Info wanted on Volvo C70 please.

[tankie1rtr]

Hi All.
I am considering buying a Volvo C70. round about 2006 plate, but I would like to ask a few questions first please as I don't have any experience with a C70. any help would be much appreciated.
1) Do they make a C70 Diesel Automatic.
2) Is it safe to tow a Caravan with a Convertible, (is there any weakness with it not having a solid roof)
3) Is the C70 a good Tow Car
4) Is the C70 a Timing Chain or a Timing Belt
5) Does the C70 have any known weaknesses / Faults
6) Is the C70 a hardtop convertible or soft top and does it fold auto into the boot plate.

I am pulling my 22 ft caravan with a Rover 75 Diesel Auto at the moment but I am going for a change, and the C70 has taken my fancy. Thank you for any help you can give me. and pardon my ignorance towards the motor.
Cheers
tankie

[BarryK]

I would suggest that you take these questions up directly with Volvo because the rear end of the C70 is not very strong and the rear springs are a known weakness.

[Austin160]

Personally, I would road test quite a few before considering exchanging it for a 75 diesel. You have a very sturdily built BMW engined car there. Not sure whether the C70 2005 on comes in diesel, but if you are considering a petrol instead anyway, then I would cater for a fuel bill of not far off around X2. Volvo on timing belts - c £250/300 to renew but check the numerous threads on genuine vs aftermarket threads and renewing water pumps etc etc. Check car tax band against your Rover - and insurance I guess. I think you are absolutely right in taking advice and doing homework. For me, I think the best recommendation or otherwise, is to try to have a chat with owners you see at filling stations/car parks etc., first hand experiences cannot be beaten. All of this may give the impression of anti Volvo, but I think it is fair to say that C70 convertibles command a premium year for year/mileage for mileage, whereas the Rover has a relatively small residual value ( but what value for money if you want to buy one). Be prepared to spend a fair bit to change even for a couple if years younger. The C70 is a very attractive model - don't fall head over heels in love with it at first sight - warm to the idea very slowly!

[dme123]

I've just bought a 2008 C70 D5 SE Lux. Mine is a 6 speed manual but you'd want an auto for towing I imagine. There are 2 diesel engines in the pre-facelift cars (2006 - 2010), the 2.4 D5 and a 2.0 diesel. The 2.0 would be totally inadequate for towing so you can immediately discount that. From 2006 to mid 2008 all of the D5 engined cars were automatics, manual D5s of any age seem to be very rare indeed.

Looking in the handbook it says that for a trailer with brakes the max trailer weight is 1500KG and the towball load is 75KG. Trailer without brakes is 700KG and 50KG towball load. If you need the max train weight, axles loads etc let me know and I'll look at the rating plate on the car.

ETA - no real known weaknesses with the car besides the normal modern car niggles. As with practically every car you could mention these days it is heavy so will need suspension components from time to time. All the mechanicals are well known and the electrical systems are the same as the V50/S40/C30 and well known from there. I've heard of almost no real problems with the folding hard top roof, the odd sensor problem maybe and some people complaining of rattles with earlier models when they were new.

[Austin160]

I guess it must be very helpful to note that the 2.0 diesel auto would be totally inadequate for towing your caravan. Since you are now towing it with a BMW 2.0 diesel then it would have been reasonable to have considered this unit. This is where this forum comes into its own - you are tapping into user experience rather that some figures on a piece of paper.

[dme123]

Well, I say totally inadequate but if you don't mind being a total obstruction to everyone else on the roads I guess it might be ok!

The C70 is a really very heavy car for it's size - 1787KG is the *minimum* kerb weight of a D5 auto so you can bet it's knocking on for 2000KG for a well specified example with a tank of fuel and a driver. A 130bhp diesel engine is going to have to work very hard for a living to drag that around along with a caravan!

The 2.0D also has a dual clutch "powershift" automatic, so you'd need to check the specs for maximum towing weights for that, but it certainly wouldn't get the useful torque multiplication effects of a normal torque converter auto that is so handy when pulling off with something under tow.