VOLVO V70 Estate 1996‑2007

It is an excellent family car, with very low maintenance cost. Lot's of space and large seats. Safety of Volvo is no need to mention. Driving is also smooth and nice, the only disadvantage is you may need a couple of reversing when you need to park narrow places as the turning kerb is not great

I have had Volvos since the 243 I have the S60 a few v70s and a marvelous 760 saloon now I enjoy the XC90 But this one wins a special place ; The sound system is superb ; it pulls away like a train ( better than the 2.9 ltre XC90) and it gives optimum economy; If "she" did not like the High Drivers position of the XC90 so much we would not be selling this one at ll

We bought this as our primary family car, and it has not disappointed.

Our 2001 V70 was purchased from a dealer at 22k miles in 2005. 55k miles and 7 years later, it still runs fantastically and has been extremely good value for money. We have a petrol (manual) model, and the mileage is surprisingly good for how spacious and sturdy the car is. It is very flexible for multi-purpose driving, and has served us well for both local driving and longer trips.

For an estate, the driving and handling is very responsive.

Downsides: we've had a couple minor electrical issues, and the headlamps need replaced a bit more frequently than other cars we have owned. NB; Volvo lights go on automatically day/night for safety purposes, a feature which we really value. With this, the fact that lights need replaced more frequently makes good sense. The bulbs are easy to find, and quite straightforward to change (unlike many newer cars where it requires a trip to the garage and very expensive parts).

We love the space, comfort, flexibility, safety and reliability of our V70, and it is actually the 4th Volvo we have owned.

The Volvo V70 (2007+ version) is more refined over its predecessors omitting those irritable headlight wipers which in my opinion were pretty useless and expensive to replace, now they are just headlamp washers. The car is large to say the least but with the help of rear parking sensors making parking in tight places a doddle. The 185bhp makes a fantastic difference for instant acceleration. The LUX version includes white stiching on black leather h/seats, nice on cold mornings, walnut wood inserts, auto wash/wipe. A 2-speed rear wiper is excellent in heavy rain, other useful features are SIPS and WHIPS for safety. I think this car handles well in both wet and dry conditions and theres a special switch for wet conditions such as snow or ice which improves safety when driving, Maragoni or Pirelli tyres are in my opinion satisfactory for this heavy car and may well last the expected 10k miles over more expesive tyres. Fuel consumption is around 33-35 mpg in urban areas and about 50mpg on motorways, the ride is superb, comfort seats with lumbar support make you feel at home and pulling power is excellent without any engine strain being heard, just a whoosh and you're gone. Geartronix (6-gear auto/manual) is best for those steep down hills, otherwise you might need to replace the brakes more often on auto only. Head/leg room is conservatively good and my only gripe is sometimes bumping my head on those 'fixed' handles above the driver/passenger door, pity they couldn't fold down. More boys toys as a 6-cd changer, mp3/ipod connection, auto r/dimming mirror, e/ heated seats with memory, folding h/door mirrors, h/windscreen, cruise and remote audio, remote approach lighting and Xenon lights makes driving so much nicer. The diesel version offers excellent performance and mpg over the petrol equivalent with very little maintenance. Overall the Volvo V70 is as good to drive as it is to fill up the boot.....a bit dated perhaps....but still a nice roomy car.

I love this car-it's like sitting in an armchair to drive,really smooth,feel like we're all safe inside,loads of leg room,loads of boot room.

only downsides are: 3 point turns-its so long its more like a 5 point turn! and petrol costs,-although petrol is so expensive now its a pain for everyone.

This Volvo is probably one of the best Volvo s that I ve had,and that includes the D5.If you have a family or grandchildren it is hugely practical and extremely comfortable. She drives well on motorways or rural roads and I suppose the only slight downside is that she really only does 30-32 to the gallon although ,for me ,as she is a fast car i forgive her and love her.If you re looking to buy a Volvo don t be put off by the T5 its a wonderful reliable car.

Excellent family car. Seven seater estate car with all the characteristics of a solid comfortable family saloon. Good performance although initially a little sluggish in first and second gear (it is a two ton car! )

Running costs would be reasonable except that Volvo appointed dealers seem extremely expensive compared with other quality service and repair outlets.

Overall, it gives excellent value, great confidence in it's egineering and safety factors - just a shame the dealers are so greedy on after sales matters. I normally keep cars for approx. 3 years from new but have had this car for almost 6 years and have no thoughts of changing it in the near future.

This gas converted estate is very comfortable and is still doing 23 MPG on gas which costs about 70p per litre.

The ABS is temperamental but always manages to reset itself after restarting the engine.

It has plenty of power for towing.

The automatic transmission makes long distance driving a pleasure.

It is not a sports machine and rewards smooth driving by being very relaxing (I use my 2007 VFR 800 Vtec when I want excitement).

I bought this car for the comfort of the seats for long distance driving and it has fulfilled that excellently. Fuel economy is very reasonable for a 2.4 litre petrol engine and averages 32.6 mpg. Load capacity, as expected is large and will accomodate most daily needs, but not items over 4 feet wide. Road noise is slightly intrusive but can be lived with. Reliability is a Volvo pregiven and over the passed 4 years has only undergone standard servicing except for minor electrical issues. The side light bulb holder overheated causing fuses to blow and a headlight wiper has failed. Security is second to none, even the AA could not open the doors when I inadvertently locked my keys in the boot.

Overall a comfortable, reliable and reasonably economocal car. Would by another V70 but the D5 version again

I've had the 2004 V70 for 9 months now and done 18,000 miles. It is great on the motorway, just click cruise control and go to sleep! Actually, you have to be careful you don't sleep as it's very comfortable. Much better than my previous VW Passat.

Some say the V70 is poor on corners. It does have soft suspension but it sticks to the road. It's just a matter of getting used to a wee bit roll on the way round. The engine is powerful enough to pull you out the corners with a gentle touch on the throttle.

Given the size of the car it is reasonably economic to run. On a long run, keeping within the 70mph, the computer shows 50 or more mpg. However, that is a bit optimistic and when checking from one full tank to another, it is actually nearer 47-48mpg. Still pretty good for a heavy car.

It pulls the caravan with no effort at all too.