Faults:

Power Steering Rack has leaked - had to replace o-rings and seals within the rack.

Turn signal switch sometimes does not "hold" when turning.

Some plastic interior trim pieces have broken/come loose such as the door lock tab bezels.

The rear left reversing bulb holder has stopped working - apparently an issue in these cars.

The auto-dimming rear view mirror started leaking internally, necessitating the installation of an aftermarket reverse camera and mirror.

General Comments:

We bought this car used in 2019 for $5,000 as a replacement for the beautiful but ultimately unreliable Audi A4 1.8T with Multitronic.

We were looking for a car that was good to take on long, out of town trips. In an archipelagic country like the Philippines, journeys of 300km can take as long as 5 hours due to mountainous terrain and B-roads through towns that cannot be bypassed.

The Volvo suit the bill perfectly - I have never ridden in a car with such comfortable seats. They fit people of varying widths and heights like a glove. Even relief drivers had no problem adjusting to the car.

The car is the perfect highway cruiser with low NVH and a 5-speed selectable automatic gearbox that allows you to cruise at 2,100 RPM at 100 km/h.

On the sometimes cracked and eroded concrete roads of the Philippines, the 215 65 16 tires, 20cm ride height and reinforced suspension give the Volvo a ride supple enough to glide over imperfections without wallowing.

Legroom in both the first and second rows is excellent, as is the cargo area. Having a vertical tailgate and a rectangular loading area makes it easy to load a lot of bags.

As for ownership and maintenance - it seems power steering leaks are common with S60s/V70s of this era (the P2 generation). Make sure you check for any leaks before buying one. Otherwise, routine maintenance done by an independent mechanic has been reasonable, with no unexpected breakdowns.

On the highway, I get 12km/l from the 5-cylinder, 2.5T engine. Considering that comes with 210 PS and 320 NM of torque, that's not bad at all. City fuel economy averages around 8km/l, which is also not bad at all.

For someone who needs a car that can do everything - carry loads of cargo, serve as a long-distance cruiser, and is usable enough for densely packed cities, I would pick the XC70 to do all of those things.