Volvo XC70

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magrador, Sep 9, 8:02pm
Hi, I'm looking at a 2001 Volvo XC70. Can anyone tell me if they have any known pitfalls to watch out for! This one has done nearly 100,000kmand was Japanese new, with one NZ owner and was traded in last year.

What is the fuel usage like! I have a 1996 Nissan Prairie Joy (ok, laugh if you want! It chugs along like a tractor and owes me nothing but it's time is up) -- that costs me about $85 to fill up with petrol and I don't want anything that will cost too much more more.

I want: reliable, not ruinous to fix and service, got kids,dog, hubby to tow around dusty munted roads, and something manoeuverable -- the Nissan's turning circle is huge (a 3 point turn is more like a 6-pointer), and we want to be able to jump in and go on some road trips.

The volvos in christchurch seem so much more expensive thanup north -- I wonder why!

Any thoughts/advice welcome. I'm getting an AA check done but then I need to know what it means!
intrade, Sep 9, 8:04pm
parts are probably the one thing to check i had quite some problems getting new parts for early 90s volvos
and forget AA checks you need a good mechanic to check it out not the AA who report how scratched the paint is instead of how worn out the rest is
elect70, Sep 9, 9:02pm
New partsif available have to be importedby agent.& not cheapWhats the idea of towing hubbyaroundthe roadswhy dont you let him ride inside !
magrador, Sep 9, 9:04pm
He's holding the muffler on and providing a bit of bounce for theshocks!
Are second-hand parts available!
thejazzpianoma, Sep 9, 9:11pm
Mint!
Cheers for that, post number two says it all for me alright!
Now. what to do with my afternoon.
thejazzpianoma, Sep 9, 9:16pm
There are a few secondhand bits around but really on that sort of thing its exceedingly rare that I would want a secondhand part. For the effort of dealing with a wrecker chances are you could just get FCP Groton to ship you what you need new for the same sort of money. The exception perhaps being if you bought a neglected one or didn't service the transmission and needed to replace that, or some other heavy and expensive part.

A very important point to note, parts are definitely available, there is no problem at all with getting parts. Its just you either have to choose from usually off the shelf in NZ at a fairly steep price, or wait a week or two for cheap as chips parts if you order off the net.

Regular service parts, oil, filters even cambelts etc are actually not to bad though as they can just come from BNT, Repco etc. Its the more specific parts that are likely to catch you.

At the end of the day, if you just take a moment to plan things like the major service and go about things right its not really a big deal.

The best way to ensure a good run is to pick a good one, bring all servicing up to date (ALL servicing properly and by the book, not just an oil change and a cambelt) and then keep it up to date.
thejazzpianoma, Sep 9, 9:22pm
BTW, you do need the 4WD ability and/or the extra 2 seats don't you!

The thing is all those 4WD wagons are more complicated and cost more to run and repair than a 2WD. The Volvo is O.K in the context of those sorts of vehicles.

However if you don't need 4WD there are much better options. Like an Audi A6 or VW Passat wagon which have much better priced parts in NZ and have a few less other drawbacks.

If the roads are really munted as you say though and you need that extra ground clearance and stone chip protection, then the Volvo is probably about the best of the bunch.
magrador, Sep 9, 10:23pm
I don't necesarily need 4wd, but the roads where I live and on my regular routes (eg to Sumner) are driveable but awful (think river bed; lots of potholes). The ground clearance is very attractive, quite a big consideration for us. The Prairie is up high and has been great for that; I had wanted to keep it going another couple of years until the roads are mostly fixed in this area, but it's just not going to make it.The "hold" on the road I noticed when I took the XC70 for a drive was excellent. I'm wondering whether the 3-year 5k warranty for $1000 is worth buying too. And the fuel. so many questions and all I really know how to do is drive and put petrol,oil and water in the thing.
thejazzpianoma, Sep 9, 11:00pm
Fuel economy wise, they are about as good as you get in a 4WD automatic of that size. Speaking very roughly I wouldn't expect a lot different in terms of economy to the Nissan you have assuming its a second generation petrol auto. To be more specific I would need to know if thats 2wd/4wd, which engine etc, or you could just tell us how many km's you get on your $84.

The volvo will cost more to fill but that's irrelevant because it has a bigger fuel tank. Its l/100km that actually matter.

Regarding the warranty, you really need to read the fine print on that one. Some are not bad others are just a joke, as by the time you consider the maximum they pay out, the excess, cost of warranty and things they won't cover they are not likely to be any help at all.

The best thing you can do with regard to reliability is to get it checked out really well by someone who sees a few Volvo's (like a Volvo third party specialist). Plus, you would want to bring all servicing properly up to date and keep it that way. If you read the other thread that was referenced you should know about the transmission and throttle body and get those serviced straight away.

What year is the Volvo and how much do they want for it if you don't mind me asking!
bellky, Sep 9, 11:03pm
So much garbage. Where do people find the time and effort.
magrador, Sep 9, 11:10pm
It is 2001 , all-wheel drive (means 4wd!) and is up for auction with an estimate of $5000.
As for the fuel, I use the Nissan mostly on 2WD, when I need it changing to 4WD. I do not know about km per litre, but it costs about the same to run as my old V6 Galant. The Nissan is 2000cc whereas the Volvo is 2500cc.
thejazzpianoma, Sep 9, 11:18pm
CC rating doesn't actually mean much as a guide to economy. From what you are saying I don't think you will be any worse off with the Volvo economy wise, you might even find its a fraction better.

That's a good price for one of those, especially with those km's. Lowish km's like those are good as even if the transmission has not been serviced yet you will likely get away with it if you service it straight away.

