V70 P2 vs P3 pros and cons?

[Stu B]

Hi All,

I managed to last 6 months without a Volvo after selling my 850 T5, which followed a V70 T5 (P2) and sometime back, a V40 before that. Anyway, after a brief stint with a BMW 330i touring, I sold it last weekend and I'm on the lookout for another Volvo. I miss the Volvo seats to be honest, BMW sport seats are nowhere near as comfortable!

I'm after a V70 in the 10 - 15 years old bracket probably, sub £5k budget, prefer closer to £3k, definitely auto 6 speed, has to be 5 cylinder turbo, prefer petrol but would settle for diesel as I can't find many T5s for sale at this age range and a D5 looks good too. Must have heated leather, prefer dark coloured interior. Not picky, am I?

Question for those who've owned both anyway. How does a P3 compare to a P2 in terms of build quality, DIY maintenance, driving, and particularly the steering lock (P2 T5 I had was shocking, 9 point turn anyone?)...?

I can find what appear to be decent P2 or P3 D5 models around 2005 - 2009 ish in this budget. Is the newer car a better bet now? Any models of either to avoid? I thought the P2 was very well built and would have another, but would prefer the later 6 speed auto as the 5 speed was a bit dim-witted (I had a 2002 model) even after couple of fluid changes and I got bored of reading millions of posts about flaring between gears on the AW55 transmission and waiting for it to go wrong.

Any thoughts? Anyone got something suitable for sale? Why does the P3 seem to have several different 2.4L diesel options, some badged 2.4d, others D5? Are they all 5 cyl?

I also like the look of the P2 XC70 though have no need for a car of that type, but would buy one in the right condition and spec accepting lower fuel economy and extra complexities of 4wd as they look good fun and suitable for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.

Any info appreciated, cheers!
Stu

[Turbodave]

Not the most conclusive of responses incoming but I've had five P2 cars (an 02 T5 Geartronic, an 05 V70R manual, a 163bhp D5 manual, a 185bhp D5 Geartronic and another 163bhp D5 manual) and one P3 car (an 08 XC70 manual) and whilst my experience with the P3 wasn't that great as it had issues from the word go and thus, it didn't last long... I'd definitely say the P3 isn't as well put together as the P2 cars. The switch gear feels flimsy, disappointingly so and more so the likes of the window switches which are just nasty. Under the skin too, they seem to a little less well engineered with cheaper fasteners and components and then there's the fact they're much more complex too.

Granted, nice cars and I'm sure a good one would be fine and in many ways my XC70 was superb. Massive, comfortable and the AWD is much better / more reliable than the P2 cars with their chocolate angle gear sleeves and such like and thus I can totally see the appeal but I get the feeling that you'd need to buy the best of the best with no underlying issues to save any heartache. As for how they go, mine was a 185bhp D5 and it was pretty dour to be honest. Granted they weigh a lot but the whole drive was very numb, which some may relish but I just felt it was a big, heavy old Hector that didn't feel as robust as the P2 cars and thus, I felt it'd be a lot dearer to run and repair.

The P2 cars are good, not without issue and I wouldn't take another Geartronic by choice. They're just flawed boxes and even when working, they always feel lethargic and dim witted. A petrol version does offer good value for money... I looked at a couple of 2.4 N/A's but ultimately the MPG and drivability of the D5 is hard to ignore and the 163bhp is arguably the most solid with no swirl flaps, DPF and such like though not without faults of its own. I'd really only consider a D5 for higher miles or a T5... the MPG isn't much worse than a petrol N/A when cruising along but far more engaging when you're not. The P2 XC70 is a strong choice but again, age and neglect means many will have underlying AWD issues that can be costly (my V70R nearly ruined me!) to rectify but they do make a lot of sense as a do it all sort of machine. I'd also actively avoid cars with 4C... it's utterly crap and expensive when it goes wrong. I had it on my XC and I've yet to figure out what purpose it served. The R had it and it was basically three modes... harsh, intolerable and frankly ridiculous, even one four new, eye wateringly dear shocks. Granted "frankly ridiculous" mode came in to its own on the track but in the real world, it was just nasty and forever flagging up failure messages.

A nice P2 would be my choice at that budget, £3k will buy a very nice one whereas in P3 terms... I think you'd be at the high mileage / rough end of the market and I just think the P3 is a nicer car all round, feels better built, solid and the seats are better too. Granted they're getting on a bit now but a good one won't feel like that at all. I've just bought a 2004 D5... it's done 244,000 miles and yet looks, feels and drives very well. In fact I've yet to find a squeak or a rattle... the only hint at the mileage is a shiny steering wheel and gearknob plus a bit torn stitching on the drivers bolster. A 240,000 miles P3 would feel like it'd done five times that.

