1997 Volvo V70 review from Finland

Rear door lock does not always work when temperature drops below -10 C degrees.

Front wheel ball bearing got worn out and was extremely expensive to replace.

Sun roof leakage, I fixed this with silicone spray on the rubber seals.

There are also some other random things that have gone wrong, but I find those things acceptable for a car of this age since it is used daily.

This car has always taken me where I needed to go. That is better than many other cars I have learned...

It is a comfortable car on good roads (!), and it handles OK, and it also performs well. I like the way the engine sounds when pushed too. The car also has plenty of room.

Generally, I'm really satisfied with this car. But then there are some things that I find very annoying.

The gas consumption in urban driving is unacceptable!!

The dashboard and the doors sound like they could fall off when driving roads that are not perfect. There are actually way too many rattles and squeaks for a car that is this expensive. It also feels like every dent in the road "echoes" in the body of this car. Don't know if this is a problem with all V70s or if it's just mine that has something wrong with it. It's been driven on bad roads by the previous owner I suspect.

If you are considering buying this car, I would recommend a Saab 9-5 instead. I have plenty of experience of the 9-5, and I'd say that it's better in most areas. But this Volvo is not bad either.