Although a much heavier vehicle, the XC70 is much more refined in terms of fit and finish. I have driven twenty hours straight (P breaks excluded) in the XC towing a loaded Uhaul full of motorcycle gear, all at 120 KMs per hour. I smile to myself when I look back and when I see men and women whose egos are shored up by the size of their trucks.

The XC70 is not a SUV, nor is it a sports car. Those of us who have purchased this beautiful vehicle know just how practical it really is whether you live in the deep South or the far North. It is more than a old maids grocery getter.

I fully back this review and agree with four stars. I do believe though that the front end could have been tighter to alleviate body roll but then again I am not driving a BMW.

Some of you may want to have a look at this fellows journey with the XC70;
http://www.europeancarweb.com/features/0506ec_volvo_xc70_baja_enduro/index.html

NIBS
2002 XC70 Ocean Race

1. The V70XC’s EPA 16 City is absurd. That a few of you feather-foots manage to pull out 24 on the highway is nice, but irrelevant. Real world economy is execreble

i get an overall 23 mpg in my 2002, are the later models really getting 16 mpg city?
4. This car is a lineal decendant of the 1991 940, which morphed into the unloved FWD S80 around 1998, which in turn became the S70 series. The cargo volume of 72.8 cf is identical to the 940’s, The XC70 represents ancient, late 1980’s packaging, and is thourougly uncompetitve in today’s marketplace. It is outsold by 100:1 or more by the Forester, RX300, Grand Cheroke, and at least half a dozen other decent, modern crossovers & SUV’s for a very good reason.
my mother has had ‘92 940 since new and i’m very familiar with it. maybe i’m dense but other than a high build quality, i don’t think these cars share very much dna. the 940 is a 4 cylinder rear wheel drive brick and the v70 is transverse mounted 5 cylinder fwd/awd non-brick with a hell of a lot more acceleration. i agree there overpriced new but the v70 series is a better buy used than the other three moderncars you mentioned. the forrester is too small and the lexus too expensive. the cherokee is nice but it’s hardly more modern than the volvo.

i get an overall 23 mpg in my 2002, are the later models really getting 16 mpg city?

my mother has had ‘92 940 since new and i’m very familiar with it. maybe i’m dense but other than a high build quality, i don’t think these cars share very much dna. the 940 is a 4 cylinder rear wheel drive brick and the v70 is transverse mounted 5 cylinder fwd/awd non-brick with a hell of a lot more acceleration.

I want a wagon and a third row for occasional use would be great. Do any manufacturers other than Audi and Volvo offer a wagon with an optional third row?

1. The V70XC’s EPA 16 City is absurd. That a few of you feather-foots manage to pull out 24 on the highway is nice, but irrelevant. Real world economy is execreble.

2. The car is overweight and badly underpowered. A 1967 Ford Fairlane wagon with a base 6 cylinder did better, and it was a nail. Trust me. I know.

3. The car is absurdly overpriced. Decently equiped cars will run you $45,000 out the door, and $50,000 is a distict possibility with Nav and taxes. Drive it off the lot and you have a $26,000 used car. This gives new meaning to the phrase “upside down.”

4. This car is a lineal decendant of the 1991 940, which morphed into the unloved FWD S80 around 1998, which in turn became the S70 series. The cargo volume of 72.8 cf is identical to the 940’s, The XC70 represents ancient, late 1980’s packaging, and is thourougly uncompetitve in today’s marketplace. It is outsold by 100:1 or more by the Forester, RX300, Grand Cheroke, and at least half a dozen other decent, modern crossovers & SUV’s for a very good reason.

5. What ladies who lunch in eastern Massachusetts buy to transport themselves says far more about the perverse damand for luxury goods than it does about the intrinsic merits of the XC70.

6. THe XC70 is Exhibit A confirming the continued truth of Big 3 automaker cost-accountant think: “There is no product like a dead product.” We need to bury Caesar, not praise him.

I’ll say it again: The Reviewer needs to rethink his preposterously generous FOUR STAR appelation on this (at best) TWO STAR warmed-over Swedish meatball.

Saab missed an opportunity to do the same to its 9-5 wagon. Thanks GM.

That is an interesting point. Isn’t this a rehashed Volvo 850, the fwd golden boy, trouble-ridden at introduction and disdained by fans of the old bulletproof Volvos.

Perhaps one reason the resale is so bad is the sad reliability record and price of parts once out of warranty.

If this was an American car of similar DNA and vintage we might have given it antiprops.

Incidentally, I think this is a great package and wouldn’t mind having one(if still under warranty), but would appreciate it being a little bit bigger (94 Vista Cruiser wagons being my benchmark).

I’m hoping it’s just that the owners tend to want the “newest thing” instead of holding onto them. That’s fine by me. I love my GLT.

i’m very impressed with the build quality on this thing: still very tight after 5 years. also, i’m an old school curmudgeon when it come to electronics in cars. i was terrified to have a modern car after selling my manual ‘83 benz 240d last year but the computer system on the volvo just gets it. you really can leave the climate control on a set temp and leave it alone. the alarm system works so well that i don’t even know it existed for two months. the window switches are too sensitive but that’s being nitpicky…

as to the way it handles, i have a 2002 which is a little lower than the current setup. based on the review, i’d say that raising it was a mistake. mine handles quite well without any active chassis control. definitely has some understeer and noticeable turbo lag but nothing too awful. it’s not a driver’s car like the passat i was considering but it has confident road manners and enough getup to go…

I enjoyed not only this piece, but the intelligent and truly thoughtful comments following – especially Saabophile’s. I think the term “bigger is better” was coined in the States, was it not? But maybe the economist E.F. Schumaker (sic) had it correct when he titled a book, “Small is beautiful.”

There was a transmission problem when the laughable cupholder in the dash dumped the contents (Sprite) onto the transmission area of the console. 24 hours later, the car wouldn’t move. Believe it or not, the Volvo tech found soda under the console. It was replaced for free.

So the Volvo tech replaced your Sprite for free? PARR-TEEE!

I understand we’ll be getting a new version for 2008 that will use the S80’s 3.2 liter inline 6 as standard. The price should stay about the same. It sounds good to me.

Also the C70 is nicer looking then the 335ic and got me 31 MPG on a trip from Texas at 80 mph.

The C70 has a ROPS system that deploys if the car rolls over and that plus the side curtain air bags makes it one of the safest convertibles on the road. Only the Saab ties it for being safest.

Yes I wish it had more horses, but the front wheel drive is important to me.

Agreed on the midwest infestation of the Honda Pilot also have seen many newer XC70s on the road in the last few months. A lot of Tahoes that were on lease seem to be going back to their maker and being replaced by the XC70 or Pilot.

K.

What is it that so many people hate about station wagons? I will never understand that.

I suppose that those kids who grow up in today’s times will one day say “ewwwww, not an SUV like my MOM drove ….”.