So whilst the 850/PH1V70 TDi is a very good choice, the EARLY PH2 V70 D5 is the one to go for with regards to longevity/used spares goes. Avoid the later D5 with the silver engine cover (swirl flaps & DPF!) and go for the earlier black top engine. They do have their weak points - steering racks, delicate plastic oilway core plug behind the flywheel, front suspension arms don't last long due to the geometry (superpro bushes for life tho!) and the interior is a little bit plasticy in the centre console area. However, the 163bhp is plenty and my old man got over 60mpg (indicated) on the way back from london in it the other day. We had a v40 2.0T and although not great on fuel, it was a solidly built car and ok to drive. not a real Volvo as you say. STAY AWAY FROM THE V50!!! Theres a reason why tidy ones are so damn cheap, and we have Ford electrics to thank for that! My mates one used to draw voltage from the ECU and cut the engine out when he turned the heated seats on!
260bhp was the highest output in the U.K. 250bhp until the Dame Edna facelift cars. I had two and yes, they are quick. 2002 onwards with the zf auto are probably the best.
Hi Geoff. Interesting as always. I ran Volvos from early 80s to mid 90s. The best I had (and should never have sold it) was the 240 Estate with the 2.3 petrol/ manual. Loaded it up and drove to the South of France with the family and toured France several times. A brilliant machine. Never a problem. But heading up to 100k I was persuaded by the dealership to swap to the new 2.0 litre. Big mistake. A good motor but I missed the 2.3. The day before one of the French trips some mad youth drove into the back of mine. I walked back to see his wrecked MG Montego. Fearing the worst I studied the back of my 240,..nothing..a scuff on the black rubber bumper and a tiny 1" crack in the rear light. Took it to the dealership as due to go on holiday. A full check revealed no damage whatsover....hadn't even moved the bolts on the bumper. What a motor 😍. Cheers Roj
Important omission here for UK drivers is the fact that almost all the diesels mentioned will not be ULEZ and CAZ compliant. Most pre 2000 petrol's will also fall foul of this. Whilst the London Ulez may not affect a lot of folk, there are many more CAZ (Clean Air Zones) around the UK, and the fines can be extremely painful.
If the car is pre 1983 (I think), and eligible for road tax & MOT exemptions, then in theory it should be exempt from ULEZ and ZEZ. You can also exempt any car from ULEZ and ZEZ if you are diagnosed disabled and have a Blue Badge. Be warned though, in some areas such as Oxford, the exemption only lasts for 12 months, after which you have to apply again. And as I've found to my cost, being granted an exemption in one area, doesn't automatically mean you're exempt in other areas. You have to apply for an exemption in every area you wish to drive in. Or just remove your numberplate! I was granted an exemption in Oxford, and believed it covered me for the whole of the UK. However, when I went to Birmingham, I got a fine of £100 for driving in a ULEZ. I did challenge it, and got it quashed because the Oxford City Council website didn't make it clear at the time, though I believe it's now been updated. I think it helped that I'm a Blue Badge holder, and I was in a 1981 car. Plus the lady I dealt with was really lovely and understanding. However, I was told it was a one off, and that if it happens again, I'll have to pay the fine.
I have a 9-5 aero estate, its manual, so not as bad on tax, its tuned to 315bhp at the engine, its stupidly fast once moving and on a recent trip to Cornwall and back from Manchester it managed 36 mpg crusing at motorway speeds .... i love it ❤
I sold Volvos between 1988 and 1996 for Linn (Glasgow). 245, 745, 765, 945, 965 & 855- but not the V70. All are good, but a 745 TPM in BGM would be my choice- although the 855 AWB looks good too. The TD engines are great, especially in the 850.
The good thing about the V50 is the fact that it IS on the ford focus/Mazda 3 floorpam, it’s defo a strength not a weakness, I mean Its small, can carry slightly less than a golf estate lol, but no estate car will blast through country B roads faster, the focus could handle and the V50 is no different and possibly handles even better than the ford ( and parts are cheap) They still have a tonne load of “Volvo way of doing things” touches about them too. The V40 however has very little to commend it, but that’s just my opinion.
I've had 6 estates since '85 (145, 245's 850, 740, 940, V70) but the one that I really regret selling and miss the most was my 02 V70 T5M SE in Scarab Green, such a brilliant all round car. I also had a V40 and a V50 T5 as company cars. However, I firmly believe, imho that my current XC90 V8 Executive is the best car Volvo ever produced (even if it was under Ford ownership), it is an astonishingly effortless car and one I will never sell.
We have had a 1997 V70 2.5 TDi that we bought from a friend of mine back in 2006. It still is today one fantastic car, and with the car hire prices today, a sister of mine who was visiting from abroad borrowed it to take on a 600 mile road last summer and the summer before. No problems whatsoever. Our round town car is a 2000 V40. It is also a great car but they stopped making parts for these in the Dutch Volvo Daf factories back in around 2013. This was where we recently ran into problems. It did not get through the Irish MOT, NCT (National Car Test) because it failed on on airbag control module unit. The car was off the road for six months because parts are not being made anymore, we could not get a replacement. Eventually we found someone to fix it, and they did but with six months of phoning around being an absolute headache, I would not do this again. I have had eighteen years experience of owning a V70 2.5 TDi so if I am allowed say it. I would go for one of those. If you are up to converting a left hand drive to a right hand drive well then there is a would wide car sales website call the parking eu. If you look there, you will be spoilt for choice for a mark 1 V70
A mate of mine likes to wind me up by saying my v90 ain't a true volvo like yours coz it's only got 5 seats ;) Either one is still the best dad car ever :)
Owned 2 p2 platform cars, 2 s60 d5's and an xc70 d5 p3 platform, didn't think any of them were fragile as such but agree that they are a very different thing to the v50, which was not with me that long to be honest
I think you're wrong not to include the P2 and P3 V70. P2s are very well made being the last of the "proper" Volvo's and super comfortable. My current car a P3 D5 has the comfort you'd expect and more modern features but admittedly there's a bit of a drop in quality being a car made under Ford's ownership of Volvo. Prices for both iterations are quite keen these days as well as plentiful supply to choose from.
Got a (P3) S80II 2.5FT ~250k miles. No bells or whistles to write home about but is stupid robust overall for being on the wrong side of the Volvo history. Given what cars cost and is these days it's a no-brainer to find a good example P2 or P3 and keep it. 2.5 petrol is standard Volvo world just like the D5 or even D4
Hi Geoff. I had a 265 Estate back in the day and it was a fantastic, roomy family tow-car BUT I never got more than 12/13 mpg out of it when towing the caravan, even without the van I only got about 15. It was high mileage, but you would never have know it, but eventually the fuel pump packed up and the astronomical cost to replace it was more than the car was worth so I had to scrap it. I missed it though!
Great information Geoff, and a good starting point for further research on the subject. Don’t need to take notes as I can just rewind the vid and watch again.
Owned three Volvo estates, 245, 740 and 940, lovely car but, all three suffered head failure, burnt a grove in the head to a water way.Fortunately Orchard's always had a number in the yard, used to pulla head in 5 minutes by the third one. Did still look for a 850 or V70 to replace the 940 though, did find one and bought a Vauxhall, big mistake.
Swede here. I have owned many Volvos in my time but the best i have ever had is my 1985 Volvo 744GL with a carbureted 2.3L (B230A) and my 2000 Volvo s70 Classic wich had the 2.4L 170HP engine (B5244S. I have only owned manuals all my life.
