Should You Buy a VOLVO V70? (Test Drive & Review MK3 2.4D) 

It’s great that you review the cars most people would actually buy, there isn’t many you tubers that do that! So thanks for the great content, really enjoying watching the vids .

When I saw the thumbnail of the V70..."This week on Traffic Cops"

You’re right, I’m a fangirl of Volvo and I love the sound the D5’s make

These are among the most durable cars in the existence. A lot of super high mileage cars in Scandinavia that have been used as taxis. Even crazy mileages like 700 thousand kilometers is not a problem for these cars. They don't handle as well as Mercedes, BMW or Jaguar but they're very robust and safe cars.

Always good to see a Volvo review, as you say, "quality"! Would love to see you do a V40 sometime...

Loved the T5s we had in the Police. The S60 T5 was a right hooligan. Loads of torque steer under firm acceleration. Used to sound like a missile on a response run with the turbo whistling away. Could easily do 2 tanks of fuel on a busy shift. The follow up T6s were even thirstier which is probably why the powers that be decided to change to the BMW 530d.

one thing i love about your reviews you give is how detailed you are. not many other reviewers do this and it really helps people in buying their next car. brilliant.

I ❤ Volvo estates. I've had 2, but have been driven in 4, as family owned 9 of 'em from 80s to mid 2000's.

A great review as always. We've got a V50 T5 AWD and its like the proverbial off a shovel. Looks understated too.

I had an identical one of these in blue at 21. Absolutely loved that car

Bought a nice example 2010 S80 2.4 a few months back, took a while to get used to the sheer size of it but overall best car I've ever had, see Matt, at some point in your life you start putting comfort over thrills (and high bills) ;)

I had the T6 AWD & it was, as you say, the ultimate sleeper, I loved the surprise factor & it sounded great at full chat. Never had a car that could make progress like it, everyone would move out of your way if you came up behind them because they were unsure if you were a copper. Just traded it in for a v90 cross country T5 which is a step up & quite wonderful. Enjoy your videos. Cheers.

My dad had a 1987 Volvo 740 Turbo Intercooler estate! Love for Volvo ever since!

I own two of these exact models and I love them

Great review again, thanks! Used to have the 2.4 D5 in the old xc90 and loved the racket it made, thought it sounded great on the kick down, for a diesel !Now we have a Q7 3.0 TDI V6 and miss my D5 sounds :-( first world problems lol 😂

Great work horses I remember years ago my brother in law had a 760 gle turbo all black and black leather. Seats , he loved it defo cars for people who like boring safe cars I prefer. The Saab

I'm a massive fan of this channel brilliant content . Great job matt .

I have a 2010 V70 and I absolutely love it. Had a £35k V90 T6 cross country before and traded it in for the V70 and a RUCKSACK full of £20 notes. Could not be happier Great car. Probably weights about the same as a medium coach and seems to be able to compete with the millage of a 747 of the same age. Make more videos please

Reg Varney - contemporary reference, love it

Had the previous model with the D5, and I did love it until I spent a fortune getting the suspension all sorted, ie new bushes shocks, shock mounts, timing belt, then discovered on a jaunty ride to the tip that it didn’t go round corners very well. One tow truck later and much more expense I decided the turning circle was also an utter pain and got rid. I still miss it.

Bloody hell Matt what a time to upload a video, the fire alarm has just gone off but hey it's only just over 8 minutes.

Matt your video's are great, really enjoy watching them. Keep up the good work and Happy New Year :)

100k subscribers just around the corner, you had only 5k subscribers when I subscribed, one of the best motoring channel on RU-vid, well done and all the best

My dad's owned one of these, this exact spec and engine, for about 5 years now. It cost him less than 4 grand to buy and the only thing he's done to it in 5 years is rear brake discs n pads with about 140K miles. Tank of a car. We call it "Chewbacca" due to the growly sound of the engine. Nice review, though people still sleep on the reliability of this volvo generation.

I have one since 3 years, still a 57 plate. Everything you said is precise and yes, was the best hotel on wheel on my NC500 trip. Awesome car.

Very thorough and informative - thanks!

Another great video Matt. I've owned Volvos since 1992 and possible owned every variant of the Volvo estates. However, this is stunning I certainly think one day I'll have a V90. Keep up with your fantastic videos. P.S...Happy New Year.

