Doesn’t it almost feel like every great enthusiast car’s been discovered already? We’re living in an age of five-figure Volkswagen Cabriolets, six-figure Fox-body Mustangs, and rebuilt-title Honda S2000s that cost as much as new Civics. If everyone knows how good a car is, and it’s no longer in production, its value is going to go up. Simple supply and demand. So what about a car that flies under the radar? Something like the Volvo V50 T5 AWD.
In the pantheon of internet car-person cars, wagons hold a hallowed place, at least in North American minds. The combination of sedan-like handling with enough cargo space to swallow an antique chest makes for left-brained daily drivers that elicit fierce loyalty. To some wagon drivers, seppuku is preferable to driving a crossover. Dramatic, sure, but I get it.
The Volvo V50 T5 AWD is more than just a simple wagon. Sure, it might not be big, and it might not be the most practical wagon out there, but it represents a truly rare combination, the sort of thing that’ll probably never happen again. If you really search, and really look hard, you can find one with the holy grail: A manual transmission. Tempted?
One Big Family
Back in the early 2000s, Ford owned a lot of stuff, including huge stakes in Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Aston Martin. An umbrella so big, multiple brands had models roughly the same size in similar markets. How do you make that more cost-effective? By engineering one platform for every compact car, for instance. Different floors, sure, but the same subframes, running gear, and certain hard points would be identical across the second-generation global Ford Focus, the Mazda 3, and Volvo’s myriad small cars. This brought costs down, but also allowed enough freedom for every brand to sort of do its own thing.
Mazda kicked things off, and while the original Mazda 3 didn’t prove to be the most corrosion-resistant machine on the planet, it was handsome and drove well. A mix of Z-series and L-series engines proved adequate for every market, and pricing was remarkably reasonable. Likewise, Ford initially took a sensible approach, building a sharp and modern front-wheel-drive compact car that, sadly, would never make it to America. Why? Well, the American small car market has historically been tighter of wallet, and Ford was reportedly concerned about ramping production smoothly. As Automotive News reported, “Suppliers say Ford is worried about quality glitches after the botched launch of the current North American Focus.” As for Volvo? Well, that’s where things get interesting.
Big Dreams
Just as the European Mk2 Focus covered all bases on body styles, Volvo decided it wanted a little bit of everything. A sedan, a three-door hatchback, a hardtop convertible, and a wagon. However, because the respective S40, C30, C70, and V50 would appeal to a more well-heeled clientele than the hoi polloi Focus, the Swedish brand had a few tricks up its sleeve. No, I’m not just talking about the flying VCR remote center console.
While an inline-four is perfectly adequate for everyday transportation, it’s not the smoothest engine configuration out there. A V6 is silky, but hard to package in a small car. Thankfully, Volvo already had a lineup of inline-five-cylinder engines, and it was keen to chuck a couple under the hoods of its most affordable models. While 2.4-liter naturally aspirated variants dutifully turned out up to 168 horsepower, the fun really started with the 2.5-liter turbocharged straight-five. Initially making 217 horsepower and 236 lb.-ft. of torque, it was enough to outpower the turbocharged two-liter four-banger in the then-incoming Mk5 Volkswagen Golf GTI, and it could be hitched to a manual gearbox. Ford would go on to put it under the hood of the Focus ST, mighty good stuff. However, Volvo wasn’t done there.
As strange as it might sound to North American ears, all-wheel drive was becoming a thing in European C-segment cars. Volkswagen offered continental consumers several variants of Mk4 Golf equipped with Haldex all-wheel drive, and Audi had the A3. At the same time, the S40 and V50 would be competing for attention with the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class in America, both of which offered all-wheel-drive models. The solution was a similar sort of Haldex all-wheel-drive as Volkswagen used, which, put together with the top-shelf T5 engine, meant that Volvo once sold a genuinely compact turbocharged five-cylinder manual all-wheel-drive wagon. Fantasy stuff, the sort of car that could never make it to America, right? Guess again.
Coming To America
Yep, Volvo decided to not just homologate, but sell the stick-shift V50 T5 AWD in North America. A brave move, and one that made some sense at the time considering Volvo had real competition in the form of the row-your-own BMW 325xi Touring. So how did the V50 translate across the Atlantic?
