Volvo V70 (2000 - 2007) 2.4 D5 SE 5d Auto Owner Review

I bought this car in early 2020. It was heavily vandalized and had been uncared for by previous owners for some time. I repaired almost everything myself (windscreen excepted) and the car was put into service as a same day courier car for medical samples and other time-critical small parts for various industries. I do around 10000 miles a month (yes, you read that right, Ten Thousand) and the car never lets me down, no matter what the weather. As expected items do fail on the car but it remains perfectly usable until I get them repaired (or fix them myself). The car averages around 52mpg (I do almost all motorway miles) as recorded by the Fuelio app as the onboard MPG meter is compulsive liar, saying I am achieving 64mpg. The car remains smooth and responsive and reliable. It tows a large caravan on summer weekends and never complains or feels over-stressed. My Volvo V70 D5 earns me a comfortable living and in my many miles travelled every month I see all sorts of cars broken down on motorway hard shoulders and I am pleased to say that Volvo is a make I rarely see stranded. Long may that continue. Downsides to ownership? Not too many. They are easy to service by the owner if you are that way inclined and cheap to service by an independent if you are not. Turning circle is rubbish but that is something you soon account for. Steering racks are prone to leaking but a refurbished rack sorts that out. Auto gearboxes can be weak but change the trans fluid regularly and it should be fine. Road tax is high but diesel fuel economy is good. Overall the car is a beautifully built practical wonder that can be relied upon to get you where you need to go. The 5 cylinder diesel is an absolute gem and can do absolute starship mileages if looked after and serviced (new timing belt every 90000 miles please). I anticipate getting at least another 250000 miles from mine before it is retired. Highly recommended...