1998 Volvo V70 consumer reviews

I've always wanted a black V70 5 speed manual. I just picked one up, unbelievable! The car has 231000 miles on it and it runs and drives better than some new cars I've test driven! Performance and handling is pleasantly surprising, far better what one might expect out of a soccer mom mobile! And I'm averaging out 24mpg in mixed driving conditions. I would highly reccomend this vehicle to anyone who is looking for a reliable well performing vehicle with tons of space for all your cargo needs!

This car has changed my life. It has introduced me to the world of DIY!. Truly, I could change the rear rotors and pads if I was struck blind. Have done so over the last eight years many times. Upper rear strut mounts, replaced DYI! Air pump? DYI, went online, found out how to upgrade an air pump off a VW and away you go! I could go on, but seriously I know this car inside and out. Replaced and repaired many apart and have gotten to know many helpful people along the way. If you want to drive and have someone else do the work you will go broke. It's heavy, eats tires and brakes. My wife loves it, feels safe, and it will go through 2 feet of snow and ask for more. So... love, hate, learn, and laugh. Recommend to a friend who likes to work on their own cars and find used parts online.

I have a love/hate thing going with my '98 Volvo Cross Country wagon. I purchased it used in Dec. of '03 with 163K miles on it. The body and interior were in terrific shape and still look very good. The previous owner was a salesman and he turned over a lot of the service records and took the car to Volvo every 5,000 religiously. The records showed a number of significant repairs but primarily excessive brake jobs. Now the car has 198K miles and I have yet to do any brake work. He must have been on the brakes hard a lot! The motor has been great, lots of power and does not use excessive oil between changes. The transmission shifts perfectly and no problems. Yet when things do go wrong this is one expensive Volvo to repair. A new fuel pump was $1,000! With over 160K miles I was not surprised by a lot of front suspension repairs due to wear and tear, but still $2,000! The fuel guage stopped working and to repair it the estimate is $1,200 because this car has 2 fuel tanks. So I just fill the tank every 300 miles regardless of what the guage reads. The power window driver's side stopped working. A new switch took care of it, but it was $250. This is an expensive car to keep on the road. Yet in the winter this is simply an awesome car! With 4 snow tires AWD, Traction Control, and ABS it will go anywhere regardless of snow depth. It is super comfortable on long trips. Being a wagon it is a very practical "hauler" for everything from my snow blower, to building materials. It seems to run great for a year or so and then one of those repairs comes along that makes me wonder should I put more money in this thing? But the new Volvo's are not signifantly better or more comfortable and a new one cost $500 to 600 every month for years before you really own it. So another $1,000 looks more rational when compared to $500 every month! So my Volvo remains on the road. Today it is running great, but I know that a brake job is looming. If you get a kick out of keeping a car running past 200K miles perhaps you should get one of these Volvos. I expect mine will look great and run great as long as I am willing to spend about $1,500 to 2,000 a year on repairs.

No comparrison - far better, than ANY Mazda, Honda, Infiniti, Acura or Nissan I've owned. Corners tight, most comfort hands down, no cooling and water pump issues such as those found in my Hondas, no engine failue, trany malfunctions or multiple axel replacement common in the Mazda Millenia, 626 and Mazda 6 that I just dumped for a new Volvo. Should have stuck with Volvo. I am happy with the new features of the new 80 and will continue to buy Volvo. Most relaible cars I've ever owned. 30,000 to 50,000 hard driven miles a year - the the Japanese cars don't even come close to holding up... also recommend GM 3800's.

The 1998 Volvo V70 T5 is an absolutely amazing car. It is fun to drive, practical, fuel efficient, and safe. I average over 20mpg in city driving. I get over 26 on the highway. The V70 T5 has 2.3 turbocharged 5 cylinder that produces 236 horsepower at 5100rpm and 243 ft. lbs of torque at only 2700rpm. It is a rocket. The 0-60 time is just 6.9 seconds with the automatic! The top speed is over 150mph. There is some turbo lag, because it has a "high pressure" turbo (12 psi of boost). This one in particular has a 4 speed automatic with sport, economy, and winter modes. It feels somewhat ordinary in economy mode. In sport mode it is a different car. It down shifts more often and holds the gears longer. The engine has a wonderful sound especially at high rpms (4500 to 6200). The interior is very nice. Overall it is a great car.