Well, when Car And Driver tested an early automatic model, it turned out to be surprisingly quick. While zero-to-60 mph in 6.9 seconds isn’t groundbreaking today, it was enough to outrun the E46 BMW 325xi wagon and the Audi A4 3.0 Quattro. Perhaps the most surprising thing about the V50 T5 AWD, however, wasn’t the straight-line speed, but the handling. Not only was 0.85 g on the skidpad enough to beat the Audi and BMW, but the optional stability control seemed made to play.
Toss this V50 into a four-wheel drift on your favorite off-ramp, and the stability control doesn’t activate while you’re at play. However, if you do something rash, like suddenly get off the throttle in mid-drift, the rear end will start to come around, at which point the stability control steps in and brings you back to reality. This is the kind of strategy we appreciate in stability control. It’s well executed in the new V50, well worth the $695 option price, and very fitting with Volvo’s safety image.
Read between the lines, and yeah, you can drive a V50 T5 AWD like you stole it, all while experiencing great ride quality and a thoughtful interior. That floating center console really felt like the future in the mid-2000s, and that’s before you consider the lovely materials and sheer quantity of goodies on offer. A 12-speaker Dolby surround sound audio system? DVD navigation? Rear seat integrated booster cushions? Laminated side glass? If you went crazy with the options list, absolutely.
Hunting High And Low
Unsurprisingly, stick-shift examples of the Volvo V50 T5 AWD are rare in North America. The market for turbocharged wagon crazies was small even in the mid-2000s, but the cult of Volvo means that a wide enough net will pull up a handful. Want to go absolutely bargain-basement? This seemingly hail-damaged red 2007 example with 148,613 miles on the clock is up for sale in Minnesota for $1,100. That’s a ludicrously cool car for $1,100.
On a less-sticked-up note, this manual 2007 V50 T5 AWD is up for sale in Connecticut, and it looks positively standard. The seats and bodywork look to be in great shape, and it’s a high-option car, but it will require a little wrenching. The selling dealer states “The one drawback is it seems the AWD is not currently engaging, not sure it’s a Haldex or a collar sleeve issue.” That’s a gamble for an asking price of $5,700, but if a deal gets struck by someone with some real wrenching knowledge, this wagon could be spinning all four tires again.
If the logistics of a fly-and-drive are a bit of a pain, these all-wheel-drive wagons do occasionally pop up on enthusiast auction sites. Here’s a 2010 model that sold on Cars & Bids last year for $9,200. That might sound steep for a slightly dented example with 162,200 miles on the clock, but it has some noteworthy points. Not only is it a facelifted example with a slight bump in power, but it’s rocking some seriously expensive KW coilovers and Tarox brakes.
We’ll probably never see a small, upscale, turbocharged, all-wheel-drive, stick-shift wagon again on our shores, which makes the Volvo V50 T5 AWD a very if-you-know-you-know thing. Pricing is all over the map, but the one thing these have in common is that they’re within a sort-of enthusiast budget that makes them attainable.
Top graphic image: Volvo
I definitely would have looked twice at a US Spec Focus ST if it had the turbo 5 and AWD. Hell that would have given the Neon SRT4 and WRX STI drivers some real competition. obviously this Volvo was here, so if you had the money, I suppose it was an options, but for the Hot hatch crowd, I don’t know that Volvo yet had the street cred to pull people over, especially to a more formal Wagon. And of course the US version never got anything except the 2.0 Duratec. It served it’s purpose of cheap somewhat reliable transpo, but without a Halo version, it was also forgettable.
I owned this cars smaller brother, the C30 (T5, 6MT). I LOVED IT.
