V/S 70 reliability VS 850

  • Thread starter Thread starter Holly
  • Start date Start date
H

Holly

I understand that the 70 series is just an updated version of the 850, yet
from my lurking here it seems that the 70's have many more issues. Is this
true? Am I better off with a 850 rather then a 70?

Thanks

Holly
 
Holly, the 850 and the V70-I have the same quality, the V70-II is worse.

I have owned all three, now a V70-II

Robert
 
Volvo480 said:
Holly, the 850 and the V70-I have the same quality, the V70-II is worse.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately you are right!
I have owned all three, now a V70-II
Click to expand...

I had 3 850-sedans. They were all close to perfection, at least from a
general quality point of view.

Now I have my second V70-II. The first one was good (11/2001; T5
Automatic) but the one I have now is rather average and does not give me
the feeling to drive a premium car (11/2005; D5 Automatic 185hp).
Usually cars get better during the production run. Not so the V70.
Could this be the result of the Ford-influence?
Robert
Click to expand...

Happy New Year,

Joerg
 
Hi there.

S70 has been a good purchase for us here in Aus.

Had a buggered o2 sensor and passenger door lock that while were expensive,
never disabled the car. A/C required re-gassing and other routine things.
If it drank less fuel, it would be the perfect car!

Don't have the complaints about globes blowing like others have had.

Cheers

Hammo
 
Hammo said:
Hi there.

S70 has been a good purchase for us here in Aus.

Had a buggered o2 sensor and passenger door lock that while were
expensive,
never disabled the car. A/C required re-gassing and other routine things.
If it drank less fuel, it would be the perfect car!

Don't have the complaints about globes blowing like others have had.
Click to expand...

Ditto, 92k on our 97 S70 and its not needed a spanner laying on it, other
than scheduled preventitive maintanance.

Much much better buid quality than both the previous 92 and 95 850's that
both did circa 120k that came before the 97 car.

The 70 seems is cheap as chips to run for a big comfty reasonably rapid
machine- ok so tyres are needed abit more often than on a Mondeo / Vectra /
etc but insurance isnt dear, and its averaging 32mpg in mixed shortish runs.
Roughly £160 per yr in routine servicing at our local trusted independant
garage- a service and an extra oil change.

Its not suffered the oft-talked about rotten a/c evaporator -touch wood-.

Tim..
 
Hammo said:
Hi there.

S70 has been a good purchase for us here in Aus.

Had a buggered o2 sensor and passenger door lock that while were expensive,
never disabled the car. A/C required re-gassing and other routine things.
If it drank less fuel, it would be the perfect car!

Don't have the complaints about globes blowing like others have had.

Cheers

Hammo
Click to expand...
Hey Hammo

Where are you in Aus? I'm in Melbourne and wonder who services your car?
Anyone but a dealer I assume as it is still going....

John
 
Hi there

NSW/VIC Border. Worth the drive for this bloke. Steve Tanner Automotive is
his shop.

Cheers

Hammo
 
Holly said:
I understand that the 70 series is just an updated version of the 850, yet
from my lurking here it seems that the 70's have many more issues. Is this
true? Am I better off with a 850 rather then a 70?

Thanks

Holly
Click to expand...

About the same in terms of quality. Although an 850 will because it is
an older model have more wear than a newer 70.
 
Holly said:
I understand that the 70 series is just an updated version of the 850, yet
from my lurking here it seems that the 70's have many more issues. Is this
true? Am I better off with a 850 rather then a 70?
Click to expand...

I got a '93 850, '95 850 and an '01 V70.

The '93 had one weakness, the transmission. This was fixed and by '95
the 850 was a very solid highly reliable car.

In 1998 designers and engineers gave the 850 model a thorough revamp,
adding power, safety, comfort, and a dash of styling pizzazz to an
already fine automobile. The cars were renamed: S70 for the sedan, and
V70 for the wagon. The redesign includes a new nose, body-color trim,
stronger side-impact protection, more powerful turbo engines, redesigned
interior, and revised suspension. All-wheel drive wagons arrive to
battle luxury SUVs and the hot-selling Subaru Legacy. However, at the
same time the cost reduced many of the good 850 parts. It took them a
year to sort out these problems.