Good luck, happy hunting!

[GrahamHR]

Originally Posted by Turbodave

Not the most conclusive of responses incoming but I've had five P2 cars (an 02 T5 Geartronic, an 05 V70R manual, a 163bhp D5 manual, a 185bhp D5 Geartronic and another 163bhp D5 manual) and one P3 car (an 08 XC70 manual) and whilst my experience with the P3 wasn't that great as it had issues from the word go and thus, it didn't last long... I'd definitely say the P3 isn't as well put together as the P2 cars. The switch gear feels flimsy, disappointingly so and more so the likes of the window switches which are just nasty. Under the skin too, they seem to a little less well engineered with cheaper fasteners and components and then there's the fact they're much more complex too.

Granted, nice cars and I'm sure a good one would be fine and in many ways my XC70 was superb. Massive, comfortable and the AWD is much better / more reliable than the P2 cars with their chocolate angle gear sleeves and such like and thus I can totally see the appeal but I get the feeling that you'd need to buy the best of the best with no underlying issues to save any heartache. As for how they go, mine was a 185bhp D5 and it was pretty dour to be honest. Granted they weigh a lot but the whole drive was very numb, which some may relish but I just felt it was a big, heavy old Hector that didn't feel as robust as the P2 cars and thus, I felt it'd be a lot dearer to run and repair.

The P2 cars are good, not without issue and I wouldn't take another Geartronic by choice. They're just flawed boxes and even when working, they always feel lethargic and dim witted. A petrol version does offer good value for money... I looked at a couple of 2.4 N/A's but ultimately the MPG and drivability of the D5 is hard to ignore and the 163bhp is arguably the most solid with no swirl flaps, DPF and such like though not without faults of its own. I'd really only consider a D5 for higher miles or a T5... the MPG isn't much worse than a petrol N/A when cruising along but far more engaging when you're not. The P2 XC70 is a strong choice but again, age and neglect means many will have underlying AWD issues that can be costly (my V70R nearly ruined me!) to rectify but they do make a lot of sense as a do it all sort of machine. I'd also actively avoid cars with 4C... it's utterly crap and expensive when it goes wrong. I had it on my XC and I've yet to figure out what purpose it served. The R had it and it was basically three modes... harsh, intolerable and frankly ridiculous, even one four new, eye wateringly dear shocks. Granted "frankly ridiculous" mode came in to its own on the track but in the real world, it was just nasty and forever flagging up failure messages.

A nice P2 would be my choice at that budget, £3k will buy a very nice one whereas in P3 terms... I think you'd be at the high mileage / rough end of the market and I just think the P3 is a nicer car all round, feels better built, solid and the seats are better too. Granted they're getting on a bit now but a good one won't feel like that at all. I've just bought a 2004 D5... it's done 244,000 miles and yet looks, feels and drives very well. In fact I've yet to find a squeak or a rattle... the only hint at the mileage is a shiny steering wheel and gearknob plus a bit torn stitching on the drivers bolster. A 240,000 miles P3 would feel like it'd done five times that.

Good luck, happy hunting!

Not sure about the P numbers !

Experience with my company cars

1995 850 GLT estate 2.0, a "hand me down" ; fine, woefully underpowered
1998 V70 SE 2.5; OK, good quality but why not a 20V one ?
2001 V70 2.5- 170; fast, awful wheel size/ tyre size for the weight, poor grip, very poor interior design, dodgy engine electronic peripherals ( recall in the US but not in Europe) and woeful build quality
2004 V70 D5 SE ( privately bought due to a change in company car policy). Nice car, but unreliable electronics; to the extent that the local dealer ( who I had bought it from new) suggested it that it had been underwater !

Then 9 years later the 2015 V60 Polestar.

[Sotosound]

My instinct would be to avoid an early "Ford era" P3. The later "Geely era" ones, such as my 2014 V70, seem to be very well built, though. They still have some Mondeo DNA, however.

Good Mondeo-ish aspects include the amount of space for the driver, plus the slightly higher seating position compared to the P2. Additionally, you get a decent turning circle.

A funny aspect is that the folding door mirror motor sounds as though it's the same type as was in my 2009 Mondeo. It still works, however.

All 2.4 engines have 5-cylinders.

A petrol turbo or a D5 are the best performance options.

The "Geely era" 2011 D3, however, has a very sweet and very quiet 5-cylinder 2 litre turbodiesel with 161 bhp. It's a lovely drive and its performance is as good as an early P2 D5. There are a couple on sale right now within your budget. Possibly worthy of further investigation.

Given your budget, however, I'd also be tempted to consider a really good condition, well-maintained P2 since there's something special about those cars. They just ooze class and they're lovely to drive. Also, the stereo in the SE is out of this world.