A few things to note about all P1 Volvos:
The seats in my C30 were AMAZING
I was looking at a 2008 C30 at the same time as my 2011 JSW, and mostly due to loan/insurance reasons I didn’t end up with the C30. I’m ok with that for the most part, but everytime I drive anything over say 100 miles, I remember those seats and lament my decision
The one place the C30 falls down is hatch space. With the seats down there is a rather large amount of space, but the hatch itself is really tiny (only the glass opens, not the whole back end). So you may have made the right choice anyway
I test drove a manual C30 when it was new and really liked how solid and mature it felt. Not as sporty to drive as a comparable GTI of course, and yes, that hatch area and opening was small compared to a Golf (or Matrix/Vibe, etc…) so I didn’t buy the C30. But to this day, every time I see one (now and then in LA) I can’t help but admire what a nice car it is, provided you don’t need max. cargo capacity or boy-racer handling.
Oh God the rear sunroof drains. The dealer had no idea and it wasn’t until an independent Volvo specialist who knew something took the whole interior apart that we got that fixed.
I have neighbors that moved from Nebraska to Washington with a gorgeous V70R. It’s probably just as well that I didn’t buy it for whatever they got in trade for some small Lexus NX whatever. But it was so pretty to look at. And then it was gone.
European cars can be so well styled. The engineering can be interesting and the driving dynamics great. But they also can destroy your wallet.
There is actually a newer turbocharged AWD manual small premium wagon- the Mini Clubman S/JCW. I have one, it is fun to drive, has barn doors, is very quirky and comes in a million interesting colors inside and out. On the other hand it’s depreciated like a rock, can’t be serviced anywhere despite being a BMW X1 underhood and even a low mile B48 with full dealer records couldn’t make it reliable… Seems like good Autopian material.
This debate seems to set the Internet on fire but I can’t agree that the Clubman is a wagon outright. It doesn’t have quite the proportions for it and looking at the architecture and space inside its more of a hatchback.
A 2024 mini clubman has barely (barely being 4) more cubic feet of storage than a 2008 golf, which is a hatchback. Clubman also has significantly less cubic cargo space than a 2nd gen fit/jazz (subcompact lol) which has much less than a Sportwagen (proper wagon).
Wagons traditionally have significant overhang/body extension beyond the rear axle to give them that extra cargo volume which mini’s traditionally do not. I don’t think it’s fair to call the clubman a wagon because then it looks poor compared to other wagons, while it shines compared to 4 door hatches and the like.
I think the Fit must get an extra 10-15 cubic feet thanks to the magic seats despite being a physically smaller car in all dimensions except height (it’s 3-4 inches higher than a GTI/Clubman).
The Clubman suffers from having a longer wheelbase than the Golf (better rear legroom but less cargo floor) yet pretty much the same overall length. The wagon “look” is achieved with a low roofline (again, less cargo cubes) and the Mini’s wraparound beltline and glass arrangement.
If we’re going down that rabbit hole it’s basically got the same dimensions as a regular MK7, but it has a rear quarter window and a shorter roof, thus it meets the Autopian wagon rule and has wagon proportions despite hatchback dimensions. But what is a small wagon except a hatch with different proportions anyways?
I had this engine in a FWD auto V70 and yeah… this engine seems cool on paper, but it is not the enthusiast choice. It sounds like a vacuum cleaner, has atrocious NVH, and it makes all of its power down low, then completely runs out of breath higher in the rev range. It was basically the opposite of what I wanted in an engine.
My V70 also had legitimately dangerous levels or torque steer and wasn’t fast at all because it couldn’t put the power to the ground. I assume having AWD would help, but I doubt it would eliminate the torque steer.
I recently sold a manual E46 – that was ten times the driver’s car compared to any Volvo from this era. Don’t get me wrong – a manual turbo Volvo wagon is cool, but this engine is not all it’s cracked up to be.
I own a Volvo XC70 from 2016. Always dreamed of having one. Sure enough with the 2.4 Diesel 5 cylinder. Well I tell you one thing: Having driven only BMWs before…I was surprised how bad the volvo is in many things. Of course NVH might be a different topic with a diesel, but wow it is bad. Not only the volume level. But so much vibration. And at certain RPM loud humming noises and so on.
On top comes the supsension. Of course I did not expect it to handle similar to a BMW with much more complicated setup. But it is bad. Hitting a pothole with the rear axle in a slight curve? Sure, the rear starts moving.
And never forget the rather cheap interior quality. Stuff looks like aluminium, but is plastic. You accidentely hit the “metal” around the cupholder with your cup…you will get scratches by it. BY A CUP.
