V70 163 v's V70 185 - What should I look for when buying?
Discussion
Seriously looking at another V70 D5...
Sold my last one (D5 163) to my now girlfriend. I needed a 7 seater (numerous kids). Initially went for an XC90 197 but the 26mpg was crippling. Swapped that out for a Nissan XTrail... hate the hateful turd of a thing. Yes it’s frugal, yes the tech inside is nice, but a small piece of me dies every time I drive it.
A rarely use the 7 seat ability, so am beginning to wonder if the occasional use boot seats of the pre 2006 V70 would be enough for me.
Having convinced myself that the answer is yes, I have started browsing for a 7 seat, manual D5.
I’ve found a lovely 2006, manual D5 in black. Unfortunately it’s not the spec I like, only half leather and no heated seats... but, it’s competitively priced, just run in at 140k and ticks all the other boxes.
What’s a man to do
Sold my last one (D5 163) to my now girlfriend. I needed a 7 seater (numerous kids). Initially went for an XC90 197 but the 26mpg was crippling. Swapped that out for a Nissan XTrail... hate the hateful turd of a thing. Yes it’s frugal, yes the tech inside is nice, but a small piece of me dies every time I drive it.
A rarely use the 7 seat ability, so am beginning to wonder if the occasional use boot seats of the pre 2006 V70 would be enough for me.
Having convinced myself that the answer is yes, I have started browsing for a 7 seat, manual D5.
I’ve found a lovely 2006, manual D5 in black. Unfortunately it’s not the spec I like, only half leather and no heated seats... but, it’s competitively priced, just run in at 140k and ticks all the other boxes.
What’s a man to do
wiliferus said:
Seriously looking at another V70 D5...
Sold my last one (D5 163) to my now girlfriend. I needed a 7 seater (numerous kids). Initially went for an XC90 197 but the 26mpg was crippling. Swapped that out for a Nissan XTrail... hate the hateful turd of a thing. Yes it’s frugal, yes the tech inside is nice, but a small piece of me dies every time I drive it.
A rarely use the 7 seat ability, so am beginning to wonder if the occasional use boot seats of the pre 2006 V70 would be enough for me.
Having convinced myself that the answer is yes, I have started browsing for a 7 seat, manual D5.
I’ve found a lovely 2006, manual D5 in black. Unfortunately it’s not the spec I like, only half leather and no heated seats... but, it’s competitively priced, just run in at 140k and ticks all the other boxes.
What’s a man to do
Was it purchased....................Sold my last one (D5 163) to my now girlfriend. I needed a 7 seater (numerous kids). Initially went for an XC90 197 but the 26mpg was crippling. Swapped that out for a Nissan XTrail... hate the hateful turd of a thing. Yes it’s frugal, yes the tech inside is nice, but a small piece of me dies every time I drive it.
A rarely use the 7 seat ability, so am beginning to wonder if the occasional use boot seats of the pre 2006 V70 would be enough for me.
Having convinced myself that the answer is yes, I have started browsing for a 7 seat, manual D5.
I’ve found a lovely 2006, manual D5 in black. Unfortunately it’s not the spec I like, only half leather and no heated seats... but, it’s competitively priced, just run in at 140k and ticks all the other boxes.
What’s a man to do
Stedman said:
Sorry, just seen this. Good to hear, still local albeit in Pound Hill/Worth now. Be good to see you 
Pretty much back "home" now, The XC90 went a while back for a hateful Freelander 2 that's coming my way, not sure what I'm going to do with it to be honest.V70 on 216000 currently and will rise at a swift rate as doing almost 1000 miles per week at the moment. I have a Focus ST which is fun, I will take stock of all the cars during the year and probably move a couple on as fancy a toy of some kind in the summer, maybe the ST may become an RS?
I was Pound Hill before Maidenbower, enjoyed that better than the soulless estate......
Roger Woods said:
Was it purchased....................
Gah! I’m so close. But... I’m not sure I can. Trading from a 14 plate car with a manufacturers warranty to a 56 plate car which may bring trouble...? I don’t know. My heart says V70 all day long... sensible head says keep the XTrail as it does everything I need it to do, it’s just not what I want.The answer is obviously to get drunk and make an ill advised blind long distance purchase
It was bought!
