1998 Volvo S70 t5 SE review from UK and Ireland

Boot lock catch worn - could be yanked open whilst locked.

Engine developed cold start cam rattle (after a lot of abuse)

Hesitant acceleration, think caused by dump valve, cured by fitting non-recirc external type.

Very quiet and comfortable as you would expect, velour interior very good quality, elec heated seats lovely in winter.

Exterior, paintwork etc. of unimpeachable quality and completely rust free, Volvo working true to form.

Engine performance fantastic. Mine had RICA chip raising output to between 280-310bhp. Midrange torque and acceleration very impressive with noticeable surge from turbo. (As a comparison I drove a BMW M3 evo 321bhp which was undoubtedly at least as fast, but its nat. asp. engine felt flatter and hence less exciting during hard acceleration)

Noise from engine wonderful - 5-cylinder growl with turbo whistle on top - lush.

No traction control on t5 made 2nd gear dry tarmac wheel spin no problem, sometimes torque steering wildly so you have to be careful when gunning it; otherwise good handling (don't expect BMW kart-like handling, but not bad)

Fuel consumption supposed to be about 29mpg on combined cycle and I could quite believe it is possible (I managed around 26-27 with a heavy right foot)