I bought a 1996 850 2.5 10v in 2017 for approx. 750 quid. absolutely brilliant car which flies through MOT every year which the testers often comment on. The only thing I would change if I could would be it is a saloon and not an estate but the back seats and passenger seat do fold down flat for long loads! Luckily I live in Sweden and there are lots of vehicles to choose from but like you say prices are going up quickly now.... I estimate mine to be worth around 2.5k. A non turbo manual with ACC and Cruise. I do not think I will ever sell it with 270k KM's on it It has traveled to Gloucester from Örebro twice since I have owned it.
I'd go for an early V70 P2 D5 - 50+mpg at 70mph, 30mpg around town, not exactly fast but definitely not slow, refined & reliable 5-cylinder turbo diesel engine and superbly comfortable. My only complaint - the mpg plummets after 70mph - about 45 mpg at 80 mph, maybe only 35mpg at 90mph and at 130mph its only doing about 10mpg - admittedly its not much of a complaint LoL What was impressive is how "comfortable" the car felt at 130mph - very planted and stable and relatively quiet. Lovely car.
Well I had a 1988 745 2.3 manual carburettor estate 91-2 swapped for a 91 940 2.0l metallic grey manual estate until I purchased a new 855 10v manual estate in 1994 which I’ve kept 147k. Pre-850 they employed old welding and assembly technology and though robust were much more susceptible to rust.Had the last 2007 V70 2.4 diesel automatic estate until changed for another manufacturer. That was the last Volvo as it’s replacement was a Ford Mondeo in drag and the smaller Volvo estates were all manufactured in the Netherlands on dual assembly lines first with Mitsubishi and many Renault engines as the French firm was planning to buy Volvo. That was squished and a near bankrupt Volvo was purchased by Ford who Comprehensively devalued the brand. Now of course they are Chinese-owned.
I loved my 2000 v70 awd it was resplendent in silver and full black leather, it was such a well built safe bus and built like a tank so ideal for a family, the awd system was great fun in the snow.
I have a new Skoda 4wheel drive automatic Diesel, but I have had many of thees Volvo's you talked about here. I love the old Volvo's. They are just lovley cars! The best from me Geoff! :-)
i vouch for the 850TDI VW motor. i've had one shoved in my T4 Transporter and it has been flawless for the last 450,000km (280,000mi). i get an average of 6.8(!!!!)L/100km (41mpg) - on its original injectors no less - out of my big boxy manual van, and being pre-DPF makes all the difference in longevity. i trust geoff's word about it being hard to get a timing belt done properly in england (haven't had such issues here in australia), but that is a small price to pay for one of the most robust and eargasmic diesels VW ever produced
Got to be a Saab 9-5 Aero, pre Edna facelift, 2004/5. 250hp. A bit thirsty. Mine does about 26mpg on a run, but if your roadtrip is to Europe you can do a Maptun stage 1 remap to run on E85. E85 is less than half the price of unleaded or diesel in France, so I’m currently getting the équivalent of 50mpg based on cost ! It’s probably more economical with a manual Box, but the auto with its « sport » mode is a true rocket. They do seem to be getting rarer though. Any 2.3 9-5 can benefit from the remap, probably the 2.0 too, though the garret turbo is a bit fragile on the 2.0 litre models. The 2.3 has a Mitsubishi High Output Turbo which is pretty bomb proof. So for me the 2.3 HOT is the one to go for.❤
Out of the V70 models the XC70 models tend to look better than the normal V70 models. Plus you have the slight off road capability of a SUV and lightness of an estate car. Also they do look better if you add adventure style roof racks, grippy off road tyres and LED Lazer rectangular spot lights like someone near where I lived did.
Great vid. I've had a number of Volvo's mainly because I had lots of kids and luggage. The kids loved the 240, but as you say too thirsty and wearing to drive for long distances. Pick of the bunch is deffo the V70, 2.4 10v pre 2000 or when they changed the throttle arrangement. I used to regularly travel up the M6 with the wife four kids and luggage and comfortably cruise at over 90 and still get 40 mph. They're so areodynamic they just go into a sort of warp drive and rev at like 3200. Brilliant cars. Mind you I'm talking about more than 20 years ago.
The 850 TDI had the Audi AEL 5 cylinder diesel engine, Rated at 140 BHP and with a more aggressive Injector pump cam plate than the Audi's had, Remapped they give good power and apparently have fully forged internals. Timing them up is actually OK if you know what you are doing with a DTI gauge in the back of the injector pump! You are supposed to use VIDA for fine tuning the pump timing but a DTI does a good job IMO, They just go on and on, 500K mile diesel engine easily if you maintain them.
Having had one I can believe the fully forged part, for a diesel it loved to rev. I didn't know about the more aggressive injector pump cam, very interesting! Ah more regret for selling mine. 😢
Had a v40 diesel as a company car once. Loved it so comfy. Just could have done with a little more power. Was very reliable too. One down side was the very short service intervals
The 1.9d is from Fiat, used in Vauxhall's. I have had two 740s ...they were thirsty but very reliable. I had a Saab 9000 turbo..fantastic but not reliable at all and expensive for parts
Hi Geoff. For me. 740/760 estate 2.3 light pressure turbo manual everyday. Avoid the 2.9 petrol, cylinder heads crack apparently.. I loved mine , it had 7 seats too! (for the kids)
I’ve got a Volvo 940 2.3 CD estate red block lpt manual , I was given it 9 years ago , slightly thirsty but touching wood reliability has been excellent making it overall economical, proper built cars
2 months ago I bought a 2012 Volvo V60 (small estate) 2 litre turbo diesel and I love it, it has low mileage 70,000 miles and it is like brand new, on a recent holiday trip I got 750 miles out of a full tank (15 gallon tank).
The Saab 93 X 2.0T AWD deserves a mention, the best all round car I've owned despite Saab going out of business during production, they only sold for around 1-2 years at a high price so not many around. Will be keeping mine!
Having run a high miler V70 TDI manual estate I can safely say I'd have another in a heart beat. Comfortable, quick, economical, handled excellently and a wonderful sound track. The only modern downside is ULEZ and CAZ's non compliance as stated in another comment. My Dad also had a V70 2.5 petrol (can't quite recall if it was 10 or 20v) for awhile and that too shared all the above aside from economy. Now I need to check if any of then pass CAZ... 😂
I'd love a TDI auto 850 estate, got it all, the comfort, economy and load space. The "Let of leash", pick would be the T5 auto and the other I'd go for would be a 2.5 20v auto estate preferably. As for the SAAB, for to be the Aero or hot, what ever you want to call it, 2001 saw the 6 speed manual and 5 speed auto introduced, over previous 5&4 speeds, great cars, had experience with both, fuel round town will kill you and on a run 30 and just over. If your tunning don't go silly, front end becomes a nightmare. V6 turbo, leave it there if you're looking to tune, will only get to about 280 I believe before bottom end starts to fail. Estates need a bit of weight in back as the can feel light, compared to saloon. There again a nice 2.3T 940 is a lovely motor and they are cavernous estates, loved mine Also if I'm right, it was a SAAB engineer who actually said "You can't put more than 250 through front wheels safely", or words to that effect
We have a 1999 v70 estate 2WD manual non turbo (from new) - it’s now the family pool car and has never broken down. It’s done circa 190K miles and burns no oil. I have just swapped the factory radio with a wireless Carplay head unit which is a very nice reversible upgrade for the old girl. It always has a full tank, and is shod with winter tyres so is a Martini car. - Anytime any place anywhere.