Also, I know that you want an automatic, but the original D5 with 5-speed manual gearbox is just magical to drive. For that car, 6 speeds would be excessively fiddly.

The diesels are noisier than the petrol versions, but the D5 does have a lovely, purposeful rolling, pulsating sound that I like. The petrol versions are really, really nice but they do drink petrol.

It also might make sense to buy your car from a Volvo specialist since they'll normally only select really good ones to offer for sale, and since they know what to look for. You'd pay a premium, but it would be a car upon which the dealer was hanging their reputation.

Most important, though, is to try a few cars. Last year I was originally dead set on buying a good P2 but ended up buying a P3 instead. Given enough money and somewhere to park them, however, I’d probably have at least one of each.

[Stu B]

Hi, thanks for the info - very much appreciated. My instinct was a late P2 model too, if I could get on with the steering lock - previous one drove me mad in tight car parks.

However, i viewed a P3 V70 SE Lux D5 at the weekend. 88k miles and very good condition with the spec I was after and in budget. Agree that interior fit and fixture quality is down compared to P2, but I preferred the driving position, handling and steering lock, and the D5 engine felt good so I bought it!

Pics to follow when I get chance, fingers crossed it’s a good one!

Cheers
Stu

[Sotosound]

Originally Posted by Stu B

Hi, thanks for the info - very much appreciated. My instinct was a late P2 model too, if I could get on with the steering lock - previous one drove me mad in tight car parks.

However, i viewed a P3 V70 SE Lux D5 at the weekend. 88k miles and very good condition with the spec I was after and in budget. Agree that interior fit and fixture quality is down compared to P2, but I preferred the driving position, handling and steering lock, and the D5 engine felt good so I bought it!

Pics to follow when I get chance, fingers crossed it’s a good one!

Cheers
Stu

Congratulations.

You are no longer an "Ex Volvo owner :-( ".

[Parisien]

Well done, recent convert to a V70, but 2 L petrol, enjoying it so far, just completed a 1300 mile round trip from N Ireland to Antwerp full of car parts, beer and chocolates, OK only 4 kilos of chocolate!

P

[Stu B]

Here's a quick re-fuelling pic from collection day before I drove home 50 odd miles in foul weather.

[Sotosound]

Looks nice.

[AlainBrighton]

Originally Posted by Sotosound

My instinct would be to avoid an early "Ford era" P3. The later "Geely era" ones, such as my 2014 V70, seem to be very well built, though. They still have some Mondeo DNA, however.

Good Mondeo-ish aspects include the amount of space for the driver, plus the slightly higher seating position compared to the P2. Additionally, you get a decent turning circle.

A funny aspect is that the folding door mirror motor sounds as though it's the same type as was in my 2009 Mondeo. It still works, however.

All 2.4 engines have 5-cylinders.

A petrol turbo or a D5 are the best performance options.

The "Geely era" 2011 D3, however, has a very sweet and very quiet 5-cylinder 2 litre turbodiesel with 161 bhp. It's a lovely drive and its performance is as good as an early P2 D5. There are a couple on sale right now within your budget. Possibly worthy of further investigation.

Given your budget, however, I'd also be tempted to consider a really good condition, well-maintained P2 since there's something special about those cars. They just ooze class and they're lovely to drive. Also, the stereo in the SE is out of this world.

Also, I know that you want an automatic, but the original D5 with 5-speed manual gearbox is just magical to drive. For that car, 6 speeds would be excessively fiddly.

The diesels are noisier than the petrol versions, but the D5 does have a lovely, purposeful rolling, pulsating sound that I like. The petrol versions are really, really nice but they do drink petrol.

It also might make sense to buy your car from a Volvo specialist since they'll normally only select really good ones to offer for sale, and since they know what to look for. You'd pay a premium, but it would be a car upon which the dealer was hanging their reputation.

Most important, though, is to try a few cars. Last year I was originally dead set on buying a good P2 but ended up buying a P3 instead. Given enough money and somewhere to park them, however, I’d probably have at least one of each.

Although being Chinese myself, I am not too sure when the "Geely" era started :-) Since I am in the market of giving my 05 XC70 D5 a break and put a P3 XC70 next to it, I have seen a plethora of indications. Since I am after a more modern look I had set my eyes on all 2011 onwards, at least with the BMW like satnav but I saw a lovely XC70 D3 AWD that is apparently a 2.4 ?? I read you recommended the 2.0 D3 but what is the difference between the two ? And is it worth it to get it Polestar chipped later ? My 163bhp Geartronic often feels like a John Deere ..... Any other things to look out for with the P3 XC70 ?