Had mine for a year-terrific car at 180000 miles. You're right about the R-Design. Love the way you review cars of all ages.

D5 sounds awesome!!! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

I have waited for this video actually!👍🏻 yours videos is always on top!

Great gig, we’ve one of these old girls, 270 k miles, looks and goes lovely, hard to beat really..

Spot on review! Thank you for mentioning the gearbox. Coming from a 2012 S80 T5 owner here. I do not recommend anyone to get any Volvo with the MPS6 Powershift transmission. It isn’t really reliable, expensive to maintain and clunky to operate. Mine has done 221,000km. So far so good. Changed the fluid every 60,000km to get this far.

Yes, they are lovely motors, especially for the +30 somethings. And they can be picked up relatively cheaply. Go for the 2.4 D5 or 2.5 T5, they are the best of the bunch, and SE trim with full leather interior.

i bought a 08 xc70 D5 as a in between car few years ago, and long story short.. we still have it, and that despitebeing on our way to sell it almost since we got it.. its so damn comfortable.. and big and usable.. i'm a bmw/merc fan and many times owner.. and still i find my self liking the volvo for not being one.. i just like how the focus was on comfort and usabillity. its soft, quiet, relaxed and makes no excuses for doing so,

I have a D5 in my XC60. Amazing sounding engine, one of the main reasons I bought it.

I have a 2009 V70 .. straight six 3.0 litre petrol with turbo.and all wheel drive. So fast with the turbo .. love the car one of the best or the 23 vehicles I ever owned. Great review thanks

I love your explanation, it's satisfying. I have tried checking on you video of Mercedes Benz ML 350 2010 model

This generation V70 was actually based on the Mondeo. It's amazing how they tuned out every inch of driver appeal from those underpinnings.

Feels a sporty as Dawn French absolutely lovely Matt hilarious

Hi matt, along with the National Trust sticker it also comes complete with a complimentary packet of Werther`s Original sweets in the glove box 😊😊😊😊

Brilliant as always!

Always loved these

Nice review, picking one up tomorrow.

Loved my V70 1.6 eDrive facelift manual. Sold it with 120K on the clock and only failure was egr valve. It's a ford / Peugeot engine so very cheap to repair. Adveraged 55mpg. Once managed 1100 miles from a tank. Sold it for a 2011 BMW 535D touring, lovely to drive, but unreliable in comparison. Now got a Volvo V90 D4 inscription. Love it.

This video helped me buy my V70 2.4D 2008 and I did a check on car vertical before 😊

I have this car/engine (2015) and it is an amazing cruiser. I don't care what people think, this car will take you from John O'Groats to Lands' End and you get out like you've had a nice nap in a posh hotel. There isn't a single car that gives you the same experience, I'll happily fight folks on that.

That 5 cylinder diesel is an absolute beauty and I think, sounds fantastic.

Great review as per usual. I'm surprised you haven't reviewed a recent 330i!

Very useful review - gives a real good feel for the car....!

Had a test drive in an S80 1.6 diesel and honestly could not believe how sluggish it was. That one was a manual as well which didn't suit the car all too well. Otherwise the build quality was beautiful and the seats were sublime. Great video.

Great review , apart from the best engine I have come across its the 5 cylinder Petrol turbo ' Which is basically the same unit as the focus ST and it's a hoot ' A real sleeper ' yet It returned 38mpg at motorway speeds on a trip to Switzerland

For a Teachers/Geeks car, I think these V70's are pretty cool! Great review, thanks Mat.

I was the first owner in 1998 of a Volvo S40 T4 CD variant in Forest Green with tan leather interior, reg n° R98 PMO. At the time my oldest was 7 and our youngest 3. I optioned the ratchet up booster seat squabs that you mention when I originally ordered the car, along with the winter pack too. So they're nothing new to Volvo but they were brilliant. And for a 2.0 litre car it could out sprint most cars at the traffic light grand prix. And it topped out at 146mph (speedo) because I emptied the fuel tank on the old M10 south of St Albans and my assistant at the time also achieved it on the A1 between the M25 and Stirling Corner. Interestingly enough I am a member of the NT. I am also a mathematician by degree and most certainly not a geography teacher. And a retired accountant and actuary to boot. However, I don't have leather patches on any of my Gieves & Hawkes suit jackets, overcoat or pullovers. But I do have them on 2 of my casual jackets. How extraordinarily perceptive of you. You made me spill my gin and tonic.