Have my Volvo Xc70 2001 (P2) for 3 years. Bought with 300k km and LPG KIT installed. Despite some problems left to fix by the previous owner, now it has been very reliable, with 11L/100km of LPG
Would like to add p2 Volvo v70 2.4 n/a manual..yes its not fast but you get all the right noises with cheaper repair bills..yes build quality inside is not as good as previous generations but exterior in personal opinion think holds up extremely well considering the age now..yes not great mpg but a solid estate which can still fit more than most modern estates in the back
The Volvo V50 D4 is worth looking at. It’s the best of both worlds. Ford based so cheap plentiful parts but quality Volvo interior and five cylinder Volvo engine. D4 engine should last forever as its is a smaller capacity tuned down version of the D5.
Whats your opinion on the old cabriolet volvos? I saw 1 at a show when i was about 16 year old! I was massively impressed! All these years later at 49 i have an insignia estate for my daily and a 1987 land rover 90 as my expensive weekend toy! For a fun summer motor, would a soft top volvo be better than an old 325 bmw cabriolet? In your opinion!🤔
Have a 1971 145S That was a great car. It wen t in to storage when I got a 1980 245 DL. The 245 is a wonder full car. Main plus it no electronics. As one friend says I want a car before cup holders. Fully agree in that. Liven in Central Kansas USA. Best car to ever have is a Benz 300D. They go for ever. My 1978 300SD has 733,000 miles. Also have a 1983 300D with 676,000 miles.
1:17 Those seats are truly awesome, the last word in comfort. Plus the fabric was incredibly practical and hard wearing. They bring back some very happy memories. Having spent many nights sleeping in the driver’s seat of many different cars, none came anywhere close to the comfort of my 264. And that overdrive button gave the car the feel of a proper limousine driving experience. Miss it a lot. Edit: And the flat top of the dashboard was a very practical design of the type that predated the totally impractical curved slippery things we have now.
anyone got a CNG Bifuel one kicking around? I have a home filling compressor here. Its a fuelmaker that we plumbed into the mains, back in the day when I modified vehicles. Either I would like to get a bifuel for a song or flog the compressor for a packet. There are a couple of s80 we did out there
I have a Saab 9-5 1.9tid and they are bulletproof engines if you run them on 15w40 Castrol oil and do plenty of motorway miles. I get 44mpg all day. They are Alfa Romeo designed engines which later was Fiat group. They are in a lot of Fiats and Vauxhall Vectras but certainly aren't vauxhall engines
Just to add, given the choice go for the first edition of V70, which was more akin to an upgraded 850, as opposed to the later mark2, (post 2001 I think) as although they were still a good car, with modernised electronic gizmos, one needed to drive to an airfield to turn round. Not sure how much the turning circle was increased by, nor why Ford saw fit to alter it, but going from one to the other will see you doing a fair bit of shunting in car parks for a week or two.
Volvo 240 made in 1988 are the best. The layout is still simple, and Volvo did away with that biodegradable wire insulation and went back non biodegradable version.
I bought a Mercedes C 200 estate about 15 years ago particularly for driving to the South of France…. For me the wife and 2 adult siblings…..perfect motor 5 speed too.
I was about to subscribe but when you excluded the P2 V70 i change my mind because i have a petrol manual 2000 V70 N bussines and it's amazing, plenty of torque and luxurious
I'm into the old SAAB's the 96 with the Ford V4, then the 99 turbo, and I liked the modern 93 they had problems with the fire wall being too thin, GM saving money by using parts from the OPEL Vectra, now VOLVO, it has to be the P1800 the Simon Temple car, then the Amazon, the VOLVO 480 was interesting, the problem was all the Renault mechanics and electricals, other wise a good looking car.
Any Volvo P2 platform car with the euro3 D5 engine will serve you well. I don't have a V70 but I do have an S80 with the euro3 D5, and a manual gearbox. Plenty enough power and bags of torque, smooth power delivery and virtually bullet proof. Will return around 50mpg. The intercoolers do tend to fail but is easily and cheaply replaced. And the euro3 has no DPF or swirl flaps so less to go wrong. I also have a mk1 S40, same as a V40 but not an estate. Good cars but can suffer with rust around the wheel arches. Avoid the one with the Mitsubishi GDi engine, stick with the Volvo lumps.
I've had a couple of 850s and still have a T5 Estate for shows, it's ex-government, automatic in black with black tints from new. I do very much like the V70. n/a auto. I've found them to be the best of the lot. Comfortable, quiet, economical and very reliable. They can also be made ULEZ compliant at very little cost. Having said that, I'm in my 8th Lexus, a GS300 SE-L and have just bought an RX400h from my local Lexus dealership. I would never go back to anything Swedish again. I'm not saying they're anything but excellent for what they are; but compared to my top estate choices of Cadillac SRX and Lexus RX400h or 450h; in my opinion, Volvo, Saab, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and just about everything else are positively agricultural.
Had a 240 in the early 90s that I painted, with a brush, in matt black- waay ahead of my time. And at work I drove a stretch 960 estate with the 24v PRV V6 iirc. Great cars and bombproof. Stripped the cambelt on the 240 and just fitted a new belt and good to go. Had a Mini hit me and killed the Mini- slight scuff on the Volvo front bumper. Had an XC90 for a short while and loved it. Recently had a Mk2 C70 convertible. Unreliable and just disappointing compared to Volvos of old. I'm pretty sure the 1.9 diesel in the Saabs is the Alfa unit which iirc was the first common rail production diesel. I had one in an Alfa GT and it was great and not very diesely, and I'd get 50mpg. Maybe the one you heard was knurdled. Some great cars here for your Volvo Estate calender...
I have a 2.0 10v estate and it is fairly slow! Keeps up decently in normal circumstances but it’s only really ever me in it. Manual helps but should’ve really waited for a bigger engine one locally. One day!
Gen 1 V40 md V50 were shared with Mitsubishi, Gen 2 were all P1's, C30/V50/S40/C70. P1's are great cars Geoff, but they do have routine maintenance that is necessary - expansion tanks every 80K KLM. Engine mounts and suspension control arms every 100K etc. Those are easy and cheap.... It's when you have to change something Ike and alternator on a T5, not fun.
I'd go straight for a 2nd gen V70 2.4 140bhp or 170bhp between 2000 and 2005, 5 spd manual or 5 spd auto, as long as it's been looked after it will be durable look for full service history, keeping to those model years means ulez compliant I think and the lower tax, 2 to 3 grand for a well sorted looked after car
when looking for a new estate i ask myself what would a swede buy, after a little investigation Sweden has become my favourite country they love turning estates into two seater pickups . Well done Sweden.
I think you mean the EPA traktor. Those are for teens aged 15-17 who aren't old enough to drive cars. They only do 19 mph and you're not allowed to put stuff in the bed of them, I think, as they're not allowed to have any storage such as a boot e.g.