So first Volvo, last Volvo. Yes probably P3 platform was not the best of them.
I had a similar experience. I dreamed of owning a Volvo wagon for so long, but it was a huge letdown. Mine was a P2, but I had issues with everything you mentioned. Definitely less problematic than BMWs, but also a lesser car in so many respects.
I sold it after 6 months.
I Had so many Bmws that Had No issues at all… definetly the better Cars.
My E83 has been rather problematic! However my E46 was really fantastic, very reliable and easy to work on.
I’d rather have an XWD Saab.
35 years prior, I’m pretty sure a 245/745 Turbo Intercooler Volvo would have beaten a contemporary 3-series BMW.
I like my blocks red, iron, and with an even number of cylinders.
Oh yeah, I remember clearly (because I was a huge dork who memorized the data tables at the back of Car and Driver) that the 740/5 turbos would out-accelerate most cars on the road at the time, including any non-M BMW. They were objectively fast.
I knew three people with these, the same configuration; AWD Turbo MT. They loved theirs and I thought they were great, especially the size and packaging. Alas they were absolute money pits. Maintenance was expensive and things broke regularly. expensive things. While they were built on a well engineered platform, not enough Mazda reliability made it to the party.
I offered to buy one of them when the owner was getting rid of it. She refused. Something, something wanting to remain friends.
She is a good friend.
That’s not beige!!!
Agreed! Definitely not beige!
A coworker had one of these, or rather his wife did, back in 2016 or so. He hated the thing, but kept it because it was paid off and he liked the utility of the wagon. Being a manual wagon, I was excited about it, but once I got some time with it a few issues made it a big letdown. I don’t know if this is something specific to theirs, but the clutch was vague, the shifter rubbery and even more vague, and the rev hang obnoxious (and my daily driver at the time was a 6-speed Jeep JK, so my standards for all of those were low). I also remember torque steer, even under part throttle, and the steering feel being rather numb. Ultimately, it was just a boring wagon instead of a fun wagon, though I did like the interior.
My mechanic gave me a C30 once, while Bimmer was in the shop. I think i’d remember if it was manual must have been auto. I was shocked at how dull it all felt, like a much bigger car. It had the turbocharged T5, but it just wasn’t playful in any way. Upside it’d have been comfy on the highway. But NOTHING about it felt “fast playful car.” Comparing it to an E46? Oofta, as they say in Minnesota.
My mother had one of these – a T5 AWD with 6 speed manual. It was a nice enough car but the manual was a big letdown. The clutch was grabby, the shifter clunky and the throttle by wire calibration made rev matching almost impossible. If I were buying one today, I’d get the automatic.
I test drove one while I was still in law school – half because I loved the look of it, half (ok, maybe a bit more than half) because the local Volvo dealership was offering two free lift tix at the Canyons for anyone who took one out and signed up for a bunch of marketing emails.
Loved the driving dynamics, and was a bit shocked at the reported 0-60 time (it felt much quicker). And don’t forget that seductive waterfall console…still one of the coolest automotive design features I’ve ever seen.
Sadly, it was a little too pricey for my not-yet-graduated self; more sadly, it was a terrible snow year (reminiscent of this year TBH), and the mountain was receiving steady rain the day my buddy and I decided to use the tickets.
Having owned one of these, a few warnings for potential buyers. 1.) they are only really fast in a straight line. even then, torque steer is to unacceptable levels on FWD cars. 2.) the clutch on these is…. just terrible, the engagement point is suuuuuper narrow, and it makes it difficult to get smooth shifts out of it. 3.) the traction and stability control comes down like a hammer the moment you try to have fun with it. 4.) it genuinely sucked to work on…. oil changes required removing parts of the intake plumbing to get the filter out. I bought one after having a 240 wagon for 5 years. and after dealing with it for 5 years, i sold it, and still have (and am quite happy with) my 240.
regarding point 4. If your reference is working on a 240, I suppose every modern car will suck to work on. That is not something you could hold against the V50 I guess. My Citroën DS is often regarded as a very complex car, but it is very straight forward and easy to work on compared to any modern car.
