2000 Volvo V70 Base review from UK and Ireland

So far, nothing has gone wrong with the car apart from the odd bulb failure - I guess due to the fact the headlights are on constantly!

Other than that, there's been the usual lower suspension arms, cambelt, sparkplugs and brake discs. Just routine wear and tear.

What an amazing car this has been for me. I'm so pleased with it.

The seats are so comfortable with plenty of adjustment and near perfect support. I don't know of any other car with seats anything like as good as these - perhaps SAABs are as good?

I tend to take them for granted, until I drive a different car and remember just how wonderful the V70 is.

The safety features are right up there too, OK it's not a class leader in safety anymore, but there's plenty of airbags and the WHIPS (whiplash protection) has got to be good news.

The rear space isn't as big as you might think, I reckon the Mondeo estate is bigger. But then, it's not exactly small either. With all the seats folded flat (they split flat too) you've got a big flat loadspace with a safety net too.

The stereo sounds great and always impresses people.

The dual zone climate control is good, although it can get chilly if there's a beam of light shining on the temp sensor and you're sat in the shadows!

I love the dealer service too, they just can't seem to be helpful enough for me. All the work they do is to a very high standard and they're very polite - unlike certain dealers I could mention. They are a touch pricey though!

Performance is OK, enough to keep up with faster traffic, but not exactly mind bending.

Overall, I love this car to bits. I only wish I'd opted for a T5 with AWD, maybe next time...