Looking for advice on used Volvos

[Adnan]

Hi,

I'm very new to Volvos but am interested in a wagon, preferably a used V70. The car will be used primarily for in-town running about and so doesn't need the turbo.

What are the weaknesses of this model, what does one look for when buying? Was 2000 the year Volvo redesigned the car? The older version would be fine.

We had a Subaru Legacy wagon which we really liked but it was in an accident that rolled it over.

Thanks for any tips or links to sites that have such information.

Adnan

[potroast]

the older model is better than the newer one, imo. It is based off of the 855. Personally, I would recommend the turbo. It's a fun item, and it can actually improve your gas mileage. If the V70's are too pricey used, look at a newer 855. As for rolling it over, that would be very difficult to do in a volvo.

here are some weaknesses off the top of my head:

N/A tranny wasn't as good as the turbo/glt tranny.

volvo batteries are *horrible* make sure it hasn't leaked acid before purchasing, and if it's still a stock battery, replace immidiately with an Exide spiral-cell!

A lot of volvos will have the odometer gear break. I don't know why, but it always seems to. Make sure it's working and mileage is accurate.

Timing belt MUST be replaced every 50k. If the belt breaks, you need a new engine! (this is different from most cars) Make sure they have records of when it was changed, and if it's time, or if they cannot produce reliable records, replace *immidiately*.

Check suspension elements such as ball-joints, tie rod end, control-arms, etc. this is standard on all cars with a decent amount of mileage on em.

there's more, but that's a quick list to get you going. As for actual electrical or mechanical problems, the Volvo 850 and V70 series was very, very well-designed. Preventative maintenance will save you a lot long-term. However, I must warn you, when something does break, it's usually an expensive fix.