I have a 240 wagon (non-turbo) but haven’t had to work on it yet. I’m insanely jealous of your DS Bram, since that’s what I’d own were I a braver man. 🙂
The DS is really not that complicated. Rust is the main enemy, the rest can be solved. Compared to modern cars they are quite easy to work on. You do have some Citroën specific technical stuff, for that it would be handy to have a Citroën mechanic at stand-by, but a lot can be done with the help of online Citroën friends.
Thanks. 🙂 There actually used to be a great independent Citroën place near me on Melrose years ago, but he retired.
I test drove one of these and it was fine but not great. I ended up buying an e91 325xi, it was not faster but was much better to drive and sit in.
This car looked great on paper, just as it looked great on the road. I wanted one until I sat in one. The headrest was rock-hard, non-adjustable, and angled so far forward that I could barely make it around the block. Were they all like that?
I’d dig that red hail damaged Volvo. I wonder if the hail dimples give it better handling like a golf ball?
An excellent theory! 😀 Of course, you’d need to compare it to a non-dimpled one to be sure. And I don’t think the dimples would necessarily improve handling, but maybe top speed by a fraction of a MPH maybe? 😉
In Volvo circles these are universally considered to be hot garbage, and WAAAY more Ford than Volvo. Better than the preceding Mitsubishi-based S40 and V40 though (when did you see one of those on the road last?) If you want that engine, buy it in a V70. The experience will still likely expensively suck, but at least the car will be nicer.
A shame too, as Volvos of this era LOOK great inside and out (though the interior experience fails when you start actually touching things – they obviously got the plastics from Ford). They are decently made in terms of rust resistance. And the fives ARE stout engines mechanically as long as they are properly maintained – which is not cheap. But the electrical architecture sucks donkey balls, they are wedded to the dealer in ways that the Germans simply aren’t and they don’t drive well enough to make up for those other downsides. So you end up with an expensive to maintain car that is really nothing special to drive, even if the full-fat turbos are decently quick in a straight line. The handling is rubbish on all of them, and the more sporting versions ride like oxcarts. BTDT, never again.
I was just going to ask if the steering and maintenance were as bad on these as on V70s. Sounds like yes.
Consensus seems to say “worse”. Probably handles better given the Ford roots, but I have never driven one of these. I have not been THAT impressed by any of the C30s I have driven though, which doesn’t bode well. A GTI is a MUCH better drive than a C30. Steering feel is fine, but the turning circle is abysmal on all Volvos of this era. Jamming the five into an even smaller car did nothing any favors.
yes. the electric power steering on these is very very numb and not particularly reliable.
The V50 has hydraulic power steering, at least my pre-facelift 07 does. Unless the power steering fluid reservoir is a decoy.
They all do until the most recent current platform.
Saw an S40 yesterday and was like holy crap look at that!
Wow! I can’t remember the last time I saw one. Even in Volvo-central Maine, they sold only handfuls of the things.
seattle man, dozens!
LOL – that’s about what they sold in Maine too. Vs. thousands of the S60/V70.
The V/S40s look so weird to me. The V50 is a bit short, but the 40s are practically dwarf-like visually.
The definitely look more Mitsubishi than Volvo. The problem with the Ford-platform Volvos is they are proportioned like the Euro Focus (especially the wagons), and I just can’t not see it.
LandRover did a better job of hiding that the Disco Sport was an Escape underneath.
wait, there were Mitsubishi based Volvos? I had no idea this was a thing.
S40 and V40 shared platforms with the Mitsubishi (lack of) Carisma. Which was not sold in the States. Volvo didn’t sell many S/V40s either, because they were both expensive and terrible.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Carisma
interesting, learn something new every day
Volvo was so cash-strapped pre-Ford acquisition they had to partner up. There is a LOT of Renault in the P1 platform, for example. And of course, all the various Dutch Volvos we never got in the US from their buying out the car division of DAF. Shame too the 480GT was damned cool. Would have been way too expensive here though.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_480
And it’s boring sister, the 440:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_440/460
And baby sibling, the 340:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_300_Series
The Renault connection came via these cars – they mostly used Renault engines, though I think the range toppers got the same redblocks as the 240s, but the small versions that never made it to the US.
