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Should I buy a V70 or an XC60 or.... ?

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Old Feb 7th, 2018, 22:34   #21
Sotosound
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Originally Posted by 1monkey600 View Post
I have a FWD xc70 so have the the same engine and gearbox.
It is still a heavy car and still a 'turbo' engine (so still needs time to spool up), but once you learn to anticipate the gap in traffic it has plenty of pull from a standstill. If anything, Wheelspin and torque steer can even be an occasional problem out of a tight junction.
Learn to knock the g'box into sport just before pulling up to a junction, roundabout, etc, though, so that Start/Stop is temporarily disabled. Not that it's dangerous but there's Nothing worse than having it cut out just as you see a gap coming!
If you are already rolling along then acceleration is pretty instant with the twin turbo setup.
Many thanks for those insights.
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Old Feb 8th, 2018, 12:11   #22
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Many thanks.

Another vote for the XC70.

How does it drive when compared to, say, a standard V70?
To be honest I don't know not having got my paws on a V70. What I can say is when you give it some wellie it takes off like a missile, especially if you have the auto box in sport mode. My bus is a 220bhp, 16 plate xc70. Also I tend to switch the stop/start function off as I personally don't like it. Hope you enjoy your test drive. Happy motoring
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Old Mar 3rd, 2018, 14:39   #23
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Since my last post I’ve test driven three Volvos: -

1) A 61-reg V70 D3 SE automatic

2) A 15-reg V70 D4 SE Automatic

3) A late-reg-old-shape XC60 D4 manual

Of the three, my favourite was the D3.

The XC60 was noisy, relatively unrefined and it understeered a lot. It just wasn’t the car for me.

The V70 D3 only got test-driven around the town where it was on sale, i.e. not a wonderful test drive. But it was cosseting, with soft leather seats, a comfortable ride plus a nice smooth 5-cylinder engine and a nice smooth gearbox. The car was also more responsive to my demands than I imagined it would be. I suspect, however, that such a car won’t be quite so fabulous on the motorway with only 136 bhp under the bonnet. A Polestar upgrade would sort that, however. The stereo was only OK, however, being the most basic unit.

(This is a frustrating thing about P3s. The basic P2 stereo in an SE (and even an S) wipes the floor with anything that the P3 gets unless (I’m imagining) you splash out for a Dynaudio set-up.)

The important thing, however, was that I just settled into the car as though it were a second skin.

The 15-reg V70 D4 was a different animal, however. Greyish silver on the outside, grey leather and grey brushed aluminium on the inside. The seats were well-shaped but quite firm. The ride was firmer and the handling was sharper than the earlier D3. The engine noise was quite well suppressed but it was clearly a 4-cylinder engine. Build quality was massive, as was performance. This car had 143K on the clock but didn’t show it. The High performance stereo was better than the basic one in the D3, but it didn’t have the class of the one in my Mondeo. (My Mondeo’s Sony 6-CD DAB in combination with the higher performance speakers is superb sounding, if just a touch short on power. The tweeters are absolute stars and there’s great musicality. The V70 stereo was as grey as the rest of the car.) In the end, it was like driving a German car more than a traditional Volvo. Perhaps a Volvo Passat estate. And to this end it was very efficient in doing everything but it just didn’t tug at my heart. Shame.

At present my wife and I have had a financial reprioritisation, meaning that car changes will now come behind other projects, but when it comes to time for a new car it’s likely to be a V70 D3 or D4 auto with the 5-cylinder engine and with SE Lux trim and Winter Pack, provide that I can get one with a good, Volvo-like stereo.

And following the purchase, there will be Polestar upgrades to consider.
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Old Mar 3rd, 2018, 18:56   #24
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And following the purchase, there will be Polestar upgrades to consider.
Be sure to look at the EXACT Polestar option available when you have the engine code of your intended purchase.
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Old Mar 6th, 2018, 09:35   #25
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Hi

After owning a Mondeo 2.0 TDCi manual Titanium hatchback for 18 months I’m starting to get an itch to go back to a Volvo.