@@O1sson They are _supposed_ to only do 30kmh (19mph), often interpreted as merely a suggestion and the kids aren't stupid either knowing full well how to tinker with their cars 🤨
We have two P3s - an XC60 T6 and a V60 Cross Country D4. Love 🥰 my T6, sadly our D4 wasn’t well treated by previous owners so we’re having some issues with that one. Love seeing the older Volvo estates around still, the post-P3 stuff just isn’t the same. If I ever win the lotto there’ll be an 850 estate in my drive 🤣
Love a Volvo V50. Ford Focus shared parts, easily upgradable to use Focus ST brakes etc. Interior with the waterfall console is a design masterpiece. Has an engine strut brace as standard, handles beautifully. 👍
........and then find Peter Bjork channel on here, hes put a V10 Lamborghini engine in his 240 estate and is currently building a v10 mid engined 244 saloon.
850 manual indeed the way to go. Just keep some budget for maintenance. Yes, also old Volvos need maintenance. Most sellers forgot that. And they rust. Mine needs a new outer and inner sill on the drivers side.
Yes see them most days. I have a 1.9 pd tdi in my 2004 Audi and it's an amazingly reliable, gutsy engine with 273,000 miles on it. Use it for commuting, weekends, school run, holidays etc. 52-64mpg average (not bad for a heavy estate car). Unfortunately they are not ulez friendly, but I live in the sticks.
I second your opinion on the V40. I never really got warm with those. The door cards are so thin and flimsy... yes, they look cool. But it's not a car I would associate with volvo. On the other hand the V50, while being based on a ford platform, has proven himself with very good reliability. It is not your boxy volvo but it is very much a volvo from it's interior. Boot-Space is plenty (given the car is much smaller than the V70 or 850). I was sceptical about them, too - but they seem to hold up quite well. The V50 T5 can be expensive to maintain, though. I would not recommend a Diesel due to all the city pollution legislation that is in place almost everywhere in europe (and because I am biased there - I'm not a huge fan of diesel engines - YMMV, though) For the SAABs... The 2.0 Turbo is a good choice - but mind you: Many of those cars have been modified (and many show a lack of maintenance which can be absolutely horrible on the engines). I would NOT go for any Diesel Saab, honestly. Those don't live up to the brand name and I fear that parts availability is becoming a problem. The 3.0 diesel was a quite misfit in this car (and probably regretted by SAAB quite fast). Also, the 9-5 has one critical rust hotspot on the sills in front of the rear wheels (ask me how I know). In addition, many have rust problems on the front suspension dome. If taken care of at an early stage the issues can be fixed without costing an arm and a leg. Parts availability for saab is still astonishingly solid as is the "network" of specialists... Generally: Get yourself informed - and buy scarce parts when they are available to have them in case you need them. In addition: You forgot to mention the OG 9-3 Saab - the 5 door version has an astonishing boot space and (if you don't own a dog) is a very capable family hauler. Prices on those go up... so getting something for dirt cheap will be difficult - especially if you're into something like the 3-door version (which has become more or less unobtainium during the last two years)
I had a few V40s as company cars. They were pretty decent to be fair, though they didn't feel like proper Volvos... which they weren't, being built at the Nedcar plant along with a Mitsubishi something or other. The 2 litre diesels were Renault derived and enough oomph to not frustrate. Comfy enough things for a long motorway drive. I then had a V50 and that was a pile of shit. That is me being polite by the way. The electrics were rubbish. The Ford 2 litre diesel engine was noisy and slow. And that's when it worked, which they mostly couldn't be arsed to do. On mine and several dealer courtesy cars. They also had the "idiotic" floating console, which gave you a cubby behind the centre console controls. Corner at anything faster than little old lady speed and anything in that cubby would slide off and hit your ankle. The footwell was also so cramped you really needed to be one-legged to drive comfortably. Did I mention it was shit? I made my boss get rid of it after less than a year as my patience had worn thinner than my hair.
I ran an 850 GLT 2.5 auto petrol Estate and could easily get 45 on a run. Currently have a 55 reg XC90 D5 auto and build quality is noticeable (or should that be lack of build quality). Certainly not up to pre Ford model quality.
Hi Geoff, ONLY the saab 9-5 automatics are the high tax bracket so you need an early 2006 model for the lower tax it you want an auto. All the manual cars are the middle tax bracket so age is almost if not actually irrelevant from a tax point of view. Also having owned many, despite the extra horses, the Aero's I always found to have a better MPG in the real world than the non aero's. Later ones (Dame Edna) are also slightly better mpg than early ones.
My father used to have a small garage he did apprentice with Volvo,so I grew up with Volvo's my favourite one was p1800es which I owned, couldn't afford one now.
Excellent choices. The 2.5 N/A is good for 300k miles. If you want to be on the wild side you go for the 2.3 turbo versions, just because they are wonderful. If you are crazy like me you go for the S80 4.4 V8. The v40 and v50 are souleless pos. I guess I'm an ordinary volvo-swede.
A last of the line 2007 Volvo V70 D5 SE Lux estate with all the options is a fantastic car. It still looks modern and fresher than the car that replaced it, which felt cheaper and the interior design wasn't as good.
So whilst the 850/PH1V70 TDi is a very good choice, the EARLY PH2 V70 D5 is the one to go for with regards to longevity/used spares goes. Avoid the later D5 with the silver engine cover (swirl flaps & DPF!) and go for the earlier black top engine. They do have their weak points - steering racks, delicate plastic oilway core plug behind the flywheel, front suspension arms don't last long due to the geometry (superpro bushes for life tho!) and the interior is a little bit plasticy in the centre console area. However, the 163bhp is plenty and my old man got over 60mpg (indicated) on the way back from london in it the other day.
We had a v40 2.0T and although not great on fuel, it was a solidly built car and ok to drive. not a real Volvo as you say. STAY AWAY FROM THE V50!!! Theres a reason why tidy ones are so damn cheap, and we have Ford electrics to thank for that! My mates one used to draw voltage from the ECU and cut the engine out when he turned the heated seats on!
Phase 2 are an economical buy too at the moment, spares and breakers available. Cruise machines a bit undersold by Geoff there I think.
yes the only real weakness in the PH2 is the automatic transmission in the PH2 V70D5 which is not a Volvo product anyway. Engine is solid!!
@@AndrewCDiprose and maybe the early MM throttle control module.
I made my choice 21 years ago when I bought a 1988 Volvo 740 estate and I still own and drive it.
Saab 9-5 2.3 Turbo 280hp rocket ship. All engines leak oil unless it has run out of oil! Amazing car
260bhp was the highest output in the U.K. 250bhp until the Dame Edna facelift cars. I had two and yes, they are quick. 2002 onwards with the zf auto are probably the best.
Hi Geoff. Interesting as always. I ran Volvos from early 80s to mid 90s. The best I had (and should never have sold it) was the 240 Estate with the 2.3 petrol/ manual. Loaded it up and drove to the South of France with the family and toured France several times. A brilliant machine. Never a problem. But heading up to 100k I was persuaded by the dealership to swap to the new 2.0 litre. Big mistake. A good motor but I missed the 2.3. The day before one of the French trips some mad youth drove into the back of mine. I walked back to see his wrecked MG Montego. Fearing the worst I studied the back of my 240,..nothing..a scuff on the black rubber bumper and a tiny 1" crack in the rear light. Took it to the dealership as due to go on holiday. A full check revealed no damage whatsover....hadn't even moved the bolts on the bumper. What a motor 😍. Cheers Roj
Important omission here for UK drivers is the fact that almost all the diesels mentioned will not be ULEZ and CAZ compliant. Most pre 2000 petrol's will also fall foul of this. Whilst the London Ulez may not affect a lot of folk, there are many more CAZ (Clean Air Zones) around the UK, and the fines can be extremely painful.
