Volvo clutches, all need a strong left leg?

[arcascomp]

Hi,

V60 CC wasn't a keeper for me, has been passed on and now I'm looking around again, fancy a P2 xc70 if possible. I like an auto box, but there's a couple of manual ones for sale within about 150 miles of here, so impatience is starting!

My XC90 was fab, but the clutch required a strong left leg that left me with a sore knee after too much city driving, was told that's fairly normal in a manual XC90, but maybe that was nonsense! Wondered if other manual Volvo's are similar? Wife has driven Skoda's for years and they have a light and easy clutch.

Figured it's worth asking other people's experiences before I take to the road to try out a manual XC70.

Cheers!

[ilmiont]

P2 S60 2.5T SE here, 145k on the original clutch.

The pedal's light and responsive, soft all the way through and no trouble at all in traffic or to hold in for a bit if I need to.

You do need to be precise on these clutches though; that's a comment I've read a few times and have come to agree with. The bite is very eager and grabby; if you get it wrong it'll punish you. It took a little while for me to really learn mine.

Back last April I got to take a 2001 V70 2.4 home while my car was having work done. I think the V70 was on about 115k miles if memory serves. The clutch felt like a rock to me, it was a fight to hold it depressed and it would certainly have left me with sore leg muscles if I'd had to drive it in traffic for any length of time.

From my limited experience of two cars I'd therefore say the clutch on a good one should be quite light and happy to work with you, although the bite maybe has a reputation for being unforgiving. I'm slim and not really physically strong at all so I would feel a heavy clutch and mine is not that at all.

My car's always been looked after as far as I know and I've no concerns about the clutch whatsoever at this point in its life. My V70 experience shows not all cars will have been driven so sympathetically though.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by arcascomp

Hi,

V60 CC wasn't a keeper for me, has been passed on and now I'm looking around again, fancy a P2 xc70 if possible. I like an auto box, but there's a couple of manual ones for sale within about 150 miles of here, so impatience is starting!

My XC90 was fab, but the clutch required a strong left leg that left me with a sore knee after too much city driving, was told that's fairly normal in a manual XC90, but maybe that was nonsense! Wondered if other manual Volvo's are similar? Wife has driven Skoda's for years and they have a light and easy clutch.

Figured it's worth asking other people's experiences before I take to the road to try out a manual XC70.

Cheers!

The clutches feel fine usually . they are self adjusting so should stay the same feel through their life . what causes them to be heavy is when the adjustment runs out and also non volvo clutches used . The standard volvo clutch generically lasts for "the life of the car" with normal use though ...

[arcascomp]

Cheers guys for the quick response, I'm guessing my XC90 had a replacement clutch at some point then that wasn't Volvo original. Also have my eye on a couple of auto box ones out there too, so maybe I'll avoid the whole left leg exercise completely! Search for a decent non rusty one continues......

[Familyman 90]

With the lazy torque of the D5 theres not a lot of reason to go for the manual. Why buy a dog only to have to bark yourself?

[ITSv40]

I ecko Clan's comments re: long lasting. I have never had to replace a Volvo clutch in 47 years of Volvo ownership. One 360 did 270000mls and my previous V40 370000mls on the original clutches. I don't find them heavy in comparison to other makes of cars.

[arcascomp]

Originally Posted by Familyman 90

With the lazy torque of the D5 theres not a lot of reason to go for the manual. Why buy a dog only to have to bark yourself?

lol

To be fair, the same could be an argument for a manual, no need to change gear that often! I prefer an automatic, 'cos I is lazy but equally there are a fair few dodgy Geartronic Volvo's out there that have issues, had a V70 that liked to kick like a pony when going into 2nd - I got used to it, but the good lady was less impressed even after I'd changed the fluids (of the car, not her!)

[Tannaton]

I would say the same as Clan as well but caveat that with Volvo gearboxes.

Had numerous cars with the M56 and M66 manual - C70, XC60, XC70, V70 etc. all very nice and light clutches with good feel.

Had a 2.0D V50 with the Ford MMT box and that felt very good too.

My sister had a 2011 V60 T3 and you needed muscles in your spit to change the gear on that - the clutch was changed at 3000 miles as it was so stiff but made little difference and then again at 98k still not difference. Not sure what box it was...