Faults:

Nothing serious. Well maintained. Usual 100,000 mile tune-up performed by my local independent Volvo mechanic.

General Comments:

Legendary safety sells the car, performance hooks you for good. I have owned one type of Volvo or another since 1993. I initially purchased a Volvo for its legendary safety record. My first was a 740 Turbo and was a tremendous car. I purchased a 1993 Volvo "Classic", one of the last 1600 240s ever made. Still in my driveway and still going strong. I have also owned a couple of Station Wagons, which my wife drove.

Then came my 1998 Volvo S70 T5. Red with black interior. Leather shows very little wear.

Sure, the door panels have come loose because of the glue issue, but it is an easy fix to remove the panel and replace the vinyl using better glue.

Otherwise the interior is made to last, just like the car itself. Before purchasing the car I had it totally gone through by my local independent Volvo mechanic.

I knew going in what it would need, a timing belt and an air pump. Made a pretty good deal and bought the car.

Since then, I have really come to appreciate the design of the car and how simple it is to make common repairs.

I've added aftermarket suspension bars, which made an otherwise great suspension even better.

I have completed all the 100,000-mile maintenance and I plan to keep this car for as long as possible.

My experience with the T5 convinced me to purchase a 1998 C70 hard-top for my son, who was going away to college last fall. Even though it's a head turner with 17" rims and low profile tires, I know he is in a very safe car.

Oh, yeah... the turbo... forgot to mention that minor detail. There are those drivers on the road who recognize the inconspicuous "T5" on the rear passenger side of the car. Sometimes the chance to engage in a friendly comparison test is too great for them to pass up.

So far, my T5 hasn't let me down. The only thing I would change would be a bigger T5 on the back, so drivers could see it for a longer time while it's pulling away from them. :)

All that aside, Volvo's reputation as one of the safest cars on the road is well deserved.

I have heard countless stories from police officers who have seen Volvo drivers and passengers walk away from accidents that would have otherwise resulted in serious or even fatal injuries.

So as the saying goes, periodic maintenance and repairs, typical for any car.

Legendary safety and piece of mind every time you or your loved one gets behind the wheel of a Volvo...

Priceless!

Faults:

I just purchased this car to replace my Lexus LS400. I will say that I was and still am a little concerned with buying/owning a Volvo. Coming from a Lexus/Toyota to this car is a HUGE step for me. My fiancee kinda pushed me in this direction, so now I am a proud owner of a beautiful 1998 Volvo S70 T5 :-D.

I spent a lot of time searching and looking at Volvos before I came across this one. I found a couple who purchased this car NEW in 1998 and claimed to have taken great care of it. The car has 176K miles on it, which were mostly highway miles. The car was garaged its whole life and had every necessary service and repair done. They had most every receipt for maintenance, showing that they took great care of it. The car is immaculate. Not one door ding anywhere. The only exterior damage is a few tiny rock chips on the edge of the hood and a couple small scuffs on the corner of the rear bumper cover. The interior, other than the driver's seat showing slight wear and the floor mats needing to be replaced, looks almost new.

I had never drove a Volvo before so when I took it for a test drive it was quite the treat. Even for being 12 years old, the ride and comfort is leaps and bounds above the Lexus. Not even in the same class. I will say though that the Lexus is 20 years old, so it probably is not fair to compare. Anyway, before I even finished my test drive, I agreed to purchase it. He provided me with a few extra parts like bulbs and filters, and the stack of receipts, and off I went.

Over the next week I drove the car to and from work, and went through all the receipts to see what has been done and what hasn't. I did notice while driving the car that there a few things that I will want to do fairly soon.

The car does pull a little to the right, and the front tires do seem to be wearing a little uneven. So I will have to have an alignment done and a rotation. I also noticed that the suspension, although soft and comfortable, needs to have new shocks and probably springs. I also plan to do a complete fluid change and tune up to start fresh.

The previous owner also told me that the turbo drain tube and the oil cooler tubes are leaking. I have done tons of research and determined that most of this I should be able to do myself and save some money. I also noticed going through the receipts that the car has been in the shop quite a few times for diagnostics for engine lights or random dash lights coming on. It seems to have had some sensor problems, as well as the standard door lock issues and going through light bulbs.

Based on the past 12 year of history I have on the car, it looks like the cost of ownership is roughly $1000-1500 a year to maintain and keep on the road. This is quite a bit more than the Lexus, but much less than buying a new car. This car is in like-new condition, and I got it for $3995.00. I could not pass it up. I just pray that it will treat me as well as my Lexus did... knock on wood.

General Comments:

This car is the most comfortable car I have ever ridden in. This car is also a sleeper. I had a new Mustang ride my ass and try to fly past me the other day. Let's just say that they were a little shocked when I romped it and left them trying to catch up. LOL.