After stupidly selling my 2004 53 V70 D5 manual estate just over two years ago at 190K because it had one or two big bills due, I bought and then rapidly resold at a loss a Skoda Superb hatchback with the DSG gearbox. No real fault of the Superb but me and it just didn’t get on well. Ergonomics, DSG, noise and a poor sound system were my main gripes. The engine and handling were, however, superb (!!).

I replaced the Superb with a much higher mileage and much cheaper manual 2009 59 Mondeo. It's a better and more rounded car than the Superb (IMHO), and it's given excellent service for 42K miles. But I now want an automatic car and something that will last me for several years.

So I’m now pondering what to get.

My needs include a good sound system with CD player and USB plus built-in Bluetooth. I need the space and comfort and utility of a large hatchback or estate, and I need a comfortable ride, good performance and decent handling. For economy reasons I need a diesel and for ease of use reasons I need it to be an automatic. I also average around 30K miles annually, so the ability to go to a high mileage is also key.

The car has to be easy for my disabled mother-in-law to be able to get in and out of, i.e. not too low down and not too high up. It also needs enough boot space to take her stroller.

Buying new is out of the question, and a really low mileage example probably doesn’t make sense since I’ll put 30K on every year and consequently clobber the residuals ever so quickly.

In terms of Volvos, the main contenders that I can see are the now-discontinued V70 and the old shape XC60. The V60 is probably just a little too low and small for my needs. I’ve always liked big cars, and any smaller cars that I’ve purchased have always ended up being moved on quite quickly.

So… V70 or XC60 or something that I haven’t thought of?

Also, D3, D4, D5 etc.? Which would be the best?

(I think that I'll rule out the Ford/PSA 4-cylinder 2.0 diesel right now, but I'm not certain whether I'd be happier with a 5-cylinder or 4-cylinder true Volvo engine. For what it's worth, I loved the engine in my old D5.)

Any views or advice that you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

My budget will be around £8K - £12K.

Many thanks in advance.
I have a XC60 D5 Year 2009 , 5 cylinder engine , newer ones have 4 cylinder , apart from road tax being expensive , best car I have ever owned in 60000 miles I have replaced tyres twice ad fitted rear pads ,and battery that's it apart from servicing, very comfortable , as seat fairly high easy to get in and out , I am Ex. Garage owner

Tony A.
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Old Mar 6th, 2018, 19:23   #26
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I have a XC60 D5 Year 2009 , 5 cylinder engine , newer ones have 4 cylinder , apart from road tax being expensive , best car I have ever owned in 60000 miles I have replaced tyres twice ad fitted rear pads ,and battery that's it apart from servicing, very comfortable , as seat fairly high easy to get in and out , I am Ex. Garage owner

Tony A.
Many thanks.

Whatever I choose, I suspect that it'll have a 5-cylinder engine. They have a unique character in both petrol and diesel forms whereas, by contrast, 4-cylinder engines sound a bit coarse.
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Old Mar 6th, 2018, 22:30   #27
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Trust me, if you can get your paws on a nice XC70 D5, you will not be disappointed. I have a 17 plate 220bhp. Goes like a rocket and the handling is second to none. With the recent weather we've had this car has done nothing but go above and beyond. Over the years I've had some serious 4X4s. But the XC70 has got me to where I needed to be , no problems. It's not a mud plugger, it's just a bloody good bus to be in. Safe and sound.
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Old Mar 7th, 2018, 08:06   #28
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Trust me, if you can get your paws on a nice XC70 D5, you will not be disappointed. I have a 17 plate 220bhp. Goes like a rocket and the handling is second to none. With the recent weather we've had this car has done nothing but go above and beyond. Over the years I've had some serious 4X4s. But the XC70 has got me to where I needed to be , no problems. It's not a mud plugger, it's just a bloody good bus to be in. Safe and sound.
Many thanks.
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Old Apr 23rd, 2018, 14:00   #29
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Since my last post I’ve test driven three Volvos: -

1) A 61-reg V70 D3 SE automatic

2) A 15-reg V70 D4 SE Automatic

3) A late-reg-old-shape XC60 D4 manual

Of the three, my favourite was the D3.