Thrilled is an understatement. Was exactly as described, and it’s wanted for nothing! Clutch and cam belt have indeed been done, had discs and pads all round, suspension bushes have had a refresh. Engine and transfer box oil have been changed, and it’s on 6mm of Michelin’s.
The only thing it needs if I can be bothered is the alloys need a refurb as they are pretty scabby.
I’ve never had a 183 with a manual box (had a 163 manual, and a 197 XC90 auto). It’s a cracking drive! Plenty of power, lovely delivery, and mated to the AWD makes it pretty swift when you hustle it along.
One happy man!
Thrilled is an understatement. Was exactly as described, and it’s wanted for nothing! Clutch and cam belt have indeed been done, had discs and pads all round, suspension bushes have had a refresh. Engine and transfer box oil have been changed, and it’s on 6mm of Michelin’s.
The only thing it needs if I can be bothered is the alloys need a refurb as they are pretty scabby.
I’ve never had a 183 with a manual box (had a 163 manual, and a 197 XC90 auto). It’s a cracking drive! Plenty of power, lovely delivery, and mated to the AWD makes it pretty swift when you hustle it along.
One happy man!
I’m so much happier being back in a Volvo.
My friends don’t understand... swapping a £14k modern SUV for a £3k old estate... but it’s just so so much better.
To do list is the alloy refurb, and get a Bluetooth kit that streams music put in.
I also noticed last night that the HIDs have an occasional flicker so I might be due a new pair of bulbs, which look quite pricey!
My friends don’t understand... swapping a £14k modern SUV for a £3k old estate... but it’s just so so much better.
To do list is the alloy refurb, and get a Bluetooth kit that streams music put in.
I also noticed last night that the HIDs have an occasional flicker so I might be due a new pair of bulbs, which look quite pricey!
wiliferus said:
I’m so much happier being back in a Volvo.
My friends don’t understand... swapping a £14k modern SUV for a £3k old estate... but it’s just so so much better.
To do list is the alloy refurb, and get a Bluetooth kit that streams music put in.
I also noticed last night that the HIDs have an occasional flicker so I might be due a new pair of bulbs, which look quite pricey!
See if you can get the Polestar remap to 205bhp from a Volvo dealer for this, it really fattens up the mid range. Aftermarket remaps offer much more but my driveshaft/clutch/gearbox experiences suggest it's best to be conservative.My friends don’t understand... swapping a £14k modern SUV for a £3k old estate... but it’s just so so much better.
To do list is the alloy refurb, and get a Bluetooth kit that streams music put in.
I also noticed last night that the HIDs have an occasional flicker so I might be due a new pair of bulbs, which look quite pricey!
HID bulbs are available from OSRAM etc and while they are expensive they last 15 years or so and are so much better than halogens you pay it with a smile!
So I currently run a 2004 V70 D5 manual with over 220k miles. Apart from needing a service and maybe new front pads it runs great. However, I've been offered a friends 2007 V70 D5 again manual for a good price (has about 180k miles) and as its an SE has a bit more kit than mine and is probably a bit nicer looking. Is it worth the leap for a bit more power..??
wiliferus said:
From my now very recent experience, the 163 to 183 is night and day.
Don’t get me wrong the 163 is a lovely engine, with accessible torque, but the 183 just seems a bit more eager. I now own both (girlfriend has the 163) and I’d take the keys to the 183 every time.
Great feedback thanks for that... I shall have a ponder.Don’t get me wrong the 163 is a lovely engine, with accessible torque, but the 183 just seems a bit more eager. I now own both (girlfriend has the 163) and I’d take the keys to the 183 every time.
Much to the dismay of my partner the volvo continues to do whats on the tin. It's sitting on 223600 as I type and will be way into 224000 come the weekend. I have moved back to Crawley now but continue with the daily commute to Dover until the end of June. My miles are shared between my Volvo,my focus ST and my 420 BMW but mostly it's the volvo. Last week I was going in really early leaving Crawley at 430 each day coming home lunch time and over 1200 miles I got 49.7 mpg. It amazes me. Such a good all round car. I just can't see me parting with it added to the fact that when I was getting rid of the land rover a few weeks back WBAC offered me £123 for the VOLVO!!!
