at a V50 2.4 geartronic around 2004 to 2006. I have found several on ebay and auto trader around the £3,000 mark.
I imagine these are fairly quick given the size of the engine in a relatively light body. I like a comfortable and quiet car and the geartronic looks fun. how would you guys sum up this particular model. thanks jack

[Welton]

Erm, well, I wouldn't have thought a V50 was all that much smaller than a 1998 V70.

Performance is normally reported on here as being 'ok' but not as spirited as you might expect from something with around 170bhp. It will excel at being smooth and quiet but the T5 is better in so many ways and fuel economy is about the same it's almost difficult to justify owning the 2.4i.

The T5 is happy to plod along at low revs and behave like a large diesel or really pull like a train if you want, the 2.4i i'd imagine would need a bit more coaxing along.

Biggest issue I have found with the V50/S40 built under Fords rein is the cheapo suspension, this does get frustrating and spoils things a bit in my opinion; especially when it begins to impact on tyre life. A/C condensers are a weak point too, again thanks to Fords penny-pinching.

Also geartronics need maintenance care and this is often ignored or dismissed, faults are not uncommon as the cars age.

[andy_d]

mine is a 2.4i SE 04 geartronic

170bhp is more than enough to get a shift on with, the box makes the most of it with nice smooth shifts, you Do have to pay attention to downshifting in manual mode otherwise its smooth, and when left in auto mode lazyness, effortless and smooth,

buying the 2.4i rather than the T5, saves you all the aggro of the turbo system,
boost leaks, turbo failure, added wear and tear on the clutch (a ££ item) or geartronic box, saves countless hours of fiddling and hunting down odd/random turbo problems BUT your getting 23-24mpg round the doors (more on a run ) which isnt That much more than the turbo's mpg

they arent pointless, as not Everyone wants the "turbo" with its known and documented issues,extra costs hassle and aggro

Same suspension issues as all the V50s

if you can get one with "comfort" suspension, they are comfy
Some dont check and slate it as "not sporty", without checking the suspension type as sporty was an option, as is comfort and standard.

Headlights, if halogens are poor on dip beams, high beams are outstanding, easy fix for the dip beams (replace the projectors )

Size isnt That much smaller than a V70, until you get to the load space

me, id buy another V50 2.4i SE/se lux but id go for one with the grey/black leather not cream id still go for the sunroof option,its an easy fix , "rti nav" isnt a yes/no for me
Sound system "premium/performance/dynaudio" yes
thats a thing, it really is "you get whats in the car, adding things isnt cheap" and you can pretty much forget "change the head unit"

i like mine, prefer it to my previous S40, and the 940 i had before that,

[T5R92011]

The 2.4i is the only petrol engine in the P1 range that isn't shared with the Ford Focus.

I guess the reason why you can't get this engine in the Focus is because no Ford Focus customers would buy it due to MPG/Insurance costs etc.

I think this engine was only really added because of the US market. I know the S40 launched with the 2.4i and T5 over there. I don't think you can even get the 2.0/1.8/1.6 petrol in the states.

Its a bit of an excessive engine to be honest. But it's reliable and well engineered and will last a very long time. It's also probably the best sounding engine in the platform due to lack of turbo.

[Welton]

Just for a balanced opinion, I've had no issues with my T5's Turbo system at all for the 10 years I've owned the car and covered 80,000 miles driven using full boost on a daily basis.

I think the problems start when owners tune or trick the ECU into delivering more power without putting safeguards in place.

[domhart10]

+1 with Welton here, no turbo problems while I have had the car owning it for just over 3 years now at 43k to now 129k. But my car was mapped as soon as I had it as well so running more power than standard right away for over 3 years now.

Clutch statement is a bit misleading as well as that is down to the driver. I am on original clutch here and car goes to do 1/4 drag strip days and track days andthe original clutch is still good, but I do have a replacment one sitting around waiting for it to go.

[jack taylor]

Hi Guys, Thanks you all so much for your valuable info. You have given me a great deal to think about. I had forgotten that ford took over Volvo. Certainly not a day one wants to remember really. Thanks again. jack