V50 Petrol Buying Guide/Advice

[TVR S3]

Hi All

A new poster here. I am looking at a petrol v50 for my parents (undecided whether a 1.8 or 2.0 - probably dependent on availability) and I cannot find much in the way of a buying guide or things to look out for when viewing cars.

Most cars seem to have weak spots to be aware of, but I can't find anything really (maybe the car is too new to have identified common failures yet?). So I thought I would ask on here if there are any things to be especially aware of.

Also, can someone tell me real world mpg on these cars, and is there much difference between the 1.8 and 2.0?

Any advice and experiences offered is much appreciated.

[iainmd]

The 2.0 is probably a better bet than the 1.8. Purely because the mpg is similar and the 1.8 feels pretty slow by comparison. I doubt the purchase cost would differ too much between the two.

Not many people post with issues about them but the 1.8/2.0 petrols will be in the minority in the UK. There'll be far more diesel models around here. Both are Ford Duratec based units with a few tweaks and there's no turbo to potentially cause costly repairs so servicing should be pretty straightforward.

[TVR S3]

The idea with the petrol unit is to trade some mpg for a less likely DPF, Turbo issues as it will be doing a fair amount of town driving which seems not to agree with diesels (not always I hasten to add).

[dme123]

The petrol engines seem to be very robust, the 4 cylinder 1.8 and 2.0 are based on Ford Duratec engines and are originally a Mazda design. They aren't exactly bursting with character but what 4 pot petrol in a family car is?

There are a couple of owners on here who have reported really good fuel economy on a run too. I would happily have one over the dreadfully coarse Ford/PSA 2.0d and probably get lower overall running costs on an older car even doing 20k milrs a year.

The 5 cylinder 2.4i is tough as anything and makes a lovely noise but is as thirsty as the T5 and not as quick as 170bhp suggests. I'd be happy to have one for cheap though, but really you might as well hold out for a T5 if you are going down that route.

[domhart10]

Hello, im on an S40 T5 great engine ... not as thirsty as everyone would think if you dont drive like a nut case constantly, only down side is the road tax. I previously had the 2.0D and much prefer the T5, mpg wasnt that much different as petrol is cheaper ... but also just drove the T5 a little slower every now and then helps.

real world mpg im not sure what I get ... 28 on a good run? I dont have an mpg as I didnt get the car for that. all I know is I put around £60 in my 2.0D and lasted a week and I put £60 of the good stuff into my T5 and same result.

but if your hooked on 1.8 or 2.0 id go for the 2.0 ... easier for the car to haul itself around.

[StatusRed]

I've got a 2.0l Petrol S40 and get 35 mpg - that's a mixture of town and motorway driving. Not had any engine problems, pulls really well and acceleration seems fast to me (but my old car was a 66BHP 1.3l Ford Fiesta xD).

[TVR S3]

Thanks for all the feedback.

My parents are coming from a 55 plate VW Passat 2.0tdi which has been excellent for them but is now beginning to need work a fair bit. They've put about 100K on it and now feel they have their monies worth!

They would have had another Passat probably but the newer ones seem to have a much worse reliability reputation than the older ones. Hence looking for a change.

I suggested looking at petrols as they seem to have fewer potential pitfalls (no DPF, EGR, Turbos etc) although worse mpg.

I think my dad would love a T5, but sadly would have to draw the line somewhere in terms of economy and VED, hence a 1.8/2.0. A 2.0 seems ideal, but quite scarce on the market so a much more limited pool of cars to chose from.

[jeffmasson]

As far as mpg gone I have the 1.8 and mainly do short runs and the mpg is not very good as you can see from my banner and I drive very carefully to save fuel. If you push it your lucky to see 20 mpg it's OK on long runs can get 40 mpg. It's definitely a very old fashioned engine now with modern petrol getting far better mpg.

[aslan]

Hi all

Sorry for digging up an old thread. I'm thinking of getting a 2.0L V50 to replace my 2004 V40. Specifically a year model 2010 or 2012 as this is the newest I can get with my budget. Great to hear the Ford engines in this model is fine. Here in Malaysia we didn't get the diesel versions.

I know someone with a S40 (the new one) and he didn't have good words to say about his car which I think has the same engine and transmission as the V50. I want to find out a couple of things

- Any issue with the 6 speed Ford dual wet clutch powershift transmission? Is it reliable as with the AW transmission in the other volvo lines? I've had 3 volvos with AW tranny and have had no issues.

- Does the V50 have an issue with sagging headliner?

- A friend with a S40 had issues with the PVC at 50k needing it to be replaced. Common issue?

- Any problem with the wiring harness corrosion?

- Poor durability of the plastics? I'm in hot climate so that worries my.

Thanks!

[StatusRed]

Originally Posted by aslan

- A friend with a S40 had issues with the PVC at 50k needing it to be replaced. Common issue?

What's PVC?