Ever since Volvo introduced its Amazon estate in 1962, the company’s estate cars have been considered the load-lugger of choice for antiques dealers and families alike. Recently, though, Audi, BMW and Mercedes have seized the initiative at the prestige end of the market, while cheaper alternatives such as the Mazda6 and Volkswagen Passat have won customers seeking plenty of space for less money.

In 2007 Volvo fought back with a bigger model. The third generation of V70 is 4in longer and 2in wider than its predecessor, with 1,600 litres of wardrobe-swallowing load volume when the rear seats are folded flat, and a new design of tailgate providing improved access. That’s a generous amount of space, although the cheaper Mazda6 can muster 1,750 litres. Nevertheless, the V70 has neat features such as integrated rear child seats and a forward-folding front passenger seat that lets owners cram in additional long items.

To drive, the V70 feels less nimble than its forebears — probably because its weight has increased by about 250kg — although it’s sprightly enough for most tastes. A new 3.2-litre petrol engine producing 238bhp was introduced in September 2007, and was joined by the 285bhp turbocharged T6 model with all-wheel drive.

An extensive range of trims, engine sizes and transmission choices makes the V70 line-up a little daunting to navigate your way around, but all models are well equipped with alloy wheels, an alarm, rain-sensing wipers and traction control as standard. The SE Sport and R-Design models additionally have 18in alloys, suspension tuned for sporty driving, subtle body spoilers and leather seats.

Whichever V70 model you go for, you can be confident that it’s a particularly safe car, as it has scored the maximum five stars for adult protection in Euro NCAP crash tests, and four stars for child protection.

Reliability and servicing

The V70 spends little time in the workshop, thanks to a service interval of 18,000 miles for both petrol and diesel variants, although Volvo recommends that low-mileage users have their car serviced annually. A major service costs about £480, a minor, annual one £255.

When it comes to shrugging off signs of wear, Volvo seats and trim are among the best in the business, although this makes the V70 prone to clocking (having its recorded mileage tweaked to a lower figure). So check for an authentic service history and that the chassis number and invoices tally with the car you’re viewing.


Residuals

The V70 doesn’t hold its value as well as the BMW 5-series Touring, the Audi A6 Avant or the Mercedes E-class estate, but in comparison with estates from the likes of Ford or VW, it’s still a pretty safe place to put your cash. It’s designed to handle hard work, so don’t be put off by examples that have covered above-average mileages.


Need to know:-

Boot

Boot-floor rails provide useful lashing eyes for securing heavy loads

Dog guard

Check for chewed upholstery and trim on cars fitted with a dog guard

Front fog lamps

Check low-slung lenses for damage

Gearbox

Six-speed manual gearbox helps diesel models achieve 40mpg-plus

Servicing

Due every 12 months or 18,000 miles, whichever occurs sooner

Stereo

High-performance audio system with separate amplifier sounds excellent

Towing

The V70 D5 AWD SE won best towcar in the over 1,800kg all-wheel-drive category of the 2009 Caravan Club Towcar of the Year awards

Tyres

There isn’t a full-size spare wheel but the V70 has a space-saver instead


 

The one to buy
 

A 2008 58-registered Volvo V70 D5 SE manual with 20,000 miles on the clock. Pay £19,495 at a franchised Volvo dealer or £18,500 privately
 

Alternative

Or for similar money:

2006 56 Mercedes-Benz E 220 CDI Elegance auto
2007 07 Audi A6 2.7 TDI S Line
2007 57 BMW 520d SE
2009 09 Honda Accord Tourer 2.2i-DTEC ES GT
2009 09 Saab 9-3 Sportwagon 1.9 TTiD Aero

 
Figures based on CAP March 2010 edition

 © Bumper Media Limited March 2010