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Well, needed a new car for Her Indoors and recently bought a Volvo S60 D5 for the FiL so looked for another one.
However, a Volvo S80 D5 SE Lux Auto came up close to home and ended up buying that. It wasn't my first choice with 185k on the clock and not quite full service history. I could have spent longer looking, travelled further and probably found a lower mileage 1/2 owner car but as I only had a few days to source one - so that was the deal.
Anyway, bought it off a very nice Latvian chap, Kaspars. He had bought it six months before with the intention of keeping it long term so had done the timing/aux belts, rear springs, new battery (the BIGGEST battery I've seen on a car - bigger than the one in my Landcruiser) and recently added four expensive winter tyres and done the oil service. Unfortunately he had to change plans and return home.
£950 - I was happy enough. On the drive back from Edinburgh it showed 55mpg for the journey at a steady 65 (me old mam was following you see). It's been showing 50mpg since though haven't done a brim-to-brim yet but suspect it'll be fairly good.
NO rust/blemishes. No creaks/rattles/clunks. Everything works. Replaced the broken console cup holder and updated the 2006 Satnav DVD with a 2015 version I downloaded and burnt. Picked up a spare set of 17" wheels with decent GoodYear tyres for £120 so the winter tyres won't wear down in the summer.
I'm going to change the gearbox oil in due course but that's hopefully it.
Seems like a decent drive for the money. Incredibly comfortable. VED and insurance isn't that low but the fuel costs should be a bit lower compared to the outgoing Saab 9-3 SS Aero.
For 950 it owes you nothing really. Only thing that'd put me off is 'not an estate'.
My 99 V70 has more damage from 3 kids than driving.
"For 950 it owes you nothing really. Only thing that’d put me off is ‘not an estate’."
Indeed. That said, I am so tempted to spend on a trailer with bike/box/canoe capability, so that I don't need an estate...
Shuld run and run that.
Gearbox oil is a good idea . Ensure the aux belt tensioner has been changed as well as the aux belt.
Electrics will probably be your only headache with the early canbus systems , There are lots of ecu's scattered around the car and it doesnt take much for them to haywire. My radio was haunted and would randomy scroll through stations then just stop when the ghost found a song it liked.
Wishbones will need doing every other MOT as they are heavy cars and the bushes fail. Torque steer is an indicator of worn bushings.
Powwer steering fluid worth changing twice , use he first as a flush , again heavy car so hard on the PS system .
Only thing that’d put me off is ‘not an estate’.
Actually that was by design. Her Indoors needs a cleanish/tidyish car for work and when she had an estate it invariably got roped in for secondary kid/dog/bike duty and ended up filthy. We've got a Sharan for that. Besides, the S60/80s are far cheaper used than the V70 - which everybody wants. Makes them bargains.
Thanks for the tips singletrackmind. The aux belt had been done too. First question I asked. I was speaking to a friend tonight who's son has a 2009 XC90 D5. The timing belt just came off. It had been changed but the aux belt hadn't - that failed and took out the timing belt. £££££££££
I've already watched a youtube vid on how to change the wishbones - looks straightforward enough. All the electrics are sound so far. It's the very last of the original S80s so maybe they had it sorted by then?
Speaking of the radio - the HU-850 Prologic system is the best OE stereo that I've ever heard. It's terrific.
The power steering fluid is a good shout.
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Having just done a couple of simple jobs it's already apparent that the Volvo was made to be taken apart and put back together. It looks like it'll almost be a joy to work on.
That said, I am so tempted to spend on a trailer with bike/box/canoe capability, so that I don’t need an estate
Actually, the S80 came with a towbar on it - handy for my Atera bike rack if needed.