Great review again ..... love the the tug of war quip

The most common daily driver car here in Sweden. You see it everywere you go :D. And yes... i actually think the engine in a 2,4D sounds good

Love the Reg Varney reference!

Lovely bus. Really like these. I've got a grā for an xc70. It's an itch I'll need to scratch at some stage. Thanks for the review 👍🙂

Thank you Matt , another wonderful review. 2000 traffic cops can’t be wrong ! And those poxy cones have gotta go somewhere! Love the interiors actually; they are clean and minimal and would 99% of things , 99% of the time . Loved the “ Archers OR radio 4” comment !! I won’t point out that the Archers is ON radio 4! I’m off to watch Kat Slater or Eastenders ! 😂

Always liked the v70, strong purposeful and practical. The v90 really does look smart too

I'm a wagon guy, love Volvos and Mercs wagons 🎉🤩

Loved the Reg Varney quip. I doubt many of your followers will even know who he was. Turning circle of a bus comes to mind. Great review .

no gimmicks ! great review thanks 10/10

Prefer my V70 P2 to my e61 M5 with silly miles, won't sell the M because I love it, but, I love the V70 for all the reasons the e61 can't touch. - Build quality, economy, the character of the engine (yes really!) comfort, the knowledge that it just won't break. The e61 M5 is wonderful, which is why mine carries so many miles, but, the V70 D5 beats it in so many ways, it's frankly embarrassing to BMW. Another excellent video, love your channel.

I love Volvos mind you I am43!😂 and my dad drove a Volvo 240gl in the early 80’s

Volvo has become rather cool, when I was young my dad had a 244 GLE great car but not that cool, recently I've followed Volvo on FB and there are some seriously stunning vehicles on there. Great review thank you, Cheers

I'll rewatch this from my 2013 D3 (5cyl, natch) SE, through the Advanced stereo, while the winter pack heated seats do thier thing... 😁🚘 You're right about the handbrake being crap, the seats don't hold you quite well enough, and in a manual the cupholders are in the wrong place.

Another excellent review. Thank you! I have always loved Volvos for their quality feel, solid reliable motors, nice to drive and comfy. Cheers

Just bought one of these, a 2013 T4 with 142000 km on the clock. Really like it so far: tons of space, comfortable and a pretty fuel efficient engine. Unless it breaks down completely, I can’t see myself getting rid of it for 10 years at least👍

As a fanboy of Volvos, I do like the 5 cylinder sounds. I have a 2017 V60 Cross Country T5 with the Drive-E turbo 4 now and while I miss the howl of my 2006 S60 T5, I love the fuel economy of the 4 banger. I have a 6.5cm thick stack of records on my '06 with everything from PCV kits, to tail light housings, to control arm bolts from the dealer. Honestly, I can't wait to get to that point with my V60. I'm curious to see how well it will drive with a set of aftermarket anti-roll bars and Bilstein shocks like I had on my '06.

Another great video one again, absolutely adore 5 cylinder engines

Just about to buy one so thanks for the review!

My parents just picked up a silly clean 2012 1.6d DRIVe. I thought it would be a slug, but I was surprised by how good and drivable it felt! While they aren't exciting, they can be worth considering in my opinion. But then, if excitement is what you're after a V70 is the wrong car. I personally want one as well now to replace my Saab 9-3.

We had a brand new V70 2.4d in 2008 on a 58 plate, lovely car but the engine was shit. The fuel consumption was absolutely terrible, but the biggest problem was the DPF. AHHHHHHHHHHHH. went back to the dealers three times to have the dpf cleaned out. managed to get rid of it after two half years. It was replaced with a XC70 with the 204bhp D5 which was fantastic on fuel and no problems with the DPF.

The S60 and V70 D5 take a map really well, with noticable difference in power and fuel economy. 👍

Good review Matt. Do our driver training in petrol Volvo V70's and S60's, and they're fantastic motors. Just lack a diesel engine with a decent lump of power.

I think you're a closet V70 lover and you have a jacket in that same closet with patches on the elbows. 🤣 Another great and honest review Matt 👍

Great vid as always! I’m curious to learn your thoughts on a BMW 3 series f30? Would you do a video review on this model soon?

Another good review. Have to admit estate cars are not my cup of tea but still interesting to watch.

