by "Tristan" (casselts)
Published 10/13/2017 at 01:40
by "Tristan" (casselts)
Published 10/13/2017 at 01:40
No Tags
STARS: 3
The body has a fair amount of dings and scratches, but nothing terribly detrimental. There’s no dog stink, but there’s a bunch of dog hair hiding in the crevices in the cargo area. No oil leaks, transmission seems to shift nicely, no noises from the engine. No receipts for the timing belt replacement, but there’s a reminder label under the hood marked for just 6,000 miles ago, and the carfax reflects the timing belt replacement as well. The tires noted as “new” in the ad are BFG G-forces with roughly 33% tread life remaining. This is the first Volvo I’ve driven, and it didn’t seem to ooze quality from every seam like I hoped. Still, it’s a really nice car with low miles, it’s up to date on service, it’s one-owner, it has heated seats, dual climate, cold A/C... I definitely won’t find a better car for the Mrs. for sub-$5k! The only major issue it had, if you can call it that, is the well-documented alarm siren failure that renders the sunroof inoperable.
I’m picking up tomorrow.
Also, what’s the difference in the T5 vs 2.5T? Is the 2.5T the low pressure turbo? This one is a 2.5T.
"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
10/13/2017 at 01:50, STARS: 0
Congrats! Talk about a killer deal... Can’t wait to see this around Oppo more. Oh and if you ever find factory “R” wheels, jump on ‘em!
"Tristan" (casselts)
10/13/2017 at 01:54, STARS: 1
I can’t wait to drive this instead of the wife’s miserable RAV-4! It’s so terrible that it’s literally a free brand new car and I loathe it.
"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
10/13/2017 at 02:00, STARS: 0
Take it to your mechanic before you buy it. Know what you’re getting into ...
"Tristan" (casselts)
10/13/2017 at 02:11, STARS: 2
I am my mechanic.
I did a ton of research on what to look for prior to going to look at it, the carfax shows on-time maintenance performed by a real Volvo dealer, it’s had a great deal of the wear parts replaced... I’ve yet to have a PPI done on any of the 60-ish cars I’ve purchased, and I’ve gotten such a bad taste in my mouth over the years for what passes as a “qualified” mechanic that I haven’t bothered with any for a loooooong time for anything beyond alignments and tires... And I should mention I’ve replaced 3 wheel studs in the last 6 months because of tire shops.
Also, her last car was a MK4 Jetta... If I can keep one of those alive...
"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
10/13/2017 at 02:19, STARS: 1
I am a lawyer. But I have never been my own lawyer. I paid another lawyer to represent me on a couple matters.
Just take emotion out of it ... a 2nd pair of eyes can’t hurt.
"Tristan" (casselts)
10/13/2017 at 02:31, STARS: 1
Understood... I can make a lot of excuses, but deep down I know you’re right. When I perform a task at work, I have another mechanic that I trust look everything over when I’m done. BUT, that’s a $1,000,000 Pratt & Whitney turbofan and this is a $4,000 used car, and between the 70-ish hour work week that won’t wrap up until Sunday night and the full load of college courses I’m enrolled in, I just don’t have the time.
"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
10/13/2017 at 02:36, STARS: 2
Fair enough - and I worked a case once where jet engines were involved and I learned what a blade-off test is ... holy shit. That’s some serious horsepower.
"Tristan" (casselts)
10/13/2017 at 02:46, STARS: 0
That’s one thing I pray I never see in the real world. They’re capable of some crazy destruction. We had one suck up a rivet that came loose from the aircraft skin recently. That little rivet ripped an almost 1/2" chunk out of a titanium fan blade!
"Sovande" (sovande)
10/13/2017 at 05:30, STARS: 1
If I recall correctly, the 2.5T is the low pressure turbo engine. It will have more low end torque around town since the boost comes on sooner.
Congrats on the purchase. Since you will be doing your own work, you picked a great car for it. They are simple to work on, I have found. Check out swedespeed.com and you should be able to find answers to any questions you may have.
"Jack Does Cars" (jackdoescars)
10/13/2017 at 08:25, STARS: 1
I have owned two V70 T5's and both have been stellar. The engines in these are practically bulletproof (2.4T, 2.5T, T5 or otherwise) but you have to look out for the Aisin transmission as it is practically made of glass. Now you did say there were no hard shifts and that is a good sign. The sunroof doesn’t work in my current V70, but it’s not really a big deal for me and I know it’s a simple fix.
To answer your question, 2.5T is the 208 HP low-pressure turbo and the T5 is the high-pressure turbo making 247 HP.
For the money, you can’t get a better car.
"someassemblyrequired" (someassemblyrequired)
10/13/2017 at 08:54, STARS: 0
A neighbor had a T5, previous gen XC, he paid not very much for it and got 4 or 5 relatively trouble free years out of it. They are decent cars, and easy to work on. You’ll want an OBD scanner if you don’t have one (saves a lot of time, especially if sensors play up). We lived a couple of miles from FCP’s old storefront location, but they were the spot to go to for cheap parts. They’re all online and even cheaper now, here:
"EL_ULY" (uly)
10/13/2017 at 08:59, STARS: 1
The siren is bad on my Moose lol. It takes no time to install and I obviously get the best price for one......but meh, I’ll do it later :]
T5 was on the S40, C30 and C70 (also redone later and fitted on S60, XC60, s80, XC70). Its design is way different than the older-ish 2.5T. Both low pressure but set up way different.
My advice to you as a master cert Volvo tech, anything made of rubber and the PCV....keep an eye on that
"CobraJoe" (cobrajoe)
10/13/2017 at 09:58, STARS: 1
This is the first Volvo I’ve driven, and it didn’t seem to ooze quality from every seam like I hoped.
My experience is that it’s kind of a hidden quality. Plastic is thicker, hinges are better screwed on, there was some actual thought when it comes to servicing the car.
I bet it has far less squeaks and rattles than my ‘05 Legacy.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
10/13/2017 at 10:06, STARS: 0
This is the first Volvo I’ve driven, and it didn’t seem to ooze quality from every seam like I hoped.
I’ve had a similar first impression, but they grow on you. My parents have an XC70 of that same generation with about 160k, and I never really loved it because I was always driving it back to back with my E46. That, and they do not keep it clean and neat; it’s a total mess inside which always bugs me - that’s not the car’s fault though. Last spring I spent 2 weeks driving it every day and after that, my wife and I ended up buying a 2012 XC70 with around 80k. I still feel like the fit and finish is better on my E46, but it’s a really nice family car that is as big inside as a far larger (taller) suv without all the downsides of being larger (especially body roll). I did put an ipd sway bar in my XC70, which helped flatten it out a bit, too. Very easy job.
Enjoy the car, it seems like a great purchase.
"Tristan" (casselts)
10/13/2017 at 10:50, STARS: 0
Thanks!
Good advice, too. The PCV line is rock hard, but it still passes the glove test. I will definitely keep my eye on it and plan to replace it spank the road.
"EL_ULY" (uly)
10/13/2017 at 10:55, STARS: 0
For any technical questions or drawings, reach me at ulysses@starmotorcars.com
"Tristan" (casselts)
10/13/2017 at 20:03, STARS: 0
*down the road... Swype keyboard fail.
Thank you, you will absolutely be added to my Rolodex!!!