2004 Volvo XC70 consumer reviews

Recently, I purchased a 2004 Volvo XC70 Cross Contry from Volvo of Lisle (great dealer!) as my first car. I needed it for college and going, literally, a"cross the country", and from what I have seen, it is a great car. The performance is good...the 2.5 I5 has great acceleration. The steering is ok, suspension is forgiving, and quietness is perfect. Of course, the safety features are excellent, it being a Volvo. I would highly recommend this car whether you want to take a hike in the middle of nowhere, or go to the big city, the Volvo XC70 delivers.

We are a family that includes a massage therapist, a master auto mechanic & a mechanical engineer in-the-works specializing in performance automotives, and collectively we have owned well over 100 different vehicles of all makes & models across 35 years. From 2-seater performance convertible sports cars, to sub compacts, to 2 & 4 door sedans, to various sizes of SUVs & trucks. We've also been in accidents ranging from low speed fender benders, to hitting utility poles, to full head on collisions, some as fast as 65 mph after braking on the highway. This 2004 Volvo XC70 has been hands down, by a landslide, the best vehicle we've ever owned and that includes the multiple other Volvo's throughout the years as well. Some have been made during the Ford era of Volvo ownership but most have been pure Swedish Volvo. Even though this model is a "Ford era" Volvo is it one amazing car! Can you tell we are not Ford fans!?! Not only is the fit & finish of Volvo high end, the quality of the materials used inside & out are sturdier than any other manufacturer uses. The cargo capacity both inside & out is more than ample & this thing handles snow better than any of the other bigger 4-wheel drive vehicles we've ever owned. The comfort of the seats is legendary, the turbo power is absolutely impressive because it's immediate & reactive, whether at 5mph or 85-90mph, and the safety engineering is unbelievable...amazingly, literally, life savingly designed!!!!! Two weeks ago, March 2017, this 2004 vehicle with over 220,000 miles on all original parts, in perfect condition, was totalled in an interstate head on collision and I cried because I can't have it back, not because of the accident itself! My front end slid up underneath the car in front of me, which was crashing into the car in front of him, which was crashing into the cement barrier to our left. My radiator crumpled at a downward angle into the motor, which crumpled down into the transmission, which immediately locked it up & destroyed the mechanicals but only cosmetically ruining the grill & hood. The rest of the vehicle however was left in perfect condition including the entire frame, the wheel hubs, steering, quarter panels & trim, everything inside the cabin, and even though the headlamp lenses & housing were obliterated the actual bulbs were still perfectly intact! Not a brake or gas pedal was bent out of place. Even all the plastic trim on the front & sides were in perfect condition. After the collision I could still maneuver the car just as easily as I could when it was running, even though it was a crumpled mess & I was being pushed by a truck to get it out of the traffic flow. I have never seen a vehicle handle a high speed collision like this one has! Volvo truly engineers the vehicle to destroy itself at all cost in order to save the driver. Because my bumper wasn't impacted the air bags did not deploy, which was wonderful and am very thankful for, and I was wearing my seatbelt, but I walked away from that accident without any damage. No cuts or scrapes, bruises anywhere, impact soreness, whiplash, or trauma to my body of any kind. I'm the massage therapist, I would know if I had! Even though this was the fastest speed & the most direct of impact out of all the accidents I have been involved in, I felt almost nothing when it crashed other than a wave of movement! Still over two weeks later I've felt nothing from the accident. I can't say enough how much we love this make & model! Once we started driving Volvo's we've always said we've become Volvo drivers forever, but our phrase has now become figuratively & literally "Volvo for Life!" I'm sad that I can't have mine back, but the upside is that I am now on the hunt for another one!

Mine is a 2004 XC 70 and it is one impressively outstanding machine. I am already looking for another one for my wife. I have had virtually every American make vehicle and a few Japanese imports but none of them compare to this car, With mileage at 148,000, it runs like it just rolled off of the assembly line and handles like a rocket sled on rails...I just regret never buying one earlier in life.

