Looking at V70s

Post by **aktie9** » 04 Jun 2011, 11:20

I'm also looking for a xc90--in another thread, but don't wanna discount a wagon, since I love the wagons so much.

Is there a year to look for on the V70-'s? Any years to skip? Fixes that need to be done? I know about the PVC system, anything else comes to mind that I should look for? I found this 2002 volvo v70, XC A SR AWD Turbo w/SR: Mileage: 170,950, Exterior: Silver, Interior: Gray Leather, Engine: 2.4L DOHC 20-valve transversely-mounted 5-cyl turbocharged engine. The miles are high, but I'm not opposed to a little work & have a in-house mechanically inclined individual & also a friend who is a ASE mechanic.

Oh and manual to have or download? Might be a good idea to get a manual or two before buying the car--do some homework.

Thanks so much, Heather

Post by **JRL** » 04 Jun 2011, 12:29

STAY AWAY from 2001s and 2002s..... especially one's with high miles

Post by **matthew1** » 04 Jun 2011, 12:43

Lots of good information about what to look out for in the Volvo Buyer's Guide -- essentially a collection of good forum topics on the subject.

For overview see the V70 page.

Post by **aktie9** » 04 Jun 2011, 22:42

Thanks Jrl & Matt.

JRL & Matt, If you don't mind me asking, I'm guessing the cars you both have listed as having owned & or currently own--are good ones to look for? That actually might be a good idea for me.. to follow along with someone else who knows way more than I do about these cars & copy them... for lack of a better wording & get one of the years/models that they have had good luck with. Also, how high do these Volvos go--mile wise? Do we have anyone here that has one that's gone 200K or more? Maybe I could ping one of those people & pick their brain (s) and copy their maintaining schedule.

Also.. I noticed when googling the V70 R's, that some of them have a 'cheeseslice' on the roof. Hope that is the right term for it. It's what they call the SAAB 95 Estate Vehicle's metal piece on the roof, near the hatch, 5th door roof area. Is that the right term? Or is something else? What is the reason they put those on? Are they stock or addons? Just thought it looked cool.

Thanks again, Heather

Post by **JRL** » 05 Jun 2011, 06:49

Cheese slice?
That's a new one!

You mean the REAR SPOILER??
Optional and still available, (as far as I know) they were not standard on any of them

Post by **aktie9** » 05 Jun 2011, 10:17

Hahhah! Yeah rear spoiler. Why didn't I think of spoiler? Not sure.
Ok thanks!

--Heather

Post by **matthew1** » 05 Jun 2011, 10:45

Heather

There are two big ingredients* that go into answering the question how long will a car last**?

Model/Year, and it's prior care. Most often prior care plays the biggest role. Occasionally M/Y is bigger in specific ownership tales, I fully admit, but IMO it's all about who owned it and how they serviced it that matters most.

Then farther down the list are things like Where was it used? and What type of miles was it used for (hwy/city)?

I have a very dependable, robust '97 850 T5, and I know its history from Day One. It's a good history. The two prior owners were my dad (up to 50k miles), and before him, his friend who worked for Volvo Construction North America (up to 32k miles). Both are careful, sane people. The '04 V70 R wagon we bought a year ago has proved to be a solid car also, but I did not know its history from Day One. Instead, we got it at a very good price. You can "trade" variables to get essentially the same deal. We saved around a couple grand, so that can cover losses due to not being aware of (all) its history like not knowing or ever meeting the first owners, only the most recent.

Priced into the cost of acquiring the R was a full service within weeks of buying it. All fluids, spark plugs, all filters, etc. This was around $1500. Those big service bills are bitter pills to swallow. The alternative (and opposite) is owning a Toyota. I'm not saying that with disdain or smugness, just literally.

* Removing the # of miles variable from my post because generally this is a) very obviously a factor and b) generally priced into the asking price already, and if it's not, it's easy to look up.

** Or How much will I have to pay to keep it going until 200k miles? (or whatever benchmark you set). How long will it last and How much will I pay are two sides of the same coin.

Post by **JRL** » 05 Jun 2011, 11:50

If you're within 500 miles from Phila, PA, I would be happy to find you a good Volvo

Post by **priapism** » 05 Jun 2011, 11:51

2001 and 2002s have major transmission issues and ETM problems, 2003+ are far better.

Post by **aktie9** » 06 Jun 2011, 14:48

Thanks Matt--that explains things really well. I think getting 4 years from this 850 was pretty good then, considering.

Thanks JRL, That's very kind of you. I'm in Central MA, just outside Worcester. I think it's 6 hours to PA's border. We did it a couple times, nice down there. Not sure what you mean by finding one for me tho? Like online & looking at one that might fit the bill for me? I'm kind of torn between the v70's & the XC90 right now.. was hoping to test drive a few this coming week & figure out which I'm looking for. We were going to do that over the weekend, but hubby was on tornado cleanup duty, so we are lagging behind in that regard.

Thanks, Priapism.. I'll look at 2003 & up then. I notice that the prices tend to go up around that year too.

--Heather