1998 Volvo S70 T5 review from North America
"Ideal luxury/performance sedan for East Coast urban/suburban areas"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
A strut needed replacement. a front door lock fails to work and there are occasional minor electric issues (e.g. a bulb will go out and come back on.. an engine warning light ala ECU did the same thing)
General comments?
Though not a sports car the acceleration from 50 mph to 80 mph is very quick. On curves and corners the performance is better than most might expect.. but every rut or hole in the road feels like a land mine. Braking is fabulous and if you have a manual version I suppose you could downshift. Oil changes for me are expensive as I use only Mobil 1. After driving at highway speeds I also let the turbo chill with the engine (oil) running until the turbo compartment begins to fall to near the ambient temperature level... this is a pain. Trunk has plenty of room and the seats are too comfortable.
Recommended reviews
![]() ![]() | Great vehicle, but potentially costly |
![]() ![]() | DO consider this model -- this was my first Volvo and I can't imagine switching to another make |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.3 turbo Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 8/10 |
| Comfort marks | 9/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 30000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 72000 miles |
| Previous car | Nissan Sentra |
| Date of Entry | 19th June, 2003 |