The S/V40s replaced all these cars, still made in The Netherlands.
I knew somewhat about the Renault partnership, mainly due to the PRV V6 in the DeLorean.
The interesting thing there is Volvo was developing their own V8, but the fuel crisis killed it, they couldn’t afford it on their own. But with Peugeot and Renault they could swing the more efficient V6. Shame that Volvo’s version was the one that sucked due to some dumb decisions on their part not shared by the other two. The three engines are fraternal twins with some significant difference among them. The block is common, but the heads are very much not.
But that’s a big reason why it’s so easy to stuff a V8 into a 240 or 740.
I knew this particular fact, but yes, you’re right. 🙂
Great, now im gonna have to message that guy in CT about that volvo, sounds way better as a winter beater compared to my current 07 accord and probably fit three kids way better
I had a 2012 V50 T-5 R-Design, Which was then only trim optios after 09 which you could get the T-5 or AWD. This car was my all time favorite, and an absolute blast in every occasion. It got wrecked after 4 years of ownership in 22, and the insurance payout was $36 more than I paid for it.
The gray one pictured above is the R-Design, but it’s got the wrong wheels on it. They came standard with a beautiful flat 5 spoke, similar to the V70R wheel, but slightly less stunning.
I’ve got a set of R design wheels that can be had if your interested?
Mine has a mild tune to 230hp or so it’s really fun, sort of like a rollerskate
These are cool. The turbo 5 is a torquey thing that sounds better than a four. The only criticism I have is that the interiors were too stark. That’s a lot of dull looking grey with big empty expanses of paneling.
The 2010-14 Jetta Sportwagen was a way to get something similar for much cheaper. It too had a 5-cylinder and stick (not turboed but pretty good power anyway), similar interior space, good over-the-road refinement, and a richer-looking interior for about about 2/3rds the price.
Now we don’t get nuthin’ similar.
The floating console had a whole lot of different materials from the standard silvery plastic that every car had to actual timber either a shiny varnished teak looking through to a really nice blond birch and can really lighten the interior.
I seem to recall (maybe from an article Jason wrote on the other site, or maybe it was here and by someone else) that the floating console in that gen of Volvos was also available in translucent plastic like early iMac computers. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in the states, or anything other than the silvery plastic, so maybe some of those were Europe-only options?
I think the clear option was on an earlier Volvo as the V50 was a bit later. Australia and Japan got the dark timber option but It would be fun to try and make a custom version.
Ah, yes… I’m fuzzy memory (and other) wise. Thanks! I thought it was kind of cool albeit I guess trendy/dated given all that ‘clear tech’ stuff sort of died out after several years design-wise.
Ah, I found it! Here’s an article from Thomas: https://www.theautopian.com/volvo-once-sold-a-car-with-a-see-through-dashboard-and-its-cool-as-hell/
I still like it. 🙂
At least it’s interesting and not just piano black like most new cars. Apparantly the V50 came in a variety of wooden consoles.
These are almost criminally-underrated cars. Even James May liked them, even though he didn’t make the best use of its cargo-carrying capabilities.
It’s a pity the V50 (and S40) didn’t get the face-lift that the C30 and C70 got for 2010.
I’ve entertained thoughts of the V50 in the past, though at this point I don’t think it’ll ever happen. They were really nice-looking cars. Years ago, before I had any wrenching skills, or probably just as importantly, any place to work on my car, I took my 850 wagon to the dealer for service a couple of times, and one time got a base, automatic V50 as a loaner. It made exactly the same amount of power as my non-Turbo 850, but it had much more of a puppy-dog demeanor, with a little more audible snarl from the five and really enjoyable handling. That floating console was cool for 2006, too.
I had a new ’98 Mercedes CLK 320 that was always at the dealer for something (eventually, I got rid of it after the first year). It cost $50K (in ’98) including AMG Monoblock wheels and Bridgestone rubber. Once, they gave me a base C230 as a loaner (the one with the rectangular headlights and supercharged four-cylinder) and I was blown away by it. In every respect OTHER than engine sound (which was always raspy in those) it was at least 90% as good to drive as my CLK despite costing almost $20K less. I drove it from LA to SF and back in a day (for work) and it was basically fantastic.