Be careful if its a Turners type auction, often cars are dumped there with problems, although there are good buys too, it might be more reason to consider the warranty.

Basically any similar vehicle for $5000 is likely to be as least as much of a gamble. Its a matter of context, you are likely to have more trouble with the Volvo than a Toyota Starlet, but compared to other similar 4WD vehicles in the price range they are all going to have their own foibles and maintenance requirements to consider.

In terms of value, economy, safety and just how much very nice car you are getting for your money the Volvo is going to trump everything else similar.

Just make sure you have room in your budget to bring the servicing up to date properly.
thejazzpianoma, Sep 9, 11:20pm
BTW, as callus as it might sound. Its a $5000 vehicle, worst case scenario is it blows its transmission and you sell it on for say $1500 as is. $3500 lost is a right pain in the bumbut its hardly a life ruining event.
magrador, Sep 9, 11:22pm
How much would the transmission cost to replace if done by my mechanic!
I get what you are saying about Turners auctions -- but here a lot of people are selling up and going overseas so there are some bargains to be had, more than usual. Thanks for all your comments; it all goes into the mix to consider!
thejazzpianoma, Sep 9, 11:37pm
Pretty similar to any auto in any other car I would have thought. Usually you are into several thousand dollars. Remember though, if you service it properly straight away and its driving O.K at the moment it will most likely never happen.

I agree about the bargains, we have recently updated both our daily drivers in this way. I am just being conservative and making sure you are being realistic as you are looking at an 11 year old 4WD car.

Sounds like you have your head screwed on though. In all honesty if it was me in your shoes if that Volvo checked out O.K it is exactly what I would be buying. Its an enormous amount of quality vehicle for very little money.

Also, a good tip with the likes of the Volvo, is say that you are unlucky and it does suffer a major problem. Don't just take it in somewhere and say "fix it" or panic at a big quote and give up. If you come back here with what the problem is usually there is a cost effective way around the problem.

For example, the local Volvo agent might quote you several thousand dollars to replace a throttle body it goes. Yet if you order one online and have a good third party mechanic fit it you could likely do it under $1000. Doing that only requires asking some questions and a little bit of organisation, nothing you can't do.

BTW, other than the throttle body and transmission maintenance issues. They are actually a very good reliable car, plus if anything else does go its likely to be fairly minor and easily fixed. The engines themselves are great units.
magrador, Sep 10, 12:28am
The AA has come back with"Satisfactory. In average condition for age and mileage". Also thevalve body (!) was done at 86k, but no other records around.
thejazzpianoma, Sep 10, 12:32am
I take the AA reports very much with a grain of salt, especially ones done for Turners. Still, it is somewhat of a good sign. Good the valve body has been done too.
Just make sure when you service the transmission that the filter is changed and the correct fluid is used. Don't let yourself be talked into using anything other than either the genuine Volvo fluid or Castrol's version. (Castrol make the fluid for Volvo and can supply the same stuff under a different name, google will tell you what its called, I have temporarily forgotten)
Theoretically a full transmission service would have likely been done when the valve body was replaced. If it was my car I would still do it again anyway so I knew where I was at.
tim41, Sep 10, 2:11pm
Mint!
Cheers for that, post number two says it all for me alright!
Now. what to do with my afternoon.

you must be so bored
thejazzpianoma, Sep 10, 10:35pm
I was!
I often have to rest up (medical reasons), prattling on in here is not very taxing and a great way to pass the time. I get bored with T.V and anything that works the brain too much tires me as well.
usdefault, Sep 11, 12:05am
She'll do as she pleases.

Was advised not to get an AA report, so does so anyway.

Unless it has a FSH or a comprehensive one I'd stay well away.

As if an 11 year old car has done under 100K.all you need is a laptop and 5 minutes and you can wipe 100K off any digital dash car.

Did you take it somebody who knows Volvo's!.they can check the actual mileage before the fraudsters get involved.no you ignored poster 2 and took it to the AA.

I hope you didnt buy it, but if you did, good luck. You'll need it.

A bad one of these will cost you double the purchase price in repairs.
thejazzpianoma, Sep 11, 12:11am
I think you will find that being a Turners Auction one the AA check will likely be done anyway and available to everyone, they have some sort of system like that. Its also possible that they won't allow the car to be taken anywhere else. I think you are extrapolating a lot from the situation that probably doesn't exist in reality.
the-lada-dude, Sep 11, 12:23am
probably nice car 10 yrs ago with 10000 kNOT NOW !
usdefault, Sep 11, 12:36am
All I'm saying is yes they can be a nice car, but they can also be an absolute money pit.
With those type of cars you need to compare 7 or 8 of them and be prepared to spend a little bit more for the right one if you have your heart set on one.
A 5K bargain basement one with dubious K's and sold at Turners should have alarm bells ringing.
It might be fine, but well looked after genuine low kilometre Volvos either don't change hands much or if they do they don't get sold at Turners.

I'd bet my bottom dollar that car has done well over 200 thousand kilometers.
thejazzpianoma, Sep 11, 12:40am
Soooo what other $5000 comparably comfortable, economical 4WD would you be suggesting then!

Feel free to post some links to what you think would be a better option.

As I said earlier in the thread, pretty much all similar 5K 4WD's are going to have similar risks. Its just the nature of the price range and type of vehicle. The only way I can see to get something perhaps a little more reliable is to sacrifice comfort and safety.
usdefault, Sep 11, 12:52am
Most 'comparable' 4wd's with 100kms on them are much newer and much more expensive.

It speaks volumes.