Volvo XC70 Cross-Country

Price Paid:  $40225.00 from Best Volvo

Year / Model Reviewed:
2002 Volvo XC70

Strengths:
Smooth ride, excellent power in traffic, comfortable seating, good AWD handling in heavy Western NY winters, decent gas mileage (given size of vehicle) on highways.

Weaknesses:
Electrical sensor failures on multiple components; dealer inability to quickly diagnose problems requiring multiple "diagnostic" visits; highest octane gas required which is costly given high prices; warranty often does not cover labor costs which is unusual based upon my experience with other makers.

Summary:
I have very mixed feelings about this car one week away from it's first anniversary. The car is beautiful, heavy, comfortable, and gets reasonable gas mileage on the highway. However, within the first year I have already had it in several times for various problems. After several unsuccessful visits and under 10k miles they finally diagnosed the high pitched tuning fork sound on left turns as a backing plate rubbing against the balljoint. With just over 12k miles, two electrical sensors have blown - one to the back windshield and in the past week a sensor failed between the braking system and the cruise control. The dealer often requires multiple trips to diagnose a problem - currently we're trying to figure out why after sitting the car has difficulties accelerating - stay tuned. While the car is great in snow, I have spent more time in the Volvo repair shop in less than one year than I did in 5 years with my cheap Chevy Cavalier - a car that I only changed the oil and rotated tires on. It never even needed a tune-up. Instead, the Volvo is beginning to remind me of my first car - a nightmarish 1988 Toyoto Corolla All-Trac lemon which started out with many "small" issues that grew larger over time. Based on Toyota's warranty coverage and customer service, I swore I would never buy another of their cars. We are already beginning to consider unloading the Volvo after the two year warranty is up if we have any additional troubles this year. To date, while we love the comfort and AWD function in snow, the Volvo has been a repair headache and a great disappointment with respect to repairs.

Similar Products Used:
Toyota Corolla All-Trac Chevy Cavalier Subaru Forrester

Price Paid:  $41000.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
2001 V70 Cross Country

Strengths:
Overall a very nice car

Weaknesses:
At day 5 of ownership the engine shut down while I was driving 70 MPH, I had to coast to the shoulder

Summary:
WARNING, WARNING, WARNING. After my car shut down at 70 MPH I did a web search. There were at least two other cases just like this reported by other XC owners. This seems to be a SERIOUS problem Volvo hasn't gotten around to acknowledging yet. This could prove to be a fatal mechanical failure in rush hour traffic.

Similar Products Used:
None

Price Paid:  $40000.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
2001 XC70

Strengths:
safety components, exterior styling, decent hp, plenty of cargo space, ground clearance, great leather seating

Weaknesses:
Fuel economy, lack of trim details,

Summary:
Purchased the XC in January of 01 and so far have had none of the problems other buyers have experienced. The only minor glitch was a sticky keyless remote which the dealer rectified immediately. Just returned from a 6 day kayaking trip on Vancouver Island in which I took the XC on an 85 km. journey over a pot hole riddled logging road. It handled the rough ride amazingly well at an average speed of 65 km/hr. with a full load of gear, passengers and two 17 ft. seakayaks strapped to it's top. My only complaint would be the less than impresive fuel economy which averages about 11 litres/100 km. combined. I love the quality and workmanship of the leather seating but must admit that Volvo could have upgraded the wood trim on the front console a bit more seeing that this is in the category of a luxury vehicle. The handling is quite responsive for such a heavy vehicle of it's class and power is more than adequate for most highway passing environments. The XC may not be the vehicle for all prospective buyers, but more than fits the bill for anyone wishing to purchase a vehicle that offers luxury, cargo space, handling, utilitarianism, and safety features all in a complete package that most SUV's don't. The acid test will be the cold and snowy Canadian winters and harsh road conditions.

Similar Products Used:
Subaru H6 3.0 - Terrific car, but did not offer the interior cargo and roof carrying capacity that the Volvo did.

Price Paid:  $41000.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
2001 XC

Strengths:
Seats. Looks. Ground clearance. Safety features.

Weaknesses:
The fuel mileage doesn't seem that great (I'm averaging 20 mpg), but in reality, it's right in line with other cars of its weight and power. The tires (Pirelli Scorpion) are a bit noisy, but are great in the snow.

Summary:
We are extremely happy with this car. We traded in a 1998 Toyota 4Runner for it, and have not regretted it. We were not at all unhappy with the 4Runner, the XC just fit our needs better.
The seats are among the most comfortable I've sat it, and adjustable to fit virtually anyone's needs. I'm 6' 3", and I don't need the seat all the way back.
There are 3 12V outlets, one in front, one in the back seat, and one in the cargo area. Very convenient. We bought the optional refrigerator for the back seat, which plugs into one of these. Great for long trips!
The tri-fold rear seats are well designed and very easy to operate. We got the optional third-row seat option, which has two shoulder belts. We've only used it once so far, but I'm sure it will come in handy in a pinch. Very easy to open and close.
The roof rack is very well done. It's solid, and designed to look like it actually goes with the car. I bought the cross bars, and the bike rack to go with them, and am very happy with them.
The car is fantastic in the snow. Very good grip, and very hard to spin (I've tried).
There are less expensive competitors (BMW, Subaru), and more expensive ones (Mercedes, Audi), so four stars for value. There are competitors with more power (Mercedes, Audi), more room (Mercedes), more style (Audi, BMW, Mercedes), so I'll give it four stars overall. We looked at all of these, and considering all factors, chose the Volvo.

Similar Products Used:
1998 Toyota 4Runner. The Volvo doesn't have the cargo space of the 4Runner, nor is it quite as rugged, but it's much more comfortable, lower (less prone to rollovers), and has more safety features (side airbags, head protection system). Plus, it's much more comfortable, especially on long trips.

Year / Model Reviewed:
2001 XC70

Strengths:
Very comfortable on long trips. almost no wind noise. Extremely safe. Volvo claims this is their safest car ever designed. ergo interior. great storage space.

Weaknesses:
substantial problems. poor dealer service-inability to fix problem. poorly designed 4wd. if you blow one tire, all have to be replaced. the tires must be within very tight parameters for wear, so as not to ruin the 4wd system and be faced w/ a $4k repair bill.
window controls are very touchy. engine could use a little more power, though what it has is generally fine. looses almost all of its ground clearance when the car is loaded down.

Summary:
This vehicle has been a disapointment from day 1. We have had numerous electrical problems and the left front turn signal repeatedly and intermitantly fails causing the side and rear signals to flash rapidly. The dealer keeps replacing bulbs, but this does not seem to help for more than a few months. We have also had problems with the windows, sun roof, and keyless entry. I wouldn't recomend this car to anyone.

Similar Products Used:
94 jeep cherokee-had 170k miles on it without a single problem-even on original clutch