Whatever model you decide make sure you google transmission issues on it to see if there are any.

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Jim

Is there a specific model and year that you would recommend I target?

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Steven
1989 260E (276K miles)
1995 E320 (50K miles)

Not a big fan of the V70. Worked on one, opened it up to get the head done. Nonexistent rustproofing (holes in engine bits, support cross-members completely gone, bolts...), overly computerized piece of garbage. The transmission went into limp mode after my friend and I were done with the engine... flashing the computer cured the problem.

Extremely solid-feeling, comfortable cars. However, prepare to pay the premium of Volvo's (Ford's) engineering flaws.

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[GONE] - 1995 Mercedes E300 Diesel - 130k miles - Smoke Silver (702) over Mushroom leather (265) - Bladder blasting, coast-to-coast work machine.

I had forgotten but I've got a customer who has a 99 S70 that was in for service today. Only 95k miles on the car and it is a non turbo. It is not a bad little car. Based on reviewing the cars maintenance records it has not cost her much money to keep going since purchasing it new.

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Jim

I have a 98 V70 shop wagon and V70's have served me well. Especially give props to the one that was hit in the nose by an old man in a new Dodge Ram pickup, and my wife emerged with only bruises.
I have no transmission issues with my current one--because it is a STICK! Good luck finding another one of those..Really fun to drive and very cheap to run. But my previous ones had automatics with 176k and 297k, both were replaced once, not unreasonable wear. Mine has 217k, the AC is really cold, and it's comfortable. A little smaller than a 124 wagon, but those are not exactly cheap to repair either. The fact is that ALL cars have issues, it's just a matter of what you want to and can live with, and how much you trust the guy you want to fix it.
Cheap wagons are espcailly great for Home Depot, dogs, and the occasional rock star gig. I always will buy one if there's a good one out there, be it Benz, volvo, or E39 BMW.

Sadly you can't blame the flaws on Ford. Volvo developed their original FWD car, the 850, with Renault (with whom they were supposed to merge at one time, but that was killed off by popular protests to the Volvo board and the Swedish gov't). They almost got the 850 right, then re-engineered it into the toilet with the S+V70, which were a pointless facelift that accomplished nothing except to send the quality indexes into the toilet.

Sad fact: Volvo quality went up, not down, under Ford. Volvo had been deep into design concepts it didn't have the money to develop or deliver properly.

Ford stuck a band-aid on that and then gave them access to platforms and engineering they could not have afforded/developed otherwise. Had Ford not come along, Volvo (Cars) would be resting comfortably alongside SAAB right now.

Back to the OP questions.

Be careful here, people are mixing up two generations of V70 and XC70 in this thread. The first gen, from 1997 to 2000, is not really the same car as the one the OP was asking about (an early 2000s).

The only analogy I can think of in the Mercedes world would be to speak about first- and second-generation w124s in the same breath.

I was in the Volvo world for decades. I am surprised there aren't more ex-Volvo types on this list, there are on other Mercedes lists.

Vandor might remember me from my old times handle from the Volvo world, where I was a pariah because I dared to, from time to time, heap scorn on their old holy of holies, the RWD platforms. I was cast out as unclean . Banished from our local club as well, actually. Fun-loving group, the Volvo crowd....

Volvo has been shovelling snark for decades and calling it cotton candy. They lost their page back in the late 1980s, as far as I am concerned.

But old habits die hard. I was about ready to plunk down for an '03 XC70, when my current '85 300d dropped in my lap.

Volvo for life (cough, gag, spit)

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

This.



my '98 V70R by 120,xxx was plagued with problems.

leaks, ABS/Tracs module, tumbler, AWD issues, by 150-175k you're looking at thousands in parts and endless hours in labor.



Despite how long they keep going, die hard volvo owners must have much more free time than i do...

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Matthew McIvor

2016 E350 4Matic Black/Black
2007 GL450 4Matic with Off-Road Pkg Silver/Black
1995 E300 Diesel White/Gray
1994 S600 Euro Black/ Black Velour
1986 560SL Blue/Blue/Gray
1986 190E Blue/Blue 93k

I know a guy who drove Volvos for almost 30 years. His last one was a '98 S70 R Turbo. Literally. He now drives Infiniti.

The R models have been plagued with problems from the 850 on. Overpriced and under developed. The problem index on them is about double that for vanilla models.

I already pointed out in an earlier post that the 97-2000 S70/V70 is a different vehicle from what the OP was asking about.

In fairness if you want to compare a first-gen S70 to Mercedes, then compare it to an early generation w210, not a w124 or earlier. Then the playing field looks more level....

You can't give away a '99 e300 around here.

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

I found a 2004 v70 2.5t with 130k here close to me for $4500 obo...Looks pretty good but when I opened the hood the alternator and drive pulleys were covered in oil. camshaft seal? Never seen anything quite like this leak

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Current stable......
17' Rogue SV 70k
11’ Saab 9-5 NG 94k
10’ e550 4matic 185k

sold
02' e320 210k
00' e430 167k
01' e320 171k (regret sale)
91' 300d 2.5t 300k (sold to ecoofidaho)
79' 240d 177k (old yellow my avatar)
87' 300d 169k (junk but fast)
85' 300tdt 261k (RBM parts delivery)
85' 300dt 68k (one owner cream puff)
82' 240d 250k
84' 300dt 198k (sold to diesel don)
91' 190e 2.3 61k
88' 260e 140k