Volvo V50 T5, talk to me...
Discussion
Currently have a mki MX5 and a slightly tatty Volvo V40.
We're having a baby in December and I'm thinking of putting the MX5 into storage for a couple of years and having one car that I'm happy to drive the baby in and the other half doesn't mind driving.
I have a bit of a thing for Volvo estates and the V50 T5 really appeals.
Thoughts? Is the AWD one worth having, slightly slower but might be nice for winter?
Any advice would be great.
We're having a baby in December and I'm thinking of putting the MX5 into storage for a couple of years and having one car that I'm happy to drive the baby in and the other half doesn't mind driving.
I have a bit of a thing for Volvo estates and the V50 T5 really appeals.
Thoughts? Is the AWD one worth having, slightly slower but might be nice for winter?
Any advice would be great.
Vaud said:
AWD is okay, depends where you live. A good set of steel rims on 16/17" and squishy winter tyres can conquer most things.
Where I live is fine, but my work is basically in a very steep valley and I'm a little concerned as to how I'll get in if it snows (that said I have considered leaving the car at the top of the hill and walking the rest of the way). AWD does appeal though if it isn't more expensive to maintain.Sounds like a good well thought out solution. The comment re winter tyres is sensible though.
Re comment about The A4. The A4 Q is a great car if you can live with its chav/small time crook image.
Not sure which of the 2 cars costs more.
I'm also not sure if there is any point storing the MX5 but if you like it then why not.
Re comment about The A4. The A4 Q is a great car if you can live with its chav/small time crook image.
Not sure which of the 2 cars costs more.
I'm also not sure if there is any point storing the MX5 but if you like it then why not.
Regarding storing the MX5, you might well be right.
My reasoning is that I really like the car but it isn't really practical atm, it's a mki import, no rsu and I'm just getting it set up how I like it.
Fiancee's parents have a farm so would be dry stored and her father would run it around on private land every few weeks.
I figure decent mkis aren't going to get much cheaper (and they're not worth that much anyway) so might as well keep it, I am aware that I am a bit of a hoarder though so may be kidding myself.
My reasoning is that I really like the car but it isn't really practical atm, it's a mki import, no rsu and I'm just getting it set up how I like it.
Fiancee's parents have a farm so would be dry stored and her father would run it around on private land every few weeks.
I figure decent mkis aren't going to get much cheaper (and they're not worth that much anyway) so might as well keep it, I am aware that I am a bit of a hoarder though so may be kidding myself.
My wife still has my old S40 T5, I wouldn't get too hung up about trying to find an AWD model, normal T5's are hard enough to come by. Autotrader only has 24 S40/V50's for the whole country, and only 2 of them appear to be AWD.
Issues? Fuel pressure sensor, air con, crankcase breather, suspension top mounts, are all common weak points.
Options worth looking for: Winter Pack (Bi-Xenon's & heated seats) and Dolby Pro Logic stereo, ours has both. Headlamps are something else, like 500w flood lights! And the stereo is superb.
Running costs. Servicing is not cheap, it takes 6 litres of high spec oil, so your looking at the best part of £50 worth of oil even if you change it yourself. Plugs, Iridium, £10 each, 5 of them. etc. I did a full service on ours last year and it was ~£130 just for the parts from a highly competitive local factor.
We've had ours 5 years now, if you need to know anything else, just ask.
Issues? Fuel pressure sensor, air con, crankcase breather, suspension top mounts, are all common weak points.
Options worth looking for: Winter Pack (Bi-Xenon's & heated seats) and Dolby Pro Logic stereo, ours has both. Headlamps are something else, like 500w flood lights! And the stereo is superb.
Running costs. Servicing is not cheap, it takes 6 litres of high spec oil, so your looking at the best part of £50 worth of oil even if you change it yourself. Plugs, Iridium, £10 each, 5 of them. etc. I did a full service on ours last year and it was ~£130 just for the parts from a highly competitive local factor.
We've had ours 5 years now, if you need to know anything else, just ask.
Thanks Megaflow, that's really useful.
This one looked decent to me;
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121183326050?ssPageName=...
Has Pirelli P-Zeros all round which sounded positive but no evidence of a belt change (they said they would go halves on the cost of this).
I did actually see a Legacy Spec B and thought it looked decent but I do have this thing for Volvos...
This one looked decent to me;
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121183326050?ssPageName=...
Has Pirelli P-Zeros all round which sounded positive but no evidence of a belt change (they said they would go halves on the cost of this).
I did actually see a Legacy Spec B and thought it looked decent but I do have this thing for Volvos...
The V50 shares its engine with the Focus ST/RS (And Smax/Mondeo) along with some of the bigger Volvos of that era.
The engine is proven but as it isn't especially economical I'd go for a non-AWD one and budget for a set of winter tyres.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
The engine is proven but as it isn't especially economical I'd go for a non-AWD one and budget for a set of winter tyres.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
blade7 said:
I don't see many chav/crooks driving A4 Avants 
. I had a V50 briefly and it was a Ford Focus with a Volvo badge. The quattro has a much better 4wd setup too.
It is hardly a Focus with a Volvo badge it shares a platform and mechanicals as many cars do not unlike any number of the VAG clones do with each other , also the AWD is perfectly acceptable for what the OP wants it to accomplish he did not ask if it could be bettered and unfortunately the less desirable side of society do like to ponce about in any Audi they can get there hands on festooning them with tints, s-line badging, oversized wheels from other cars in the Audi range so I see the sentiment . I had a V50 briefly and it was a Ford Focus with a Volvo badge. The quattro has a much better 4wd setup too.chrisw666 said:
The V50 shares its engine with the Focus ST/RS (And Smax/Mondeo) along with some of the bigger Volvos of that era.
The engine is proven but as it isn't especially economical I'd go for a non-AWD one and budget for a set of winter tyres.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
That looks like a good deal but cloth seats are a deal breaker sadly.The engine is proven but as it isn't especially economical I'd go for a non-AWD one and budget for a set of winter tyres.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...
I spend a fair bit of time stuck in traffic and fancy a nice interior.
I fancy a Volvo but if there's something that is much better I am open to other ideas.
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