"Frosted" (frostedbuns)
03/18/2014 at 18:57 • Filed to: None
1
19|
"Frosted" (frostedbuns)
03/18/2014 at 18:57 • Filed to: None | 1
| 19 |
It's basically an upscale Subaru Outback. The End.
Ok not really. The 2003 Volvo XC70 is a v70 AWD with a taller suspension and wider fenders/bumpers. The AWD system is electronic, as opposed to being mechanical as it was on the p80 chassis models. Does this mean it's better? No. While there is no mechanical driveshaft that can be removed once it breaks, the XC70 has an angle gear that is very leak happy and any terrain worse than loose gravel tends to be straining on this system. Newer models have revamped Haldex systems that make the car better offroad, so keep that in mind if you're planning on buying one as a budget rally car. Also keep in mind that that is a terrible idea. Trust me, I tried.
( Disclosure: Volvo didn't care if I drove an 03 XC70. So much so that the local Volvo dealer wanted to sell me a 1990s Infiniti with yellow windows when I asked about AWD wagons for sale. So this one came from a shady high mile Volvo specialist dealership.)
Exterior: 7/10
The 2003 Volvo XC70 retains the squared off rear that Volvo is known for, however there are more curves and lines around the rest of the body to give it a sleeker look. It also comes with body cladding in a different color from the rest of the car. Mine, though almost unnoticeable, is brown. Other options included black and blue with black being pretty common. Extended roof rails come standard as do foglights/driving lights and window tints. The paint is pretty thick and, despite being over 10 years old, it has no noticeable scratches or chips. I wish all cars had such good, quality paint.
Interior: 6/10
I'm deducting one point off of my personal car here because the tan interior is awful. It feels spacious initially but it's so difficult to keep clean and ultimately not as nice as the black interior that was available. Other than that, it's nice. The seats feel like a living room sofa, the wheel is thick and grippy (as someone who suffers from sweaty hands, a grippy wheel is important.) The interior on a whole doesn't feel like it's made of cheap materials and is a nice place to sit, as most people would expect from Volvo.
Acceleration: 6.5/10
The Volvo XC70 has a 2.5 litre turbocharged engine that produces 208 horsepower and 236 ft-lbs of torque. But it's dragging around nearly 4 thousand pounds of station wagon primarily on its front wheels as the AWD system is front wheel biased. 0 to 60 take roughly 8.5 seconds which is pretty quick for a heavy station wagon. Flooring the accelerator from a dead stop results in a fair amount of wheel spin as well.
Braking: 8/10
It stops, and it stops quick with stock brakes. I'm planning on upgrading the pads and calipers over the summer but let it be known that with ABS, this car can come to a stand still in a hurry if need be.
Handling: 6.5/10
Being that the XC70 sits pretty high compared to the other Volvo wagons, there is a lot of body roll when cornering. There's also a controllable amount of understeer but it is nearly impossible to get the wagon to oversteer unless you're on a sand or dirt road. The XC70 stock tire has a width of 215, I upgraded to a 225 and felt that it had more grip immediately. I'll be adding a strut brace and lowered springs come summer as well which will hopefully eliminate the body roll.
Gearbox: 4/10
Geartronic is rubbish. When you push the stick up to upshift, there's about a 10 second delay before it actually changes which leads me to believe that I actually have no control over the gear changes at all. Normal automatic is ok, still not as quick as I'd like but it is an 11 year old GM transmission.
HUGE DISCLAIMER: REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE MANUAL SAYS, YOU WILL NEED TO DO TRANS FLUID CHANGES. The 2001-2002 models got a very bad rep because the transmission would destroy itself around 100,000 miles from dirty trans fluid. Most 01-02 models for sale now will be at the mileage where the transmission is ready to go. My 2003 has 115k miles and on a cold day, it will come out of first and hesitate for about 3 seconds before going into second. I don't know if this is because it's cold or if I need a fluid change, so I'll be changing the fluid come summer anyway to be sure.
Audio/toys: 5/10
My personal car is a base model XC, so it has some features that are standard which would've been optional on a v70, but it's far from being fully loaded. Dual zone climate control is a very nice feature. The sound system is nice and very bassy on its own, however there was an option to have a subwoofer in the trunk. Other options that I don't have include third row seats, premium sound system, a 6 cd changer, buttons to turn the TRACS on and off. Features that are standard are dual power seats, power windows, child locks, front and rear fog lights and a sun roof.
Reliability: 6/10
So far I've done 2 oil changes, 1 when I bought it in August and one when it went to a shop in December. It went to the shop for a new ABS sensor (which I managed to tear in half after getting some air on an unpaved back road) as well as have a power steering pump replaced (which I caused it to explode after snow drifting too much). The only other thing was a coil pack going bad on the highway about a week after I got it. So two bits of maintenance and two things needed replacing because of hooning. Not bad for an 11 year old, 115 thousand mile euro.
