Volvo XC70 review
Comfortable and roomy, the Volvo XC70 is a four-wheel drive estate car that drives well on and off road. The stylish interior is packed with quality materials and features cutting edge safety technology.
Pros
- Spacious interior and a big boot
- Comfortable and quiet
- High-quality finish all round
Cons
- Even the diesel engines aren’t the most fuel-efficient
- Some reliability niggles
- It's not the best family car to drive
Summary
“The XC70 is a spacious and comfortable estate car that also feels luxurious.”
The Volvo XC70 is a combination of a roomy estate car and a tough, go-anywhere off-roader. It’s built with safety in mind and is very close to being the ultimate family car.
It offers hushed motorway cruising for a peaceful drive, while the contrasting colour finish creates a stylish look.
The XC70 is really spacious for both people and luggage. Its real highlight is its interior, which is both well-finished and supremely comfortable.
What's the interior like?
“It’s really comfortable, has a great amount of space and a luxurious feel.”
The XC70 offers lots of space and an interior that’s comfortable, extremely well equipped and has a high-quality feel.
The infotainment system has a crisp and modern looking TFT touchscreen in place of the traditional analogue dials. This is an LCD screen that offers the best resolution available on a flat screen. Bluetooth connectivity and a USB port come as standard. The rest of the dashboard is the epitome of cool Swedish style.
The boot has a huge 575-litre capacity with the back seats in place which means it can take four large suitcases. This expands to 1,600-litres with the rear bench folded flat which is enough room for a long piece of furniture or your bike. There’s plenty of leg and headroom for all occupants, while the supportive front seats are some of the best on offer.
What's it like to drive?
“Soft and quiet, the Volvo XC70 promises a smooth and comfortable ride.”
The XC70 isn’t a car you’d take for a spin on twisty country lanes, but on long motorway journeys, there are few cars as soothing as the Volvo. It delivers a soft ride while the seats are comfortable and the interior is quiet.
The XC70 is available with a variety of diesel engines and single petrol. The 2.0-litre D3 and D4 diesels are both available with a front-wheel drive transmission option which will be more fuel-efficient.
It’s surprisingly capable off-road, thanks to its combination of raised ride height and a decent four-wheel drive system that can cope well with rough terrain. This also makes it a good tow car on all sorts of surfaces.
Is it cost-efficient to buy and run?
“It’s not a cheap car to buy and run but you get plenty of equipment.”
An expensive car when new, the Volvo XC70 depreciates more than its rivals, which is good news for used buyers. You’ll get a lot of car for your money, both in terms of space and equipment, with most versions featuring sat nav and heated seats as standard.
If you’re looking to keep motoring bills to a minimum and aren’t fussed about four-wheel drive, the DRIVe models are worth considering for their diesel engine that’s capable of up to 64.2mpg.
Tax is reasonable for the diesel-engined versions, but insurance costs will be on the high side. Servicing can be expensive if you go to a franchised workshop.
How reliable and safe is it?
“While the Volvo XC70 is robustly built it can suffer from electrical niggles, but safety is a real strong point.”
It’s well built from quality materials, but the XC70 hasn’t always scored highly in reliability surveys. However, there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with the car, which on the whole is dependable.
Given Volvo’s reputation for safety, it’s no surprise to find the XC70 is a strong performer. It hasn’t been tested by EuroNCAP, but its near-identical twin the V70 estate was awarded five stars by the crash test experts.
All versions feature multiple airbags and electronic stability control, while blind spot monitoring is fitted to most models.
Which one is best for you?
Best for economy - D3 DRIVe ES
Best for families - D4 ES
Best for fun - T6 AWD
For the lowest running costs the DRIVe models are the best, but if you want four-wheel drive, the D4 and D5 are economical enough.
The entry-level ES model has most of the equipment you’ll need, but if you want more desirable kit the SE, SE Premium and SE Lux models have lots of extras, such as leather trim and a powerful stereo for not much extra money.
