2000 Volvo S70 GLT SE 2.4 I5 LPT from North America

Summary:

Quick, cheap, comfortable, safe, durable - The Volvo S70 GLT SE

Faults:

Like all S70s, the door panels are delaminated.

The door lock actuators are weak and need replacing.

Right front strut mount had to be replaced.

General Comments:

I bought this car to be used as a commuter car, and it serves its purpose well. I was looking at a cheap (<$7,500) car to drive back and forth to work, and wanted something European. I had my heart set on a VW Jetta VR6, but I was afraid due to reliability. I went with a Volvo, as I and my family have always had good experiences with them.

I found a 1-Owner S70 GLT SE with only 50k miles, and I jumped on it! However, cosmetically it was not perfect and required some work, nothing serious, it just had 10 years worth of nicks, scratches, dings, etc. I bought the car for $6k, and I think I did very well considering I've put nearly 20k miles on it, and haven't had any issues, other than maintenance or stuff I already knew about.

It's fairly cheap to operate, if you shop around on parts and avoid the dealer. I use an indie Volvo shop, and couldn't be happier.

It's super comfortable and gets 25-26mpg routinely. 2nd hand Volvos are incredible value, always buy them used and take advantage of 'Swedish Depreciation'.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd November, 2010

2000 Volvo S70 GLT SE from North America

Summary:

I love it

Faults:

"GLT SE" means "grand luxury turbo", and the turbo blew, and started to leak oil into the gas tank.

The leather seats have also worn really badly.

General Comments:

Awesome car, I would recommend it to anyone if they still manufactured it. But the "GLT" is "grand luxury turbo", and the turbo blew, so I would try to get the regular or "SE" edition.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th October, 2010

7th Oct 2017, 19:59

I highly doubt it, and I'm very sure that a blown turbo will not blow oil into the gas. If you mean the exhaust, yes that's very possible. But they don't just fail, usually there's very early warning signs, like noise, slight lack of power, high oil consumption, and the most noticeable blue smoke out of the tailpipes.

2000 Volvo S70 SE 2.5i from North America

Summary:

It's pretty much everything I need in a car!

Faults:

Bulb failures (super cheap & easy to replace though)

Parking brake is acting up... sometimes doesn't disengage completely at first, when cold. More of an annoyance than anything really.

Rear brake discs have become slightly warped and scored, though within acceptable limits.

Some rattling in the dash sometimes... grr...

General Comments:

Overall, pretty good!

Sometimes I wish it had more power, but chances are I'd just end up getting a lot of speeding tickets. So, I guess the power could be called "adequate".

I was hoping to get a rear drive car, but this is pretty good as far as front drives go-- It handles solidly, without torque steer or any weird stuff. It's fabulous in the snow, though!

If there's one piece of advice I can give on this car, it's to keep it maintained. Change the fluids (brake, coolant, oil, etc) regularly, and have it serviced and inspected by a good indie mechanic. This is true of any car, but with a Volvo, you'll be able to keep it for years and years...

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th November, 2006

12th Jun 2014, 11:08

I've been driving Volvo cars since 1979. The number one reason is safety, of my passengers and myself. These cars, just like others, have issues as well. I've driven a 940SE (year 1991) up to 280k km. Enjoyed this car, but it needed an expensive Nivomat leveling system. Engine and body, interior and outside, were still in great shape.

I recently purchased an S70 SE non turbo engine with 129k km only. So far it's a great car. The only thing lacking is turbo power, but the basic engine is great for what I paid ($2,500) on June 11, 2014. Hopefully I can keep the car for another 15 years, just like my Volvo 940SE; still a great car when I purchased it back in 1992.

In reply to 12th Jun 2014, 11:08

16th May 2019, 20:47

I own a Volvo, and 16 other cars. Volvos are no safer than any other similar car these days. 50 years ago, Volvo safety meant something, but every other major manufacturer has made equally safe cars.

Furthermore, older Volvos are definitely less safe than newer non-Volvo models. If you specifically want safety, you're better off buying the newest car you can afford, regardless of brand. Newer cars are safer than older ones, regardless of brand.

In reply to 16th May 2019, 20:47

18th May 2019, 21:23

Agreed. Before the mid-'80s, safety was a selling point, it cost extra to make a car more rigid in a crash, etc. Since at least the European NCAP tests, cars of all sizes have been routinely crash tested, so if one competitor stands out as being superb, all the others MUST match it, else people will buy that other car because it has cheaper insurance premiums. By the early '90s, a Ford Mondeo's crash test results were as good as a Mercedes C-class or BMW 3-series. With legislation now mandating fitting of extra equipment (side intrusion bars, a minimum number of airbags, ABS, traction control, etc.) and with such equipment coming from the same suppliers, the differentiating factor now for sales is the handling, comfort, practicality, fuel economy, even the interior plastics. Cars are definitely much safer now, and Volvos of yore are less safe than a modern car (see the YouTube clip searching for the words 'Volvo' 'Modus' 'crash' done by Fifth Gear).