I bought this car new, currently have 250,000 miles with the original transmission. The car has really nice lines. The ride is smooth and solid. In emergency situations - quick C turns to avoid cars running a light - the car has excellent stability. It runs well on long highway trips at 79 mph, is comfortable for long rides - great back support and a seat heater, sound system is great. It handles really well on snow or ice - has the manual switch for manual transmission control for heavy winter driving as well as the w mode for general winter driving. The car is heavy enough to back a 17' boat down a steep hill into the bay and pull it out again. Made at least ten 7 hour drives with car and roof fully loaded and car was not underpowered. Exterior of car still looks great with no rust. Have had some rust issues underneath with tie rods and bearings due to partially submerging the muffler in salt water while loading the boat. Replaced the pressure control valve (PCV) about 224,000 miles. Generally the car has been extremely reliable. Important for Volvos - change the oil every 3500 miles - the car will love you. This is our 5th Volvo. We had a 240 wagon with 235,000 miles that a nanny took into a tree at 30 mph - bumper on the roof but not a scratch on her! And our 850 GLT wagon had 235,000 miles when we hit a deer at 70 mph. No injuries even though car was totaled from roof frame damage. We put all our driving-aged kids in old 240 wagons and sedans to protect them from themselves. I love this car!

We were happy to find a used XC70 to use as a utility vehicle. We had a 1987 240 Wagon that we owned for 17 years and really enjoyed getting back into one. The car seems to have more interior room than others that we tried, and so far we are finding that we feel at home again.

I really like this car. It has good pickup and rides comfortably. Lots of cargo space and nice amenities like heated power seats, cool moonroof and rich leather interior. Stereo system is good. Me likee!

I've always admired the styling of the Volvo XC70 but it wasn't until I recently purchased a used 2004 model that I understood why Volvo fans keep coming back for more. Make no mistake about it, this is not an underpowered station wagon designed for the grocery store run. It has a 2.5l turbo charged engine that offers plenty of power and even though the car is relatively heavy, it can accelerate like a Porsche when the need arises. If you are used to V8 powered SUVs, then you will love this car. Even though it is a wagon, the tough looking exterior makes it look beefy and therefore, less family hauler'esque. The front skid plate is plastic but a tough plastic at least. The overall build quality is extremely solid with heavy clunking doors and sturdy looking wheels. The long roof rails on top mean you can put anything from 9 bikes (I've actually seen this) to two kayaks and anything in between. The interior space is also impressive with a massive rear area and several hidden compartments. The XC70 drives well but I would not call it a performance car. It feels more like a type of truck with torquey acceleration and somewhat vague steering. It performs best when traveling at speed on a highway or plowing through rain soaked streets. Speaking of which and depending on the model, there is a "w" button on the shifter console that you can press which puts the car in wet and/or snow mode. This means even mashing on the pedal will cause the car to accelerate more slowly and use more of its traction controlled AWD. It's a neat feature. Additionally, my Volvo is loaded so it has all sorts of nifty features such as heated seats, an air filtration system, sunroof, rain sensing wipers (they even detect snow), built-in child booster seats and my favorite; a rear fog light. The stereo is a bit dated and there is no bluetooth but such things are not my highest priority in a used 2004 car. Perhaps the best part of the XC70 is the plush interior. Mine has leather seats and a nice thick telescoping steering wheel which is great for tall people. The trim quality is typical, solid Volvo and still looks good in 2011. There is plenty of room in the back and the rear seats fold flat for large cargo. Overall, I would highly recommend this car. True, maintenance can be pricey but mine is still under it's limited warranty and so far, I have not had any issues. Before buying used, I would make sure the car has had regular service as it does need software updates from time to time and plenty of TLC for the turbo charger. Also, I would recommend buying from a Volvo dealer in order to get roadside assistance and regular maintenance from folks who truly understand Volvos (there seem to be so many references and maintenance updates). This car is a keeper.

I purchased this car new and I had no problems until 67,500 miles then "Drive Angle Gear Assembly" had to be replaced. Two weeks later "Blower Motor and Power Stage for Blower Motor" replaced. I like the car but maintenance can be expensive.

I purchased a used 2004 Volvo XC70 in December 2010 and it was the best purchase I have made. It is an excellent car, good on gas for its size, and has plenty of room for two car seats in the back seat. Excellent in bad weather. Love the heated seats! I highly recommend anyone looking into a wagon to check into this model!

I have owned several vehicles from a Lincoln Continental to a Ford F250 Powerstroke. Volvo has the reputation for safety and I am impressed with our 2004 XC70. The positives are impressive gas mileage for a 4000lb vehicle. Very smooth, classy look. The seats wrap around you and suck you in. It's like a sofa on wheels. We also drive a Subaru Forester, again for known the safety and reliability, but the comfort level is no comparison. The negatives are turbo lag. I replaced to turbo boost valve with a ipd heavy duty valve which brought great life to the vehicle. These are Swedish cars with all the bells and whistles, but EVERYTHING is computer controlled. If you are not under warranty and aren't a back yard mechanic/tinkerer, this may not be the used vehicle for you. As with any car, treat it right, keep up on the maintenance and, as long as it's not a lemon off the line, it will serve you very well.