Early XC70 vs XC90 (2000-2005)
Discussion
Hi chaps,
just putting a question to those who've lived with these or know first-hand of them. I need a relatively robust vehicle with a decent load area and 4WD for the occasional light off-road foray along mud tracks, etc - so I've been hunting around for some options.
Volvo's XC offerings from 2000-2005 seem to fit the budget/requirements (also looking at Subaru Forester/Outback). Neighbours who have them seem to like them enough to keep them for ages and eventually just replace them with a newer version of the same model - next door are on their 3rd XC90 - which I suspect they wouldn't be if they were completely terrible.
So to the question - they both use the same diesel engines, auto gearboxes and Haldex 4WD systems with all the foibles/quirks I've looked into on PH and the Volvo uk forum. Both have similar AWD angle-gear issues and the odd electrical gremlin. Both are equal VED and similar(ish) MPG - both come pretty well kitted out as standard. Both are similarly priced locally.
XC90 would be less of a downsize coming from a big old Discovery and would potentially be my slight favourite of the two - but is it dramatically different in terms of potential ownership pitfalls to it's smaller XC70 cousin?* Ideally, has anyone ever owned both and which was easier to live with?
Thanks in advance, sorry for the wall of text!
-* I service, maintain and fix all my vehicles myself - so the only servicing/repair bilIs I tend to accrue are parts costs. I accept that any vehicle at this end of the market will need tinkering and fettling - Volvo or otherwise. So long as it is not perhaps as 'needy' on a monthly basis as my old Discovery - I would classify that as an acceptable level of reliability!
just putting a question to those who've lived with these or know first-hand of them. I need a relatively robust vehicle with a decent load area and 4WD for the occasional light off-road foray along mud tracks, etc - so I've been hunting around for some options.
Volvo's XC offerings from 2000-2005 seem to fit the budget/requirements (also looking at Subaru Forester/Outback). Neighbours who have them seem to like them enough to keep them for ages and eventually just replace them with a newer version of the same model - next door are on their 3rd XC90 - which I suspect they wouldn't be if they were completely terrible.
So to the question - they both use the same diesel engines, auto gearboxes and Haldex 4WD systems with all the foibles/quirks I've looked into on PH and the Volvo uk forum. Both have similar AWD angle-gear issues and the odd electrical gremlin. Both are equal VED and similar(ish) MPG - both come pretty well kitted out as standard. Both are similarly priced locally.
XC90 would be less of a downsize coming from a big old Discovery and would potentially be my slight favourite of the two - but is it dramatically different in terms of potential ownership pitfalls to it's smaller XC70 cousin?* Ideally, has anyone ever owned both and which was easier to live with?
Thanks in advance, sorry for the wall of text!
-* I service, maintain and fix all my vehicles myself - so the only servicing/repair bilIs I tend to accrue are parts costs. I accept that any vehicle at this end of the market will need tinkering and fettling - Volvo or otherwise. So long as it is not perhaps as 'needy' on a monthly basis as my old Discovery - I would classify that as an acceptable level of reliability!
S100HP said:
XC70 are significantly cheaper to run than XC90 I'm lead to believe. Everything on the XC90 takes more of a hammering due to weight etc, and cost more to fix. I want one, but they are the level up cost to run.
My local Volvo independent echoes the comments above ref the XC90 MK1. Some annual bills are eye-watering!This is worth a read as an insight https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Thanks for the responses chaps and the informative thread suggestion - in the meantime I ended up getting an old Subaru Forester to tool around in and generally bash about for the next couple of months. Couldn't find an XC70 locally that hadn't been used and abused (even by Volvo standards).
The Scooby seems to fit the bill for the time being (quite a capable little off-roader) - but I can definitely see myself perhaps upgrading to a D5 sometime in the future if I spend more miles on the road.
The Scooby seems to fit the bill for the time being (quite a capable little off-roader) - but I can definitely see myself perhaps upgrading to a D5 sometime in the future if I spend more miles on the road.
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