V70 - D2 vs D4

[Sotosound]

1969cc 4-cylinder 2-litre D3 and D4 engines are Volvo engines and are more powerful than the D2 but are also vulnerable to a high oil consumption issue that's often prohibitively expensive to fix.

I'd therefore opt for a 'facelift' 1984cc 2013 or 2014 5-cylinder D4, or a 2013 or later 'facelift' 5-cylinder D5 as these engines have loads of go and don't suffer from the oil consumption issue. My choice would be the D4 as the engine is a bit sweeter and has plenty of urge.

The 136bhp 5-cylinder D3 is also a great engine but it isn't a racer, and it's probably not as suitable for an ex-Subaru driver unless it's been Polestar'd.

I'd also personally avoid the D2 because of the Powershift gearbox.

[Bigjoan2]

Originally Posted by Sotosound

1969cc 4-cylinder 2-litre D3 and D4 engines are Volvo engines and are more powerful than the D2 but are also vulnerable to a high oil consumption issue that's often prohibitively expensive to fix.

I'd therefore opt for a 'facelift' 1984cc 2013 or 2014 5-cylinder D4, or a 2013 or later 'facelift' 5-cylinder D5 as these engines have loads of go and don't suffer from the oil consumption issue. My choice would be the D4 as the engine is a bit sweeter and has plenty of urge.

The 136bhp 5-cylinder D3 is also a great engine but it isn't a racer, and it's probably not as suitable for an ex-Subaru driver unless it's been Polestar'd.

I'd also personally avoid the D2 because of the Powershift gearbox.

Im certainly not a fast subaru driver, dont worry about that haha. Im a bit older now and I really dont care about speed. Just want reliable and fuel efficient.

[Frank Bullitt]

Originally Posted by Tannaton

That said though I know several members on here have them and are very happy with them, some with big miles too, but they will be lavished with maintenance. Interestingly the service interval in the V70 D2 is just 12,500 miles, whereas the same car with Volvo engines are 18,000 miles. That engine has known issues if the oil isn't kept clean.

But I'd still say avoid it because whilst not a bad engine it's nowhere near as reliable as the Volvo engines

Not quite. There are two ‘DW’ engines, the earlier 16v which suffers from poor reliability if anything less than perfect service is given and the later 8v which is radically different; recessed sump plugs and poor injector design resolved.

The V70 is the same car as a Mondeo underneath, brother in law had a 1.6TDCi (this engine) and towed a 1300kg caravan with it - obviously performance was limited towing but solo it was fine, and the 1.6 ‘DW’ is a smooth engine, very tractable.

I’ve had a 16v (C4 Picasso) and 8v (DS4) both were really good cars no issues with either engine.

[Sotosound]

Originally Posted by Bigjoan2

Im certainly not a fast subaru driver, dont worry about that haha. Im a bit older now and I really dont care about speed. Just want reliable and fuel efficient.

Then a "facelift" 2013-14 5-cylinder D3 might suit you fine.

I test drove one a few years ago and found it to be a very pleasant, tractable, and civilized friend.

To be honest, I liked it, but couldn't resist the extra ooomph and 137mph top speed of the 4-cylinder D4.

Had my available funds been less then a 5-cylinder D3 Geartronic would probably have kept me very happy.

Aaaaaand ..... here's a D3 just around the corner from you.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...o=2014&fromsra

PS Were you looking at the D2 Business Edition from See Cars?

[Bigjoan2]

Originally Posted by Sotosound

Then a "facelift" 2013-14 5-cylinder D3 might suit you fine.

I test drove one a few years ago and found it to be a very pleasant, tractable, and civilized friend.

To be honest, I liked it, but couldn't resist the extra ooomph and 137mph top speed of the 4-cylinder D4.

Had my available funds been less then a 5-cylinder D3 Geartronic would probably have kept me very happy.

Aaaaaand ..... here's a D3 just around the corner from you.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...o=2014&fromsra

PS Were you looking at the D2 Business Edition from See Cars?

Thank you.

Yes, that was one of the ones I was interested in. The lack of leather seats was the thing putting me off slightly.

[Bigjoan2]

So im never sure whether to believe autotrader and its MPG stats, are they linked directly through the registration?

2014 D4 SE Nav has a better stated MPG than a 2015 1.6 D2 SE Nav. Can that be right?

Also £20 tax for the D4 and £35 for the D2

If the D4 is as efficient and cheaper to tax than the D2, I think thats my choice made.

[Frank Bullitt]

Not sure what you are looking at but the economy figures are definitely not right - fairly sure the 1.6D2 is £20 or £30 depending on the model, D4 is over £100 (varies depending on spec/ age)

[Bigjoan2]

Originally Posted by Frank Bullitt

Not sure what you are looking at but the economy figures are definitely not right - fairly sure the 1.6D2 is £20 or £30 depending on the model, D4 is over £100 (varies depending on spec/ age)

That was from autotrader, the drop down section on running costs.

Parkers also saying the D4 is £20 a year tax and that the MPG is 65.

https://www.parkers.co.uk/volvo/v70/...car-tax/#62615

https://www.parkers.co.uk/volvo/v70/...-nav-5d/specs/

It sounds like it cant be correct. Very confusing.

[Sotosound]

Originally Posted by Bigjoan2

So im never sure whether to believe autotrader and its MPG stats, are they linked directly through the registration?

2014 D4 SE Nav has a better stated MPG than a 2015 1.6 D2 SE Nav. Can that be right?

Also £20 tax for the D4 and £35 for the D2

If the D4 is as efficient and cheaper to tax than the D2, I think thats my choice made.

That D4 has the 4-cylinder VEA engine plus a manual gearbox and possibly stop-start, plus it's Euro 6 and ULEZ-compliant. That probably leads to the £20 annual VED.

My own VEA D4 is automatic, Euro 6 and ULEZ-compliant, and the VED is a huge £35.

The D2 Powershift that you were looking at has a combined MPG of 67.3, and so does the D4 SE Nav manual that you were looking at.

The D2 isn't ULEZ-compliant, however, which might lead to the slightly higher VED.

As an aside, but relevant, my wife has a 2015 V60 D3 Geartronic with a 2-litre VEA engine, and I have a 2014 V70 D4 Geartronic with a 2-litre VEA engine, but my car tends to deliver slightly better MPG. So engine size and car weight aren't the only influences. It might be that the VEA D4, despite being more powerful, is actually a more efficient unit.

Bottom line for me, is that all of the published MPG figures are of a similar order of magnitude but they're also all massively overstated, and the real world figures will be more influenced by driving style than anything else. It might, therefore, be better to worry less about fuel economy and think more about which car offers the nicest drive and the best reliability.

Gut feel is that the 5-cylinder 2-litre D3 will be far better than the D2 in every respect, and will also be a safer bet in terms of reliability than any 2014 or 2015 VEA engine.

I also have to say that all of the above relies upon you finding a well-maintained vehicle.

[Tannaton]

^^^^

That really.... whilst the later D2 8v is and improvement (and got a 6 speed gearbox in manual cars) it's still nowhere near the reliability of Volvo units. Yes you might get 150-180k out of it in a V70, Volvo units will double that at least. And the powershift gearbox is also a box of spanners if not meticulously maintained.

I think the 1.6D2 8v works quite well in the V40 but that's it - if you want a small economical diesel Volvo - buy one of those.