In 2001 the S60 became Volvo's sedan that took the place of the
discontinued S70 Sedan. Smaller than the S80 but bigger than the S40,
Volvo had designed the S60 to be sporty as well as safe.

In 2001 the V70 had a major redesign that improved interior space,
versatility, comfort and performance. This V70 shared its platform with
the S80, Volvo's top-of-the-line sedan. As a result, the new V70 was
slightly shorter than the 2000 model, but it had a longer wheelbase,
wider front and rear tracks, and about 2 more inches of width and
height. The base 2.4T and all-wheel-drive Cross Country models came
with a 197-horsepower, 2.4-liter, turbocharged five-cylinder engine. The
XC T-5 was introduced. New safety features include front-and-rear head
airbags, and child-seat ISOFIX attachment points.

The results were:

Best 850's were '95 to '97.

The most reliable V70s were '99 to '00 and also the '03. The '99 and
'00 were the best years. The worst years were '01 and '02 for the V70.

The best S60s were the '01 to '05. It is a very solid line. The only
miss was the '03 S60 AWD. However the '03 -'04 S60 AWD was very good.

These results are based upon major studies of large numbers of Volvo
owners and their repair histories. My personal experience with the '01
V70 AWD XC is very good, but other have has some problems.
 
Impressive history lesson, Stephen. I for one thank you for it.
However, as a past, present and hopefully future Volvo owner I'd like
to hear your 101 lesson expand to S80's, what is your take on that
model? I actually intend to purchase one, I like it a lot but don't
know how well they stand in the Volvo lineup (with other models). I
know I should avoid the 99 model (S80's that is) but any words of
wisdom beyond that?
Thanks
 
Impressive history lesson, Stephen. I for one thank you for it.
However, as a past, present and hopefully future Volvo owner I'd like
to hear your 101 lesson expand to S80's, what is your take on that
model? I actually intend to purchase one, I like it a lot but don't
know how well they stand in the Volvo lineup (with other models). I
know I should avoid the 99 model (S80's that is) but any words of
wisdom beyond that?
Click to expand...

1999 S80: The larger more luxurious S80 makes its debut. This long
overdue redesign of the S90 counts several firsts to its credit: first
with a transverse inline six, first with fully integrated GSM phone,
first to carry an environmental specification and the S80 boasts the
world's smallest manual transmission.

2001 S80: Volvo added a new trim level, the luxurious S80 T6 Executive.
Additional standard content for all trim levels comes in the form of
leather seating, a luggage holder, remote retractable rear head
restraints, memory position mirrors and Homelink. The 2.9 gets new
16-inch wheels and an auto-dimming rearview mirror as standard. All S80s
get dual-stage airbags. The available Security Package for the S80 2.9
and T6 will now include the Interior Air Quality System (IAQS) which
keeps the passenger cabin free from odors and pollutants.

2002 S80: As a follow-up to the S80 T6 Executive, Volvo released the T6
Elite, which combined the increased rear legroom, wider rear door
openings and interior luxuries of the Executive with the convenience of
a rear bench seat, thus providing room for five. Additionally, all S80s
got Emergency Brake Assistance (EBA), enhanced traction control
performance and improved throttle management, resulting in quicker
response in everyday driving situations. Other improvements include
color-coordinated exterior trim (rather than the usual black moldings),
an emergency release trunk release handle and the availability of a
DVD-based navigation system and xenon headlamps.

2004 S80: The S80 received a minor refresh this year that includes a
modified grille, additional chrome trim and a revised rear fascia for
the exterior along with a new gauge cluster and door panels for the
interior. Volvo's Four-C adjustable suspension is a new option on all
trim levels. An all-wheel-drive version of the 2.5T will be added
midyear, but it cannot be ordered in conjunction with the Four-C
suspension. Finally, the T6 Premier replaces the T6 Elite as the top
trim level.

The '04 is by far the best S80.

Avoid the '99 to '02 S80.

Instead look at the '01 to '05 S60 except not the '03 S60 AWD.
 
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