2004 Volvo XC70 Reviews, Pricing & Specs

I bought my '04 XC70 used with 200,000 miles on it for $3,000, and it runs like an absolute top. And here's the kicker - the transmission is the only thing that's been replaced, and that was 100,000 miles ago. The first time I drove this car, the first thing I noticed was how loaded and comfortable it was. The front seats felt like leather recliners. On top of this, I found that the car had power/heated front seats, dual climate control, and built-in child booster seats in the back, just to name a few of the features. I'm kinda a snob when it comes to cars, so one of the first things I do to check the build quality is mess with the buttons. I messed with almost all of them, and they all felt amazing and well-made; none of them felt cheap or plasticky. When it comes to the exterior, everything feels bulletproof - The doors, back hatch, and hood are super heavy. I get the sense that if I were to hit an 18-wheeler head-on, I'd be perfectly fine. The second thing I noticed was how the car handled. Though this is a wagon, I learned that it weighs almost 4,000lbs, and that definitely shows in the handling. The car may be AWD, but the heaviness of this car will definitely limit how fast you can go around curves. I can't tell you how many times I've almost spun going around sharp curves (I'm a pretty aggressive driver, though)! I let my dad drive this car, and he told me that the handling reminded him of his Land Rover. A few days after I bought this car, I decided to take it off road. I was pleasantly surprised, as it managed to pull off going through some decently-deep mud and puddles. Super impressive, and I never got stuck. I scraped the bottom a few times though when going through the mud, so it definitely can't compete with a Jeep or 'Rover (unless you got a lift kit, but that would look really dumb), but for a wagon, it's still really impressive. When it comes to the car's power and engine, the car has Volvo's signature turbocharged 5-cylinder engine, which supplies an adequate amount of power. However, because of the car's heaviness, it's definitely not a sleeper - you can go from 0-62 in about 9 seconds. But that's alright - you don't buy this car for speed. Now, let's talk about the downsides. Is the car reliable? For the most part, yes. But what about when it's not? When something goes, expect to pay. A few days after I bought this car, the check engine light came on. I took it to Autozone, and they told me it was a faulty catalytic converter. When I called my local Volvo dealer to get a quote on replacing it, they told me that it was going to be around $2,000. Luckily, however, I found out that the issue was just a faulty gas cap, which was like $30 to replace. But I definitely now have money set aside if something truly does go wrong. Another thing I'm not a huge fan of is the car's fuel economy. The gas tank is huge, but on average, I get anywhere between 15-18mpg, and I fill it up once a week for around $35. I have a feeling it'll be worse if gas prices go back up, though. In a nutshell, I absolutely love my car, and I honestly don't want anything else. It's a perfect family car, carries a ton, has decent off-road capabilities, very luxurious, practical, extremely comfortable, very safe, and you can definitely expect it to last. In addition, you can get one for $3-8,000. On the flip-side, this car can be very, very expensive when something goes wrong, and the gas mileage is sub-par. But if you have the money to maintain it when necessary, and the fuel economy doesn't bother you, I highly recommend this car, because it's kinda amazing. Mar 18, 2015