And LEZ (Low emission zone) north of the border ( though personally I won’t be changing my Volvo diesel estate)
If the car is pre 1983 (I think), and eligible for road tax & MOT exemptions, then in theory it should be exempt from ULEZ and ZEZ. You can also exempt any car from ULEZ and ZEZ if you are diagnosed disabled and have a Blue Badge.
Be warned though, in some areas such as Oxford, the exemption only lasts for 12 months, after which you have to apply again. And as I've found to my cost, being granted an exemption in one area, doesn't automatically mean you're exempt in other areas. You have to apply for an exemption in every area you wish to drive in. Or just remove your numberplate! I was granted an exemption in Oxford, and believed it covered me for the whole of the UK. However, when I went to Birmingham, I got a fine of £100 for driving in a ULEZ. I did challenge it, and got it quashed because the Oxford City Council website didn't make it clear at the time, though I believe it's now been updated. I think it helped that I'm a Blue Badge holder, and I was in a 1981 car. Plus the lady I dealt with was really lovely and understanding. However, I was told it was a one off, and that if it happens again, I'll have to pay the fine.
Who worries or even contracts with that sh. ... .t?
London is overrated
my s60 passes it's particulet test on it's mot sooo my car is technically ulez and caz compliant under the law weather sadiq khan like's it or not.
I have a 9-5 aero estate, its manual, so not as bad on tax, its tuned to 315bhp at the engine, its stupidly fast once moving and on a recent trip to Cornwall and back from Manchester it managed 36 mpg crusing at motorway speeds .... i love it ❤
Our (my son's) XC70 T5 with over 200k recently was taken up in Sierra's, up into Oregon and down to Big Sur. No problems whatsoever.
XC 70s are great wagons ! POpular here in sweden rugged great volvos
850R saloon automatic '96 sitting in the driveway still starts. comfy seats.
I sold Volvos between 1988 and 1996 for Linn (Glasgow). 245, 745, 765, 945, 965 & 855- but not the V70. All are good, but a 745 TPM in BGM would be my choice- although the 855 AWB looks good too. The TD engines are great, especially in the 850.
The good thing about the V50 is the fact that it IS on the ford focus/Mazda 3 floorpam, it’s defo a strength not a weakness, I mean Its small, can carry slightly less than a golf estate lol, but no estate car will blast through country B roads faster, the focus could handle and the V50 is no different and possibly handles even better than the ford ( and parts are cheap) They still have a tonne load of “Volvo way of doing things” touches about them too. The V40 however has very little to commend it, but that’s just my opinion.
I've had 6 estates since '85 (145, 245's 850, 740, 940, V70) but the one that I really regret selling and miss the most was my 02 V70 T5M SE in Scarab Green, such a brilliant all round car. I also had a V40 and a V50 T5 as company cars. However, I firmly believe, imho that my current XC90 V8 Executive is the best car Volvo ever produced (even if it was under Ford ownership), it is an astonishingly effortless car and one I will never sell.
We have had a 1997 V70 2.5 TDi that we bought from a friend of mine back in 2006. It still is today one fantastic car, and with the car hire prices today, a sister of mine who was visiting from abroad borrowed it to take on a 600 mile road last summer and the summer before. No problems whatsoever. Our round town car is a 2000 V40. It is also a great car but they stopped making parts for these in the Dutch Volvo Daf factories back in around 2013. This was where we recently ran into problems. It did not get through the Irish MOT, NCT (National Car Test) because it failed on on airbag control module unit. The car was off the road for six months because parts are not being made anymore, we could not get a replacement. Eventually we found someone to fix it, and they did but with six months of phoning around being an absolute headache, I would not do this again. I have had eighteen years experience of owning a V70 2.5 TDi so if I am allowed say it. I would go for one of those. If you are up to converting a left hand drive to a right hand drive well then there is a would wide car sales website call the parking eu. If you look there, you will be spoilt for choice for a mark 1 V70
V90 D5 awd 240bhp, most relaxing mile eater I've ever driven, still feels new after 5 years.
My favourite was the 740 Turbo Intercooler, once described by Company Car magazine as the 'Clark Kent of cars' 😄
XC70 D5 AWD all day for me
A mate of mine likes to wind me up by saying my v90 ain't a true volvo like yours coz it's only got 5 seats ;) Either one is still the best dad car ever :)
I had one of these, it was a 57 plate with all the toys. Really regret selling it ☹️
My neighbour has one with the D5 on a 2003 plate and he says it's the best car he's ever owned.
Totally agree! Mine D5 2013 such a perfect engine made to eat kilometers!
Owned 2 p2 platform cars, 2 s60 d5's and an xc70 d5 p3 platform, didn't think any of them were fragile as such but agree that they are a very different thing to the v50, which was not with me that long to be honest
I think you're wrong not to include the P2 and P3 V70. P2s are very well made being the last of the "proper" Volvo's and super comfortable. My current car a P3 D5 has the comfort you'd expect and more modern features but admittedly there's a bit of a drop in quality being a car made under Ford's ownership of Volvo. Prices for both iterations are quite keen these days as well as plentiful supply to choose from.
Got a (P3) S80II 2.5FT ~250k miles. No bells or whistles to write home about but is stupid robust overall for being on the wrong side of the Volvo history. Given what cars cost and is these days it's a no-brainer to find a good example P2 or P3 and keep it. 2.5 petrol is standard Volvo world just like the D5 or even D4
P2 V70 D5 is the one to go for
Hi Geoff. I had a 265 Estate back in the day and it was a fantastic, roomy family tow-car BUT I never got more than 12/13 mpg out of it when towing the caravan, even without the van I only got about 15. It was high mileage, but you would never have know it, but eventually the fuel pump packed up and the astronomical cost to replace it was more than the car was worth so I had to scrap it.
I missed it though!
Perfect timing for this video, because I've been looking and was going to email you to ask about Volvos
Great information Geoff, and a good starting point for further research on the subject.
Don’t need to take notes as I can just rewind the vid and watch again.
Owned three Volvo estates, 245, 740 and 940, lovely car but, all three suffered head failure, burnt a grove in the head to a water way.Fortunately Orchard's always had a number in the yard, used to pulla head in 5 minutes by the third one. Did still look for a 850 or V70 to replace the 940 though, did find one and bought a Vauxhall, big mistake.
Swede here. I have owned many Volvos in my time but the best i have ever had is my 1985 Volvo 744GL with a carbureted 2.3L (B230A) and my 2000 Volvo s70 Classic wich had the 2.4L 170HP engine (B5244S. I have only owned manuals all my life.
My v70 D5 is 2011 with 100k. Build is fine. Goes well. 45 ish on a run 35ish about town. Its been well looked after
What a great thing to do, a detailed piece of advice to a subscriber! Top man, have a sub!
I bought a 1996 850 2.5 10v in 2017 for approx. 750 quid. absolutely brilliant car which flies through MOT every year which the testers often comment on. The only thing I would change if I could would be it is a saloon and not an estate but the back seats and passenger seat do fold down flat for long loads! Luckily I live in Sweden and there are lots of vehicles to choose from but like you say prices are going up quickly now.... I estimate mine to be worth around 2.5k. A non turbo manual with ACC and Cruise. I do not think I will ever sell it with 270k KM's on it
It has traveled to Gloucester from Örebro twice since I have owned it.
