I'm looking for a new car and I've found that the 98-00 V70's are quite affordable. I've heard the 98s are better for reliability than the 99-00, is that correct? Secondly, I'm new to Volvos altogether. What are my engine and transmission options, and what has their track record been like? Is the Volvo AWD worth it, or just another thing that can break? My mom has a Legacy wagon and the AWD in my opinion is wonderful. Thanks for any help.

 

The 1998's are the best and most reliable.

You can get either turbo or nonturbo.

 

Thanks, that's good because they're also cheaper. Are there any things in general that I should look for that typically go bad? Is either engine more or less reliable?

 

The engines last just as long no matter which you have.

They will all have common issues.
The spring seats go bad.
The engine mounts get weak.

Most of it is maint.

 

Tech, I'm kind of confused. I looked at consumerreports.org and they said the the 99-00 S70 were recommended buys, and the 98, 00-01 V70 and 99-00 Cross Country were cars to avoid. There aren't many cars in general on either list so they must pick the very top and very bottom. What would make them have such different opinions about virtually the same car? I know it depends on what people say in surveys, but that seems kind of odd. Were the wagons that much worse than the sedans? Thanks.

 

The XC is all wheel drive and has had some problems.
With the all wheel drive system you can't run 2 worn tires and 2 new tires or it will burn up the AWD system.
There was problems with the driveshafts as well.

Thats why they are low on the list.I have seen many cars with high milage and never a problem.

So if you need the AWD then you can give it a go if not then just buy a V70.

 

OK thanks, I liked the idea of AWD, my mom has a new Legacy and it's amazing, but I can do without it.

 

I stay away from the AWD personally. More to go wrong and worse gas mileage. I have two FWD models and have never been stuck in the snow. I have lived in Colorado Springs and have been in Columbus, OH for the past nine years. I see no need for AWD unless you live somewhere where you need four wheel drive often. I choose to stay home if it's too bad to drive my cars. That has happened to me once in the last nine years, and it was only for one day. I have a 98 V70 with the low pressure turbo. It runs great and have had very littel trouble with it. The high pressure turbo is known as the T5 I believe. I think they are relatively hard to find in the V70, but very common in the S70 which is basically the same vehicle only in the sedan.

 

That's great info, I thought AWD would be nice, but it's not necessary where I live. I've never thought of the newer Volvo's as the most reliable cars, but from what I hear on this board and seeing the S70 on Consumer Reports Best Buy list makes me feel more as ease. It looks like I'm going to try to get the V70 turbo with a 5 speed (hopefully).

 

Good luck finding a V70 Turbo 5 Speed. You can find the S70 T5 5 speed, but they are few and far between.

 

Hi...

I am new to the forum. But wanted to say, thanks for the helpful advice! I am looking at purchasing a V70. I wanted an AWD but after reading this...maybe not. The last one I test drove was a '99, but it sounds like I would be better off with a '98. I do have one question though, how are Volvo's to work on? I have always maintained and repaired my own cars (Charger, Mustangs, PT Cruiser, Dodge Ram). Are these just as "easy". (I have searched several sites for parts and the prices seem fair.)

Thanks,
Kellie

 

i'm curious why they are "the best and most reliable"? Not saying they aren't, just curious.

I've got a 2000 V70 AWD R coming up from Colombia, SC carmax and i wonder if it will be less reliable than a 98 of the same model, and why....

 

No I personally don't think they are that easy to work on. Some things are quite easy and others are pretty tough. I have a friend who is a good mechanic and likes working on Hondas and Toyotas that hates working on my 850 to the point where I quit taking it to him for anything. I have started doing more and more myself within the last couple years due to loss of salary and I find I can do quite a bit due to help from this forum and others. Basically my son in-law, who is a mechanic, says if you can read you can work on most anything.

As far as the reliability of the 99-01 cars, I can say this: 99 was the first year for Ford owning the Volvo company. I think they messed with them for the first couple years then let them go back to being themselves. Now the Volvo company is influencing Ford cars instead of the other way around. I know the 99-01 models used some different electronics that was trouble. They did away with it in 02, I believe. There is a thread on here that talks about the liability that Volvo has assumed in this instance. I did not pay much attention to the specifics since I have 98 and older. My reason is that I like the looks better.

 

in that case i just hope that everything breaks before 116k miles, when my extended warranty expires.

 

Almost everyone knows about the troubles with the Throttle body's on the newer cars.That itself is one of the main problems.

The other thing is since 1999 they had more computers and electronic contolled componants.