For years afterwards, I really wanted a C Class https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_C-Class from that generation (W202) but never got around to buying one… all the ones I ran across seemed to need new transmissions well before 100Kmiles, and it kinda put me off the idea.
I still want one.
I look forward to reading this same article again in about a decade. Except for the second go around, it will be about the just recently deceased V60 T8 Recharge. Which for some reason, included: a turbocharger, a supercharger, a plug-in hybrid system, AWD, and standard Öhlins dampers, all in the same vehicle. It’s known about in some circles right now, but considering how few ended up selling new, I suspect it will meet a similar fate as this V50 and fade into the upper-middle-class suburbs of the northeast with little fanfare.
I didn’t realize that the last V60 T8 had 41 miles of electric-only range, AWD and 455 hp and 523 pound-feet of torque. It lost the supercharger though, turbocharged PHEV only.
I think you mean fade into the suburban junkyards of the Northeast, which is where most V50s have ended up too. Unless you are the most dedicated of DIY enthusiast, you will not be able to afford to run an aging/failing V60 T8 Recharge. They are the definition of wedded to the $realership. About John Deere levels of wedded. Even my ’04 V70 could have about nothing involving the electronics sorted without a “software download” from Mama Volvo, and they have only gotten worse in that regard. And it needed lots of sorting, despite being a stone ax compared to one of these.
My 1999 V70 was a pain in the ass to fix. I had a local shop that specialized in Volvos and it was there so much that eventually I knew all of the employees by name. Still had to go to the stealer for some electronic repairs. Great road trip car when it was running, super comfy seats, but every year of ownership was another couple of grand in repairs.
Exactly my experience with my ’04 V70. When it worked, it was indeed a comfortable if completely uninspiring road trip car. And it could haul a LOT of crap. But it was far too much of a PITA to own for what driving reward it gave back, and I was not at all sad to see it go. Even doing as much as I could DIY it was probably THE most expensive car to own of all the myriad cars that have passed through my life. And it was nice, relatively low miles for it’s age, “ramped and stamped” example with a full dealer service history, not some hooptie.
I bought mine from the nice couple across the street and they were happy to get rid of it. My ex had been admiring it and they put a “for sale” sign up and we bought it for a few thousand dollars. The title transfer was hung up by the fact that it wouldn’t pass smog because of a CEL. The neighbor said, “Don’t worry, the ECU just has to reset, the service manager for the Volvo dealer lives around the corner, he will drive it for a few days to reset the light. The service manager drives it for a few days and the light won’t reset. I should have ran at that point. After weeks of trying to get it smogged to register it and dozens of hours on hold with the DMV, I eventually found a helpful employee who said it was on the list of vehicles where this was a known issue, and I had to take it to the “smog judge” (the auto shop at a community college) to inspect it so I could get tags.
Ugh – at least I never had to deal with smog with mine. The engine was fine (it did randomly puke up a fuel injector though). The rest of it was something of a disaster.
You lucked out on that one. There is a long list of early OBD2 cars that won’t pass CA smog because the monitors will not reset to “Ready” properly.
https://www.bar.ca.gov/obd-test-reference
One of MANY reasons that while I find California an absolutely delightful place to visit, I would never, ever live there. I could afford it, but I don’t wanna.
The definition of *expensive* is a Volvo replacement cat that meets the California paperwork standards.
I was tempted by one, sat in it at the dealer to see if the one button touchscreen was as bad as I had read. It took the sales guy 3 presses of the “button” to get it to operate. He said it was “just like using your phone”. That one statement right there killed it for me. No test drive, and I probably saved myself a huge pile of frustration and repair bills. No car should have dumb touchscreen interface to adjust everything, especially climate controls and volume. On paper the numbers looked amazing. Reality is quite different.
All those new twin-charge Volvos are way too complex for me to lust after.
I always thoughts these were handsome beasties.
Perfect to pair with a C70 coupe/cabrio – which was also on the same platform and shared pretty much everything forward of the front doors!