I'd go for an early V70 P2 D5 - 50+mpg at 70mph, 30mpg around town, not exactly fast but definitely not slow, refined & reliable 5-cylinder turbo diesel engine and superbly comfortable. My only complaint - the mpg plummets after 70mph - about 45 mpg at 80 mph, maybe only 35mpg at 90mph and at 130mph its only doing about 10mpg - admittedly its not much of a complaint LoL What was impressive is how "comfortable" the car felt at 130mph - very planted and stable and relatively quiet. Lovely car.
Well I had a 1988 745 2.3 manual carburettor estate 91-2 swapped for a 91 940 2.0l metallic grey manual estate until I purchased a new 855 10v manual estate in 1994 which I’ve kept 147k. Pre-850 they employed old welding and assembly technology and though robust were much more susceptible to rust.Had the last 2007 V70 2.4 diesel automatic estate until changed for another manufacturer. That was the last Volvo as it’s replacement was a Ford Mondeo in drag and the smaller Volvo estates were all manufactured in the Netherlands on dual assembly lines first with Mitsubishi and many Renault engines as the French firm was planning to buy Volvo. That was squished and a near bankrupt Volvo was purchased by Ford who Comprehensively devalued the brand. Now of course they are Chinese-owned.
I loved my 2000 v70 awd it was resplendent in silver and full black leather, it was such a well built safe bus and built like a tank so ideal for a family, the awd system was great fun in the snow.
2.3 turbo petrol 95 estate se spec 185 bhp. Plymouth to Renton in Scotland fully loaded 9 hours 36 mpg. Absolutely cracking vehicle.
I would wholeheartedly agree with you that the v40 and v50's aren't really true Volvo cars. Yes you're right. Loved this full compilation!
I have a late v70 D5 seems pretty well built to me.
I so love older volvos ❤ beautiful lil boxy wagons!
I have a new Skoda 4wheel drive automatic Diesel, but I have had many of thees Volvo's you talked about here. I love the old Volvo's. They are just lovley cars! The best from me Geoff! :-)
i vouch for the 850TDI VW motor. i've had one shoved in my T4 Transporter and it has been flawless for the last 450,000km (280,000mi). i get an average of 6.8(!!!!)L/100km (41mpg) - on its original injectors no less - out of my big boxy manual van, and being pre-DPF makes all the difference in longevity. i trust geoff's word about it being hard to get a timing belt done properly in england (haven't had such issues here in australia), but that is a small price to pay for one of the most robust and eargasmic diesels VW ever produced
FL V60 D4 was my weapon of choice for last year's 3 week blast in Alps. Comfy and fun on twisties!
Got to be a Saab 9-5 Aero, pre Edna facelift, 2004/5. 250hp. A bit thirsty. Mine does about 26mpg on a run, but if your roadtrip is to Europe you can do a Maptun stage 1 remap to run on E85. E85 is less than half the price of unleaded or diesel in France, so I’m currently getting the équivalent of 50mpg based on cost ! It’s probably more economical with a manual Box, but the auto with its « sport » mode is a true rocket. They do seem to be getting rarer though. Any 2.3 9-5 can benefit from the remap, probably the 2.0 too, though the garret turbo is a bit fragile on the 2.0 litre models. The 2.3 has a Mitsubishi High Output Turbo which is pretty bomb proof.
So for me the 2.3 HOT is the one to go for.❤
I agree acutely with you on what volvos are worth bothering with. 2,7,8, & 9 series are all great
My fave is the 940 and 960. You could get them with fold up rear seats. 7 ppl strapped in with roof box on top.... the holidays we had as a kid
Out of the V70 models the XC70 models tend to look better than the normal V70 models. Plus you have the slight off road capability of a SUV and lightness of an estate car. Also they do look better if you add adventure style roof racks, grippy off road tyres and LED Lazer rectangular spot lights like someone near where I lived did.
Great vid. I've had a number of Volvo's mainly because I had lots of kids and luggage. The kids loved the 240, but as you say too thirsty and wearing to drive for long distances. Pick of the bunch is deffo the V70, 2.4 10v pre 2000 or when they changed the throttle arrangement. I used to regularly travel up the M6 with the wife four kids and luggage and comfortably cruise at over 90 and still get 40 mph. They're so areodynamic they just go into a sort of warp drive and rev at like 3200. Brilliant cars. Mind you I'm talking about more than 20 years ago.
The 850 TDI had the Audi AEL 5 cylinder diesel engine, Rated at 140 BHP and with a more aggressive Injector pump cam plate than the Audi's had, Remapped they give good power and apparently have fully forged internals. Timing them up is actually OK if you know what you are doing with a DTI gauge in the back of the injector pump! You are supposed to use VIDA for fine tuning the pump timing but a DTI does a good job IMO, They just go on and on, 500K mile diesel engine easily if you maintain them.
Having had one I can believe the fully forged part, for a diesel it loved to rev. I didn't know about the more aggressive injector pump cam, very interesting! Ah more regret for selling mine. 😢
@@Divefire Volvo apparently did a lot of factory modifications to the Audi AEL Diesel engine before putting it in their 850's!
Had a v40 diesel as a company car once. Loved it so comfy. Just could have done with a little more power. Was very reliable too. One down side was the very short service intervals
The 1.9d is from Fiat, used in Vauxhall's. I have had two 740s ...they were thirsty but very reliable. I had a Saab 9000 turbo..fantastic but not reliable at all and expensive for parts
Reject Fiat Multipla JTD engines with the square bore on cylinder 3, absolute Dog 💩 engines
Hi Geoff. For me. 740/760 estate 2.3 light pressure turbo manual everyday. Avoid the 2.9 petrol, cylinder heads crack apparently.. I loved mine , it had 7 seats too! (for the kids)
"Geoff knows Volvo's".....That a great name for a new UA-cam channel.
I had a 1.9 TiD and it is an italian engine from what i know of them, my current XC70 D5 from 2008 has the 6 speed manual box in it :)
I have been paying attention but fear I will fail the exam. 😅
I’ve got a Volvo 940 2.3 CD estate red block lpt manual , I was given it 9 years ago , slightly thirsty but touching wood reliability has been excellent making it overall economical, proper built cars
I had a 960 2.5 petrol. About T reg. Great motor, wish I still had it or could buy a new model as good.
2 months ago I bought a 2012 Volvo V60 (small estate) 2 litre turbo diesel and I love it, it has low mileage 70,000 miles and it is like brand new, on a recent holiday trip I got 750 miles out of a full tank (15 gallon tank).
My grandfather had the 240 estate car ... Made many trips to Öland in it .
The Saab 93 X 2.0T AWD deserves a mention, the best all round car I've owned despite Saab going out of business during production, they only sold for around 1-2 years at a high price so not many around. Will be keeping mine!
Having run a high miler V70 TDI manual estate I can safely say I'd have another in a heart beat. Comfortable, quick, economical, handled excellently and a wonderful sound track. The only modern downside is ULEZ and CAZ's non compliance as stated in another comment.
My Dad also had a V70 2.5 petrol (can't quite recall if it was 10 or 20v) for awhile and that too shared all the above aside from economy. Now I need to check if any of then pass CAZ... 😂
I'd love a TDI auto 850 estate, got it all, the comfort, economy and load space. The "Let of leash", pick would be the T5 auto and the other I'd go for would be a 2.5 20v auto estate preferably.
