Faults:

12 struts.

4 PCVs.

Oil leaks. Oil leaks. Oil leaks.

Suspension.

Suspension.

Lights.

Electronics.

Transmission.

Suspension.

General Comments:

Fast! The car surprises many from a stoplight, especially on the rare occasion your AWD is functional.

AWD will fail, in my experience, often. Angle gear and all other AWD components enjoy failure. Most roll around nowadays as a front wheel drive.

Suspension! Struts for this model are expensive, even from Monroe. Expensive to put in and everything has to be proprietary calibrated by someone who has a VIDA computer/tool. Advanced suspension mode however lets you stick a corner at a mind boggling pace.

Oh, your SUM suspension module died because of the ill placement of the item by the foot well? That’s okay, because despite it being in the perfect location to allow winter foot wetness to directly touch, they are fairly easily replaced for about $1300 with labor. Then you need to have a VIDA calibration again.

The rest of the suspension parts are poorly designed, chewing up A arm bushings prematurely and other suspension components.

You want electrical and lighting problems? Buy a Volvo, I’ve owed 5! Christmas dash lights are a must. Tail lights may work on Mondays and Saturdays! If someone starts the car from the passenger seat, expect to go get an $100 air bag reset.

Like oil leaks in and around the valve cover and spark plugs? You’ll be in luck because the PCV is fully capable and designed to do just such. It only takes half a day to replace your PCV valve and system after taking off the manifold. Expect to get good at it.

Did I mention Volvo electronics?

Buy something else.

Faults:

Tail gate froze shut, but after a few hours driving it sorted itself out (interior heat melted ice around rear door).

General Comments:

I am writing this review after renting an 06 V70 AWD turbo wagon for 4 days and taking it up through some of the harshest mountain driving.

I have been a long time Volvo fan for several years, after my parents had owned several 145 and 245 wagons.

This car certainly did not disappoint in terms of comfort, performance, or overall capabilities.

The only area it did disappoint, was in regard to the fuel economy. but after taking into consideration the AWD and turbocharged engine, puts it all into perspective.

After driving for several hours in the Canadian Rockies, I had re-discovered the fun in driving a Volvo wagon. The last time I owned/driven one for any reasonable amount of time, was my 81 245DL wagon, that was given to me by my parents. That car was horribly underpowered, and lacked any options. On the other hand, this newer Volvo certainly made up for the complaints of older model Volvo owners.

We had taken this car through some of the worst driving conditions, and to no avail, it was impossible to get stuck! We even parked it in a ski resort lot where only trucks with 4x4 were parked, and still it didn't get stuck!

The heated seats and heated mirrors were another great feature, but I guess after building cars for Swedish climates for so many years, you should get better at it after some time.

The power of this car with a 5 speed tranny and the manual mode leaves nothing to be desired in regards to getting the most performance out of the turbo 5. Yet when frimly planting the pedal down, you easily get the red-lined shifts you'd go for in the manual mode... makin gthe manual mode obsolete, except for maybe trailer hauling.

Considering the purchase price of thse from new, and the accelerated depreciation in relation to other Euro autos makes me less sure of purchasing one new. Instead my partner and I have decided to rent one whenever we go out of town. Sure it can get costly over a year, but in comparison to purchasing a new car, and paying depreciation, taxes, insurance premiums, leaves our trusty Escort a far more economically feasible option over purchasing a newer, more comfortable car.

In terms of reliability, well I cannot comment on that, but I can say that if the chance arises to drive a larger Volvo (V70, S60, S80), in comparison to some of the other choices, (i.e. a buick, Taurus, etc.) You can bet that you'll really enjoy your time in the Volvo.

Disclaimer: These statements come from a 2 time BMW owner, who has owned and driven some of the very best vehicles on the market.