A friend of mine has a 2013 V70 1.6 diesel, and regularly takes it on long journeys and loves it. It has a cream leather and wood interior which actually brings out the BMW and Mercedes E Class Elegance in it. The first time I was in it, I spent a whole hour going through main roads and remote countryside and it was a joy. I found it extremely sporty and luxurious and comfortable and if Volvo wanted to offer BMW, Mercedes and Audi luxury to their customers, they did it with this one. We have a 1997 V70 2.4 diesel and it's a brilliant car. It has a valour interior which is extremely comfortable and I feel car manufacturers should start offering velour interiors to their customers again

Canadian here. Looking to import a V70 from Sweden for my next winter vehicle. They do make a stylish minimalist car

Great review as always , peppered with humour . Safe car I reckon ,and it’s what you make it. .

Pre pandemic, any second hand book fair looked like a Volvo V70 rally in the vendors' parking area. Difficult to beat a Volvo for shifting boxes of books. Good review - the prices are in the genuine bargain bracket.

Living in Kent now and realise I watch half of the videos to see if I can spot places from my old stomping ground🤣 But they are good. Keep it up, and for the first time ever I've pressed a Subscribe button

Great video very informative definitely fancy Volvo v70 suit me fine👍

7 months in and I'm still not used to the handbrake. 5 cylinder sound between 2 and 3k rpm is lovely sound. Hope you were wearing your cords for the review 🙂

I know a few friends who have owned these. All say best car they've had especially with the 2.4 5 cylinder diesel. They like the mix of power and practicality. Economy much better than you would expect too.

Like these but prefer the front end of the previous generation.

I love mine. High quality engineering is intrinsically engaging. I neither want nor need a car with multicoloured flashing dash displays like a tap room fruit machine. I don’t want to talk to my car.. Volvo gives you everything you need and nothing more. Check out Zlatan’s ad for the V70 on You Tube. It’s marketed as a vehicle for modern day Vikings in Sweden...! Great review, thanks.

Great, fair and useful review. The Volvo seats are second only to Saab so well pointed out and yes the audio system is very good. That dam parking brake switch is fragile and designed by the devil, I managed to break mine off in my hand but not be fore driving where it would apply itself. Otherwise I loved the Volvo and it's great load carrying abilities.

One of my first motors was a V40, always been a fan of Volvos, at least in part because they’re Swedish and so are designed to be comfortable for the very tall people who live in Sweden, so at 6’4 I’m right in their target demographic and find them very roomy which is rare 😆

Always had a soft spot for the V70, had a Volvo in the past and just found it a reliable work horse.

I remember road trips in the "before times". 😢 Like the car. The boxy old Volvos are hipster bait now, full circle on the coolness chart. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Well as we are not looking at anything this year, think I'll pass and just keep my Fiesta but thanks for the mention concerning Sleeping Arrangements in the rear, though that was a clever dig without naming names, as you know me on here I'm all about comfort when driving and sleeping - thus saving Hotel bills. Cheers Matt.

About time you did a review on a Subaru outback 2015-2019! I own one, would you believe it!😉. Maybe they're not that common in Britain? Subarus are loved by auto magazines here in Sweden.

That Reg Varney reference is gonna totally bemuse plenty more than just me.

I have the xc70 d5 for my work car . It's so comfortable and easy to live with. Mine is a mk3 and does everything I need . Great review as usual.

Excellent cars - great review

Ah yes, the Euro Dawn French Comfort Rating. Definitely 5 Star score there :-) Jeremy Clarkson reckoned that the booster seats were probably designed by a Volvo engineer that had kids. Makes you wonder why such a clever idea is not found in more cars. Do like the intuitive heating/ventilation controls, simple and functional with great design.

In love with Volvos, Iv got a C30 coupe diesel. High maintenance but solid AF.

The V70 front passenger seat also folds forward to give even more space for carrying those longer bits of gear. 2 levers underneath the rear of the seat. As you say the front suspension legs wear quicker on the MK3 due to Ford influence. Rear suspension trailing arm bushes also wear/ delaminate after about 50/'60k and make a loud squeaking from the back seat area. Let down by the noisy engine especially in the low years although the D5 if looked after is bullet proof. I might be tempted back to Volvo but compared to Jaguar XF the don't stand much chance. Good honest review 👍