As for the SAAB, for to be the Aero or hot, what ever you want to call it, 2001 saw the 6 speed manual and 5 speed auto introduced, over previous 5&4 speeds, great cars, had experience with both, fuel round town will kill you and on a run 30 and just over. If your tunning don't go silly, front end becomes a nightmare. V6 turbo, leave it there if you're looking to tune, will only get to about 280 I believe before bottom end starts to fail. Estates need a bit of weight in back as the can feel light, compared to saloon.
There again a nice 2.3T 940 is a lovely motor and they are cavernous estates, loved mine
Also if I'm right, it was a SAAB engineer who actually said "You can't put more than 250 through front wheels safely", or words to that effect
We have a 1999 v70 estate 2WD manual non turbo (from new) - it’s now the family pool car and has never broken down. It’s done circa 190K miles and burns no oil. I have just swapped the factory radio with a wireless Carplay head unit which is a very nice reversible upgrade for the old girl. It always has a full tank, and is shod with winter tyres so is a Martini car. - Anytime any place anywhere.
Have my Volvo Xc70 2001 (P2) for 3 years. Bought with 300k km and LPG KIT installed. Despite some problems left to fix by the previous owner, now it has been very reliable, with 11L/100km of LPG
Would like to add p2 Volvo v70 2.4 n/a manual..yes its not fast but you get all the right noises with cheaper repair bills..yes build quality inside is not as good as previous generations but exterior in personal opinion think holds up extremely well considering the age now..yes not great mpg but a solid estate which can still fit more than most modern estates in the back
940 B200 was a fantastic car. Beautiful on snow and ice! A good buy for the next ice age or for Scottish winter climbers.
The 240 Found it's way into my heart a long time ago and stayed put, while i may never own a "nice" one i hope i can get something at least
The Volvo V50 D4 is worth looking at. It’s the best of both worlds. Ford based so cheap plentiful parts but quality Volvo interior and five cylinder Volvo engine. D4 engine should last forever as its is a smaller capacity tuned down version of the D5.
Whats your opinion on the old cabriolet volvos? I saw 1 at a show when i was about 16 year old! I was massively impressed! All these years later at 49 i have an insignia estate for my daily and a 1987 land rover 90 as my expensive weekend toy! For a fun summer motor, would a soft top volvo be better than an old 325 bmw cabriolet? In your opinion!🤔
This was Geoff at his nerdy best , I'd pick an 850/S70 TDI but the S60/V70 2001 model with the D5 engine is a decent workhorse.
Have a 1971 145S That was a great car. It wen t in to storage when I got a 1980 245 DL. The 245 is a wonder full car. Main plus it no electronics. As one friend says I want a car before cup holders. Fully agree in that. Liven in Central Kansas USA. Best car to ever have is a Benz 300D. They go for ever. My 1978 300SD has 733,000 miles. Also have a 1983 300D with 676,000 miles.
Long time ago, had a 960 that had a Porche engine, auto box. It was fantastic.
Badged Wentworth and sold by the Wentworth dealership by any chance? Auto with manual kickdown/Overdrive button?
1:17 Those seats are truly awesome, the last word in comfort. Plus the fabric was incredibly practical and hard wearing. They bring back some very happy memories. Having spent many nights sleeping in the driver’s seat of many different cars, none came anywhere close to the comfort of my 264.
And that overdrive button gave the car the feel of a proper limousine driving experience. Miss it a lot.
Edit:
And the flat top of the dashboard was a very practical design of the type that predated the totally impractical curved slippery things we have now.
Every seat in a Volvo has been the golden standard. No other car has been close, especially not the Germans with their cloth covered planks
@@rosen9425 I agree.
anyone got a CNG Bifuel one kicking around? I have a home filling compressor here. Its a fuelmaker that we plumbed into the mains, back in the day when I modified vehicles. Either I would like to get a bifuel for a song or flog the compressor for a packet. There are a couple of s80 we did out there
Dad had a 740 2.4 d and loved it
I have a Saab 9-5 1.9tid and they are bulletproof engines if you run them on 15w40 Castrol oil and do plenty of motorway miles. I get 44mpg all day. They are Alfa Romeo designed engines which later was Fiat group. They are in a lot of Fiats and Vauxhall Vectras but certainly aren't vauxhall engines
Just to add, given the choice go for the first edition of V70, which was more akin to an upgraded 850, as opposed to the later mark2, (post 2001 I think) as although they were still a good car, with modernised electronic gizmos, one needed to drive to an airfield to turn round. Not sure how much the turning circle was increased by, nor why Ford saw fit to alter it, but going from one to the other will see you doing a fair bit of shunting in car parks for a week or two.
Volvo 240 made in 1988 are the best. The layout is still simple, and Volvo did away with that biodegradable wire insulation and went back non biodegradable version.
I bought a Mercedes C 200 estate about 15 years ago particularly for driving to the South of France…. For me the wife and 2 adult siblings…..perfect motor 5 speed too.
That's exactly what I wanted to know, but I do want a manual.
I was about to subscribe but when you excluded the P2 V70 i change my mind because i have a petrol manual 2000 V70 N bussines and it's amazing, plenty of torque and luxurious
I'm into the old SAAB's the 96 with the Ford V4, then the 99 turbo, and I liked the modern 93 they had problems with the fire wall being too thin, GM saving money by using parts from the OPEL Vectra, now VOLVO, it has to be the P1800 the Simon Temple car, then the Amazon, the VOLVO 480 was interesting, the problem was all the Renault mechanics and electricals, other wise a good looking car.
Any Volvo P2 platform car with the euro3 D5 engine will serve you well. I don't have a V70 but I do have an S80 with the euro3 D5, and a manual gearbox. Plenty enough power and bags of torque, smooth power delivery and virtually bullet proof. Will return around 50mpg. The intercoolers do tend to fail but is easily and cheaply replaced. And the euro3 has no DPF or swirl flaps so less to go wrong. I also have a mk1 S40, same as a V40 but not an estate. Good cars but can suffer with rust around the wheel arches. Avoid the one with the Mitsubishi GDi engine, stick with the Volvo lumps.
yes yes Manual automatic can have issues. Manuel V70 P2 (Euro3 163HP) D5 go for it.
I've had a couple of 850s and still have a T5 Estate for shows, it's ex-government, automatic in black with black tints from new. I do very much like the V70. n/a auto. I've found them to be the best of the lot. Comfortable, quiet, economical and very reliable. They can also be made ULEZ compliant at very little cost.
Having said that, I'm in my 8th Lexus, a GS300 SE-L and have just bought an RX400h from my local Lexus dealership. I would never go back to anything Swedish again. I'm not saying they're anything but excellent for what they are; but compared to my top estate choices of Cadillac SRX and Lexus RX400h or 450h; in my opinion, Volvo, Saab, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and just about everything else are positively agricultural.
Had a 240 in the early 90s that I painted, with a brush, in matt black- waay ahead of my time. And at work I drove a stretch 960 estate with the 24v PRV V6 iirc. Great cars and bombproof. Stripped the cambelt on the 240 and just fitted a new belt and good to go. Had a Mini hit me and killed the Mini- slight scuff on the Volvo front bumper. Had an XC90 for a short while and loved it. Recently had a Mk2 C70 convertible. Unreliable and just disappointing compared to Volvos of old. I'm pretty sure the 1.9 diesel in the Saabs is the Alfa unit which iirc was the first common rail production diesel. I had one in an Alfa GT and it was great and not very diesely, and I'd get 50mpg. Maybe the one you heard was knurdled. Some great cars here for your Volvo Estate calender...
