Faults:

Driver's side power window switch, radiator, head gasket, heater core, rear suspension bump stops, coil packs, engine mount, remote locking, headlining fell down, glove box latch, MAF sensor.

To be fair - this car was purchased cheap and had a hard life with myself and the previous owner. Kept outside in the weather, often driven on unsealed roads and in start-stop traffic.

General Comments:

I used to ridicule Volvo until I bought this car. I wanted a cheap family car with the ability to carry seven people occasionally, but hated the idea of a people mover or SUV and wanted reasonable safety. The V70 had the rear-facing seat for kids and fitted the requirement perfectly. I paid a low price knowing that the car had no heater and suspected it had not been looked after. It was only ever intended to be a short term stop-gap vehicle, but it ended up being loved by the family and giving me an appreciation for the Volvo brand.

The head gasket and heater core were done at 245,000km by a Volvo specialist and cost far less than expected. All the other bits and pieces, including servicing, I did myself. I found the V70 to be easy to work on parts weren't as expensive as expected. Not Ford/Holden/Hyundai cheap, but not typical Euro brand pricing either. I took a chance on cheap Chinese coil packs from eBay and never had a problem. MAF sensor was easily fixed with a simple clean.

The interior is both a strength and significant weak point of the car. The plastics didn't stand up well. The front seat are the most comfortable car seats I have ever experienced. I've driven a few luxury vehicles over distance and this old Volvo beat them all in the comfort stakes. I drove the 900km from Sydney to Melbourne and had no muscle aches or soreness whatsoever. I'm a 'larger gentleman' and found the old Swedish barge to be very accommodating. Even the back seats were soft and supportive. I ended up just pinning the headliner to the roof rather than replacing it. The light-coloured leather seats showed the dirt and were quite cracked. The factory stereo is outstanding. Easy to use and excellent sound quality. Integrated sun blinds and booster seats are a nice touch.

I LOVE the five cylinder engine. It sounds fantastic! Our non-turbo was no more than adequate off the mark, but felt under-stressed and cruised beautifully at highway speeds. In-gear overtaking could be surprisingly brisk considering the modest power and size of the car. Fuel economy was also a surprise. We frequently averaged about 7-8L/100km on the highway with 3 kids and a boot full of stuff. Suspension was soft and comfortable on smooth roads, but could get crashy on poor surfaces.

The car's safety credentials were proven when a car behind failed to stop at the traffic lights. What could have been ugly resulted in mild inconvenience. The other vehicle was badly damaged, but the Volvo suffered only a cracked bumper. The head restraints saved us from neck pain and even the strong brakes meant that we barely touched the car we got shunted into. There's good reason people call them 'tanks'.

I eventually decided to move the car on when interior shabbiness reached the point of frustration and would have cost more to repair that the car was worth. However, the engine didn't burn a drop of oil and pulled as hard as ever even with nearly 400,000km on the odometer. I have no doubt I could have seen half a million on this engine without a problem. I now find myself secretly wishing I had another Volvo inline-5 and often browse the classifieds in the vain hope of stumbling across a V70R at the right price or a V60 Polestar free to a good home.

Faults:

The previous owners gave me all the service records from when the car was new. The common problems were fixed under warranty: upper motor mount, main window switch, light bulb sockets. Other than that, scheduled maintenance was carefully followed. Wear items fixed were the brakes, belts, tires, battery, one axle, and two windshields, because of rocks. Pretty much reliable.

I bought this car because my Honda got totalled, and I don't drive automatics! I was looking for a 5 speed, otherwise a Volvo would not have been under consideration. The only observations about driving it are that the steering is pretty light, and the shifter isn't as precise as the Honda's was, and it isn't quite as agile or fast.

General Comments:

Looking over the receipts, I have noticed that the car still has the original muffler, clutch, starter, alternator, water pump and struts. I guess I'll have to take care of each of these pretty soon, but I can do them myself. It speaks well of Volvo that these parts have lasted 15 years and 155,000 miles!

It has a rattle in the dash when it's cold - apparently this is fairly common. Also, the wires to the third brake light have frayed and need to be replaced; also a design fault, or poor quality wiring was used (probably the latter).

The seats are SO comfortable - they fit like a glove. There are lots of thoughtful details, like a clip on the left side of the windshield to hold parking permits. The sunroof slides open and also tilts up. There is little light that will come on if it's cold enough at the road surface for ice to be present. There are two hood latches instead of just one.

If you look at reviews of the most problematic V70s, the automatic transmissions eventually will go out, at a very high cost, and the AWD tends to cause problems. Mine is a non-turbo, 5 speed, front wheel drive, which appears to be the most reliable set-up. If you work on your own car and shop around for parts, the V70 should not break your bank. If you have to use the dealership to get your tires rotated, you're better off with a Toyota.