The XC60 was noisy, relatively unrefined and it understeered a lot. It just wasn’t the car for me.

The V70 D3 only got test-driven around the town where it was on sale, i.e. not a wonderful test drive. But it was cosseting, with soft leather seats, a comfortable ride plus a nice smooth 5-cylinder engine and a nice smooth gearbox. The car was also more responsive to my demands than I imagined it would be. I suspect, however, that such a car won’t be quite so fabulous on the motorway with only 136 bhp under the bonnet. A Polestar upgrade would sort that, however. The stereo was only OK, however, being the most basic unit.

(This is a frustrating thing about P3s. The basic P2 stereo in an SE (and even an S) wipes the floor with anything that the P3 gets unless (I’m imagining) you splash out for a Dynaudio set-up.)

The important thing, however, was that I just settled into the car as though it were a second skin.

The 15-reg V70 D4 was a different animal, however. Greyish silver on the outside, grey leather and grey brushed aluminium on the inside. The seats were well-shaped but quite firm. The ride was firmer and the handling was sharper than the earlier D3. The engine noise was quite well suppressed but it was clearly a 4-cylinder engine. Build quality was massive, as was performance. This car had 143K on the clock but didn’t show it. The High performance stereo was better than the basic one in the D3, but it didn’t have the class of the one in my Mondeo. (My Mondeo’s Sony 6-CD DAB in combination with the higher performance speakers is superb sounding, if just a touch short on power. The tweeters are absolute stars and there’s great musicality. The V70 stereo was as grey as the rest of the car.) In the end, it was like driving a German car more than a traditional Volvo. Perhaps a Volvo Passat estate. And to this end it was very efficient in doing everything but it just didn’t tug at my heart. Shame.

At present my wife and I have had a financial reprioritisation, meaning that car changes will now come behind other projects, but when it comes to time for a new car it’s likely to be a V70 D3 or D4 auto with the 5-cylinder engine and with SE Lux trim and Winter Pack, provide that I can get one with a good, Volvo-like stereo.

And following the purchase, there will be Polestar upgrades to consider.
So... after some time and after viewing loads of Autotrader ads etc. I've now narrowed things down somewhat.

I suspect that my next car will be a 2012 or 2013 V70 SE Lux Auto and a D3 (136hp), D4 (163hp) or D5 (215hp). Mileage is likely to be around 100K to fit my budget. The D3 would probably need a Polestar upgrade to keep me happy but D4s are harder to find. I'll be looking for a car with the newer fascia with the integral rather than pop-up screen. (It looks so much nicer.)

Set against the D3/4 is that it'll be no more powerful than my 2.0 Mondeo. In its favour is the quiet, tractable and smooth behaviour of the two litre 5-cylinder engine.

Set against the D5 are that it might be noisier and coarser than the D3/4, that it might not be as tractable and that there is a risk that it'll blow its head gasket. In its favour is that it will be very, very adequately powered. Does the twin turbo improve tractability, by the way?

I've also accepted that the High Performance sound system is as good as I'll probably be able to get unless I get a massive stroke of luck and land a vehicle with the Premium sound system. (Has anyone upgraded the speakers on the High Performance system, by the way?)

Those are my basic choices, i.e. one model with one level of trim but a choice of rather different engine options.

Has anyone got any views on the three engine choices to help me towards a final decision?

I'm hoping to test drive a D3 and a D5 this coming weekend and, perhaps this will solidify my views, but with me that's not guaranteed!
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Old May 9th, 2018, 14:03   #30
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And I've now bought a V70.......
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