I have a 2.0 10v estate and it is fairly slow! Keeps up decently in normal circumstances but it’s only really ever me in it. Manual helps but should’ve really waited for a bigger engine one locally. One day!
The old GBC outro song. god i missed that
Gen 1 V40 md V50 were shared with Mitsubishi, Gen 2 were all P1's, C30/V50/S40/C70. P1's are great cars Geoff, but they do have routine maintenance that is necessary - expansion tanks every 80K KLM. Engine mounts and suspension control arms every 100K etc. Those are easy and cheap.... It's when you have to change something Ike and alternator on a T5, not fun.
I'd go straight for a 2nd gen V70 2.4 140bhp or 170bhp between 2000 and 2005, 5 spd manual or 5 spd auto, as long as it's been looked after it will be durable look for full service history, keeping to those model years means ulez compliant I think and the lower tax, 2 to 3 grand for a well sorted looked after car
when looking for a new estate i ask myself what would a swede buy, after a little investigation Sweden has become my favourite country they love turning estates into two seater pickups . Well done Sweden.
I think you mean the EPA traktor. Those are for teens aged 15-17 who aren't old enough to drive cars. They only do 19 mph and you're not allowed to put stuff in the bed of them, I think, as they're not allowed to have any storage such as a boot e.g.
@@O1ssonach details some time would soon sort those problems out , haha
@@O1sson
They are _supposed_ to only do 30kmh (19mph), often interpreted as merely a suggestion and the kids aren't stupid either knowing full well how to tinker with their cars 🤨
XC90 D5. I had to sell mine because of ULEZ but it was great. If you’re not in / near a ULEZ area, go for one of those.
We have two P3s - an XC60 T6 and a V60 Cross Country D4. Love 🥰 my T6, sadly our D4 wasn’t well treated by previous owners so we’re having some issues with that one. Love seeing the older Volvo estates around still, the post-P3 stuff just isn’t the same. If I ever win the lotto there’ll be an 850 estate in my drive 🤣
Love a Volvo V50. Ford Focus shared parts, easily upgradable to use Focus ST brakes etc. Interior with the waterfall console is a design masterpiece. Has an engine strut brace as standard, handles beautifully. 👍
Go for a 2005 9-5 Aero estate manual.
........and then find Peter Bjork channel on here, hes put a V10 Lamborghini engine in his 240 estate and is currently building a v10 mid engined 244 saloon.
850 manual indeed the way to go. Just keep some budget for maintenance. Yes, also old Volvos need maintenance. Most sellers forgot that. And they rust. Mine needs a new outer and inner sill on the drivers side.
You can't beat a mk4 golf. There's still so many on the road. Mine has done 197k and it's still solid fast and very cheap.
Yes see them most days. I have a 1.9 pd tdi in my 2004 Audi and it's an amazingly reliable, gutsy engine with 273,000 miles on it. Use it for commuting, weekends, school run, holidays etc. 52-64mpg average (not bad for a heavy estate car). Unfortunately they are not ulez friendly, but I live in the sticks.
@@itchyscratch3829 so it's on its way back from the moon. Hope it gets here safely 😅. I see so many mk4's it's nuts. 👍🏻
Whats your thoughts on imported Volvo cars?
I second your opinion on the V40. I never really got warm with those. The door cards are so thin and flimsy... yes, they look cool. But it's not a car I would associate with volvo. On the other hand the V50, while being based on a ford platform, has proven himself with very good reliability. It is not your boxy volvo but it is very much a volvo from it's interior. Boot-Space is plenty (given the car is much smaller than the V70 or 850). I was sceptical about them, too - but they seem to hold up quite well. The V50 T5 can be expensive to maintain, though.
I would not recommend a Diesel due to all the city pollution legislation that is in place almost everywhere in europe (and because I am biased there - I'm not a huge fan of diesel engines - YMMV, though)
For the SAABs... The 2.0 Turbo is a good choice - but mind you: Many of those cars have been modified (and many show a lack of maintenance which can be absolutely horrible on the engines). I would NOT go for any Diesel Saab, honestly. Those don't live up to the brand name and I fear that parts availability is becoming a problem. The 3.0 diesel was a quite misfit in this car (and probably regretted by SAAB quite fast). Also, the 9-5 has one critical rust hotspot on the sills in front of the rear wheels (ask me how I know). In addition, many have rust problems on the front suspension dome. If taken care of at an early stage the issues can be fixed without costing an arm and a leg. Parts availability for saab is still astonishingly solid as is the "network" of specialists... Generally: Get yourself informed - and buy scarce parts when they are available to have them in case you need them.
In addition: You forgot to mention the OG 9-3 Saab - the 5 door version has an astonishing boot space and (if you don't own a dog) is a very capable family hauler. Prices on those go up... so getting something for dirt cheap will be difficult - especially if you're into something like the 3-door version (which has become more or less unobtainium during the last two years)
Easy. 1997/8 Volvo V90 (the face-lifted 960, not the recent model) One of the best cars I’ve ever driven.
mmmmmm yeah. find one though!
my dad drove an old 240 it was built like a tank and never went wrong !
I had a few V40s as company cars. They were pretty decent to be fair, though they didn't feel like proper Volvos... which they weren't, being built at the Nedcar plant along with a Mitsubishi something or other. The 2 litre diesels were Renault derived and enough oomph to not frustrate. Comfy enough things for a long motorway drive.
I then had a V50 and that was a pile of shit. That is me being polite by the way. The electrics were rubbish. The Ford 2 litre diesel engine was noisy and slow. And that's when it worked, which they mostly couldn't be arsed to do. On mine and several dealer courtesy cars.
They also had the "idiotic" floating console, which gave you a cubby behind the centre console controls. Corner at anything faster than little old lady speed and anything in that cubby would slide off and hit your ankle. The footwell was also so cramped you really needed to be one-legged to drive comfortably. Did I mention it was shit? I made my boss get rid of it after less than a year as my patience had worn thinner than my hair.
I ran an 850 GLT 2.5 auto petrol Estate and could easily get 45 on a run.
Currently have a 55 reg XC90 D5 auto and build quality is noticeable (or should that be lack of build quality). Certainly not up to pre Ford model quality.
Hi Geoff, ONLY the saab 9-5 automatics are the high tax bracket so you need an early 2006 model for the lower tax it you want an auto. All the manual cars are the middle tax bracket so age is almost if not actually irrelevant from a tax point of view. Also having owned many, despite the extra horses, the Aero's I always found to have a better MPG in the real world than the non aero's. Later ones (Dame Edna) are also slightly better mpg than early ones.
My father used to have a small garage he did apprentice with Volvo,so I grew up with Volvo's my favourite one was p1800es which I owned, couldn't afford one now.
Excellent choices. The 2.5 N/A is good for 300k miles. If you want to be on the wild side you go for the 2.3 turbo versions, just because they are wonderful. If you are crazy like me you go for the S80 4.4 V8. The v40 and v50 are souleless pos. I guess I'm an ordinary volvo-swede.
I prefer that weather Girl
Hey honestly I love older Volvos😊
A last of the line 2007 Volvo V70 D5 SE Lux estate with all the options is a fantastic car. It still looks modern and fresher than the car that replaced it, which felt cheaper and the interior design wasn't as good.