2007 XC70 vs. 2008 XC70

[oceanicworldair]

I currently drive a 2007 Taurus SEL, which is starting to fall apart at 75,000 miles. My Step Mother had a 2002 XC70 which I loved and recently got the 2012 XC70 which every bit as good.

I'm about to graduate university and go to work for a dream company, which means I can finally think about buying a car I actually like and want to drive. So that being said I'm primarily looking at the XC70, however I'm having trouble deciding between the 2007 and 2008. I'm looking at spending between $20k-$25k and would I ideally like to find one with less than 40k miles on it. I really don't care about equipment or options, in fact I would actually prefer the cloth seats I've seen in the newer base models.

The main thing I'm looking for is reliability. I know at least with American made cars, the first production run of a new model usually have glitches and manufacturing defects. So I guess my long winded question is which is better assuming all else is equal? The 2007 T5 or the 2008 3.2 I-6?

Thanks for your time and advice,

Oceanicworldair

[Xilikon]

Could you find a 2009 XC70 ? I think this one is much better than the 2008.

If you cannot find, getting a 2007 would be a more sensible choice since you could get it for much cheaper then spend a grand to get everything up to date (basically do a stage zero and fix some worn/broken things).

[matt1122]

As far as reliability goes, TrueDelta.com has the 2007 faring a bit better than the 2008. You can sign up and see this information here: http://www.truedelta.com/car-reliabi...d=Volvo&mc=287

Keep in mind that the S80 was updated two model years prior and uses the same platform and similar if not identical electronics and powertrain components, so they had some time to work out some kinks before these even got a chance to be in an XC.

[phlfly]

I'm not sure why 2009 is better 2008, same car just had driven less miles so it has less problems so far. Other then this it should be same.Also warranties is not so expensive from dealer, you can get for 1000 bucks for next two years.
So I would recommend got with current model then previous model.

[Xilikon]

I'm not sure why 2009 is better 2008, same car just had driven less miles so it has less problems so far. Other then this it should be same.Also warranties is not so expensive from dealer, you can get for 1000 bucks for next two years.
So I would recommend got with current model then previous model.

My reasoning is that the first year of a model will always have a few issues, fixed in subsequent years. But with a warranty, I do agree it's ok to get a 2008.

[oceanicworldair]

Thanks for the advice. Your answers are very logical. I had heard from other people that the "newer volvos" weren't as reliable as the older models. So I guess it will come down to whichever is the best deal at the buying time.

[phlfly]

Yes since they had join venture with Ford, the quality dropped a lot. I remember those 240 is going forever in bad Russian conditions.

[matt1122]

Ford mostly left Volvo alone. Ford mostly bought Volvo for their research and development so that they could improve the safety of their other brands. It's newer technologies that are the problem. Volvo is still doing much better than ANY other European manufacturer in terms of reliability, at least according to this year's consumer reports. I believe the specific statement made was that Volvo is the only European company who has above average reliability, but that is just from memory and may not be completely accurate.

[carcentric]

Also, look at the upkeep costs. T-5's have a turbo that's expensive to fix/replace; I6 3.2's don't. And the 90k service for a T-5 runs about $1500 because it includes a timing belt replacement; the I6 3.2's need hardly anything expensive until 150k.

[oceanicworldair]

@Matt, that's right, a lot of the safety features in my 2007 Taurus (dual stage airbags, pyrotechnic belt prentensioners, etc. all were modifications of Volvo systems) which was one of the reasons I bought it in the first place.

@Carcentric, That's a good think to keep in mind, I loved our 2002 T5, the engine makes a much better sound that the 3.2 in my opinion, and the fuel economy was a bit better. We kept ours from new until around 150k and my parent's don't recall any expensive servicing being required.

But all in all, thanks so much this is exactly the information I've been looking for, however, I have been having trouble finding on my own.