Fuel Economy: 6/10
21 miles to the gallon. That's my average for nearly every trip. Sometimes I can manage 24 MPGs. If I go hard on the throttle, I can manage 18. I got 29.5 once through pure magic and sorcery and that has never happened again. Again, not terrible for a 4000 lbs, 200 horsepower luxo-wagon.
Value: 10/10
This wagon cost me $5600 dollars to buy before taxes, now they're up in value at 6400 which is still EXTREMELY good value for money as a Volvo wagon is as spacious as a pickup yet has more luxuries than one. It's also treated me well in terms of reliability and I haven't had to spend too much to keep it going compared to other luxury european vehicles.
It's a great vehicle for cruising and long trips but isn't the offroader that the look of it may imply.
Vince-The Roadside Mechanic
> Frosted
03/18/2014 at 19:05 |
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Why not get a 240dl and save cash
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Frosted
> Vince-The Roadside Mechanic
03/18/2014 at 19:06 |
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Because not AWD, not 5 cylinder and not as reliable.
brianbrannon
> Frosted
03/18/2014 at 19:12 |
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Search linear solenoids if you want to fix your transmission issue
jkm7680
> Frosted
03/18/2014 at 19:12 |
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The lady friend has one of these, inherited straight from her Mom, Haha.
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Vince-The Roadside Mechanic
> Frosted
03/18/2014 at 19:14 |
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Ok
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Frosted
> Vince-The Roadside Mechanic
03/18/2014 at 19:19 |
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Don't get me wrong, the 240 is also a fantastic car but I wouldn't want to rely on one as a daily driver.
EL_ULY
> Frosted
03/18/2014 at 19:27 |
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hold on brake switch, don't let go of the spring! :]
Rust-y
> Frosted
03/20/2014 at 21:57 |
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I'd be cool to see more beater/jalopy car reviews on jalopnik - your car truly classifies as weird and interesting. Enjoyed it much, a very good read. Thanks. Now how about a review of that older boxy v70 cross country?
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Frosted
> Rust-y
03/20/2014 at 23:18 |
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That actually belongs to a very good friend of mine and I've not driven it. I can say he probably wouldn't give it too great of a score as it's a bit of a lemon.
Andrew Daisuke
> Frosted
03/21/2014 at 00:09 |
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Those Canistos look pretty great on there!
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Frosted
> Andrew Daisuke
03/21/2014 at 00:30 |
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Thanks! They were the cheapest wheels I could find and I couldn't tolerate the Tellus' anymore.
PyramidHat
> EL_ULY
03/21/2014 at 00:59 |
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I have a 2004 with 111K (blue w/gray cladding). I love it, but it does have it's quirks: It eats headlights (about one/year), I can have the wipers intermittent, then they'll go to "High" by themselves...I have to switch them off and restart them to get them back to normal again...I notice this whilst driving uphill. The dual climate control blows uneven temps...the passenger gets a few degrees warmer than the driver. So far, the transmission is holding out, but I notice a rough shift or some flare every now and again - I hear that it's the valve bodies ($600/ea) going south when we start to get trans flare.
But I love the car - not a hot rod (I soft-pedal it in deference to the transmission being the weak link), but comfortable, solid and looks good, IMO.
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EL_ULY
> PyramidHat
03/21/2014 at 01:45 |
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Yeah those H11 bulbs do go out quite a bit. The multi switch are a common failure on those cars, some require a software reload upon replacement and some dont. But yes, those multi switches go bad often, there are many different ones, they are VIN spacific. Same thing goes for the trans. I suggest checking if there is a TCM upgrade available for your car. Valve bodies are not a common fault item.
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EL_ULY
> PyramidHat
03/21/2014 at 01:48 |
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As for the a/c. They start acting like that if the refrigerant is low or maybe it needs a CCM reload or update if available.
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PyramidHat
> EL_ULY
03/21/2014 at 07:51 |
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Thanks for the info on the TCM and CCM. Are these things that I simply go to the Volvo dealer (or Volvo-specific mechanic) and ask to reload?
shonuff222
> Frosted
03/21/2014 at 09:15 |
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i have an '08 with 125K and has been fairly reliable... headlight bulbs and 12volt socket fuse need frequent replacing... had to replace the power steering reservoir recently too... fluids are expensive compared to other cars...
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EL_ULY
> PyramidHat
03/21/2014 at 09:16 |
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updates may be available, reloads could solve some issues
-your local OPPO ex Volvo Master tech and current Volvo Parts Master, EL_ULY :]
Ian
> Frosted
02/01/2015 at 10:39 |
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Yes, I agree fully on this. My dad has owned 10 Volvo wagons from the 240 to his current '03 XC70 and damn near everything in-between. The 240s he owned definitely gave him the most problems and since we lived in Canada, they rusted out rather badly. They have some sort of reputation for being the best Volvo, but from my experience with them that just isn't the case. My dads '88 760 Turbo Intercooler was probably his and my favorite of the lot though, that was a nice car with tons of power. He bought it, drove it for 4 years put about 30k miles on it and sold it for more than he paid.
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KraigRichard
> Frosted
12/28/2018 at 20:00 |
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Wider tires do not give you more traction in the snow. Skinnier the better