I've just accepted a job which will see me doing 120 miles a day. Time to give the 163 a big old service and watch the miles rack up!
Can't think of a better car to be piling mileage onto, no depreciation left to speak of, and with a cheapo Aldi Bluetooth gizmo it has all the toys I need.
It's currently on 115k (2005) so I'm hoping the Volvo can manage the commute for longer than I can
Can't think of a better car to be piling mileage onto, no depreciation left to speak of, and with a cheapo Aldi Bluetooth gizmo it has all the toys I need.
It's currently on 115k (2005) so I'm hoping the Volvo can manage the commute for longer than I can
Up until recently I was running a 2005 V70 D5 SE manual with the 163bhp engine, the much sought after face-lift body but with the old lump and despite being bought at the cheaper end of the market with a few miles, it had clearly been well looked after and money spent. It had a few issues initially, wouldn't run right and assorted boost issues which were resolved and it soldiered on, only needing a MAF, the alternator pulley and drop links. It'd gladly return nigh on 50mpg if trundling around and went rather well too.
Recently it started getting a bit wayward at speed, the handbrake all but gave up (they all do that sir) and the steering developed a notch... in short it needed some time and money invested which I would have done had the bodywork not been getting rather poor with rust on all four arches, so I decided enough was enough, it had done it's job, owed me nothing and I bailed out before it let me down or devalued itself further.
I was intending on buying something newer / faster / better but 3 weeks without a car started to create undue tension and stress (rural life, one car is a ball ache!) so after some intense searching revealed bugger all that appealed, I got desperate and did a "shed money within 100 miles search" in a bid to buy anything legal really. However, a 2006 V70 D5 SE Auto popped up, look clean enough and was getting cheaper so went and had a look, ignored all the warnings about swirl flaps, Geartronic boxes and such like and bought it anyway.
So, out of the fire and into the frying pan as far as cars go but it does drive rather well, far more composed (aka, less ruined) than my last and it's noticeably quicker too, more so mid range and when changing manually. Tiny bit of scabbing on the NSF arch but nothing to worry about. The Geartronic box, a hateful piece of crap at the best of times and needless to say this one has the 'standard issue / high mileage / is it buggered yet' shunt into third when pressing on hard but if driven normally, it's ok. Have since fixed the swirl flap issues, new arm and repair kit plus a few other niggles and its returning 40mpg which isn't as good as the 163bhp manual but that's to be expected.
It's also for sale... located in Edinburgh and cheap so if anybody is in the market, nudge nudge, wink wink and all that. Nice enough car but just not something I want to invest time, money and effort on and so the hunt continues for something newer.
Recently it started getting a bit wayward at speed, the handbrake all but gave up (they all do that sir) and the steering developed a notch... in short it needed some time and money invested which I would have done had the bodywork not been getting rather poor with rust on all four arches, so I decided enough was enough, it had done it's job, owed me nothing and I bailed out before it let me down or devalued itself further.
I was intending on buying something newer / faster / better but 3 weeks without a car started to create undue tension and stress (rural life, one car is a ball ache!) so after some intense searching revealed bugger all that appealed, I got desperate and did a "shed money within 100 miles search" in a bid to buy anything legal really. However, a 2006 V70 D5 SE Auto popped up, look clean enough and was getting cheaper so went and had a look, ignored all the warnings about swirl flaps, Geartronic boxes and such like and bought it anyway.
So, out of the fire and into the frying pan as far as cars go but it does drive rather well, far more composed (aka, less ruined) than my last and it's noticeably quicker too, more so mid range and when changing manually. Tiny bit of scabbing on the NSF arch but nothing to worry about. The Geartronic box, a hateful piece of crap at the best of times and needless to say this one has the 'standard issue / high mileage / is it buggered yet' shunt into third when pressing on hard but if driven normally, it's ok. Have since fixed the swirl flap issues, new arm and repair kit plus a few other niggles and its returning 40mpg which isn't as good as the 163bhp manual but that's to be expected.
It's also for sale... located in Edinburgh and cheap so if anybody is in the market, nudge nudge, wink wink and all that. Nice enough car but just not something I want to invest time, money and effort on and so the hunt continues for something newer.
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