Review: 2008 Volvo XC70 [w/VIDEO]
by Chris Shunk on Mar 13th 2008 at 12:05PM 
While station wagons are a very big part of the European automotive landscape, here in the States the two-box design sells much better when it's a crossover. We Americans don't have many choices on the true wagon front, mostly because high volume demand simply doesn't exist. One wagon that has been around for a while is the Volvo XC70, which combines much of the rugged AWD utility of an SUV with traditional wagon packaging.
The XC70 is all-new for 2008, including its Ford Mondeo-derived platform, 3.2L engine and more refined sheet metal. On paper, the XC70 delivers a good-looking, safe and evolved station wagon to go head-to-head with upscale utility vehicles, but how will it hold up in the Autoblog Garage? Hit the jump to find out.
Gallery: Review: 2008 Volvo XC70
All photos Copyright ©2008 Chris Shunk / Weblogs, Inc.
Our Seashell Metallic XC70 came equipped with heated leather seats, a moonroof, premium audio system, and most of the available safety features. All those options added $9,000 to the Volvo wagon's $37,000 entry price, bringing the total damage to $46,405.
The previous generation XC70 was a major leap in terms of styling compared to the ultra-boxy Volvo wagons of yore, but the 2008 model delivers an evolutionary change. The new XC70 has a more refined look than its predecessor, with a slightly chiseled hood, shapely Bi-Xenon headlights and a larger grille. Attention has been taken away from the lower air dam and instead refocused to the XC70's fog lamps that are ringed with chrome, accentuating the wagon's wider, more athletic-looking stance.
On the inside, the XC70 carries many of the styling cues from the more expensive Volvo S80 sedan that went on sale a year earlier. The dash materials, gauge cluster and steering wheel are among the items virtually unchanged form the S80. The centerpiece of the cabin is the sharp-looking suspended center console that appears in some form on most new Volvos, with high quality buttons and knobs that are easy to find.
Our XC70's dark brown leather seats were among the more pleasant in which we've sat, with ample bolstering and thigh support. Seat materials were also very high quality, and soft touch materials draped the arm rest and doors. One area of disappointment was the hard plastic against which our knees would bang while driving. In the S80, softer materials were used around these touch points, which made the cabin look and feel more luxurious.
Keeping in step with Volvo tradition, safety is omnipresent. Volvo uses high-strength steel everywhere it can, and considerable engineering effort was put into "deformation zones" that absorb crash energy from larger vehicles. Volvo stocked the XC70 with front and side impact airbags while protecting our necks with the WHIPS whiplash protection system. The automaker also employed optional equipment like adaptive cruise control, BLIS blind spot protection and emergency brake assist to keep vehicle occupants out of harms way altogether. One safety technology that drove us bonkers during our time with the XC70 was the parking assist system. Each time we started the wagon, the system defaulted to the On position, and it beeped loudly whenever we were within about four feet of a surrounding vehicle.
On the road, the XC70 has a nicely composed yet slightly soft ride that provides plenty of comfort for long commutes and family vacations. The 3.2L inline six mates to an Aisin six-speed auto transmission for a very smooth yet somewhat unexciting driving experience. While Volvo's corporate six sounds great and revs freely, 235 horsepower just isn't enough to properly motivate a two-ton station wagon, and it's not what we expect for $46,000. The steering, however, is nicely weighted for a wagon, which basically means that it wouldn't pass muster in a sports sedan but is engaging enough for family transportation. Body roll is quite a bit better than what I get with my taller Ford Freestyle, and the standard Haldex AWD works splendidly in the slushy ice conditions we experienced during our time with the XC70.
Bad weather is the reason most people want AWD, but we were disappointed that the rugged looks of the XC70 didn't carry over to off-road performance, as stability control and AWD neuter wheel slip by locking the rubber all together. We also had little luck testing Volvo's hill descent control due to the fact that we couldn't get up the hill in the first place, and we're not talking Mt. Kilimanjaro, either folks. This was more like a bunny hill.
We were looking forward to our time in the XC70 because we thought it would give us most of what we wanted from an SUV without the extra size and fuel economy. After a week with the wagon, however, it was its fuel economy that left us utterly perplexed. We achieved a miserable 18 mpg in mixed driving, which was worse than what we got in the 5,000 lb, seven-passenger Buick Enclave. We even got 18.5 mpg out of the 4,500 lb, V8-powered flying brick that is the Dodge Dakota. It seems like it would be against the laws of physics for the Volvo wagon to get worse fuel economy than a larger, more powerful CUV, but the numbers don't lie. We even reset the fuel economy gauge half-way through the week, but the results didn't change.
Autoblog reviews the Volvo XC70 station wagon
The Volvo XC70 delivers on good looks, impeccable safety and the European charm that some Americans continue to covet. But as a family man with three children, there are plenty of other vehicles on the market that can haul more people and more stuff than the XC70 while delivering better fuel economy at a lower price.
All photos Copyright ©2008 Chris Shunk / Weblogs, Inc.
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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
Chris 1:27PM (3/13/2008)
Not impressed. Perhaps its underpowered and the engine needs the revs to respond properly? That or the car just does not work well without a diesel.
My sister recently got a XC90 for less than this!
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Mattias 1:34PM (3/13/2008)
The I6 natural aspirated engine does not provide much low rpm torque. In fact, the turbocharged I5 with nearly similar hp feels much better in the V70.
By the way: Drive the I5 turbodiesl (the 185hp version) with six speed manual and you know the ideal engine for that car!
Dave T. 1:41PM (3/13/2008)
Not sure why the hate keeps flowing for Volovs here on AB. Also not sure why it isn't compared to other wagons in its class versus two vehicles vastly different. Also those safety feature options raise the price significantly like the Blind spot and accident avoidance. Those two alone total $2200.
I agree mileage could be better but in all the GM crossovers I've experienced worse, Acadia, Outlook and Enclave, not better mileage.
I found the XC70 extremely nice for the price. Less than an Audi, BMW or Mercedes, safer, kid booster seats built in, a gigantic rear cargo area with trick underfloor storage and solid rails.
If you go into the test comparing it to an SUV and want to fit 3 kids in it I'm not sure you'd ever come out with a positive review.
I do agree it should get the new T6 from the S80. That engine is far superior. This engine is decent though.
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phoenexius 1:46PM (3/13/2008)
keep the price in perspective
"Our XC70's dark brown leather seats were among the more pleasant in which we've sat, with ample bolstering and thigh support. Seat materials were also very high quality,"
when the say among the more pleasant they are usually comparing to $60 grand audis and mercs
that's worth $thousands of dollars for anyone who does more than the average
I am very disappointed by the economy though:
My 04 V70 T5 manual gets 23mpg in mixed driving (that's a huge difference)
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antrow 7:08AM (4/03/2008)
I agree that the gas mileage should be better, however, my 06 Saab 9-3 only averaged 23 mpg. It had no AWD, a 4cyl and was half the size. So although I hate the fact that I am getting less the 20 MPG, I would give up the gas mileage to have the extra size, V6 smoothness and AWD.
I do think they could have done better but the 5MPG trade off is not something I consider huge.
tom 3:54PM (3/13/2008)
Wonder if the mileage will get better after the break in period. I just saw gas at $4.21 in San Francisco. I sometimes wonder if my 01 A6 2.7t gets bad mileage but I average 22 in mixed driving
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Dave 11:57AM (3/17/2008)
I think it is clear to to the objective customer that as a CUV or off road alternative this isn't the best choice for eco-friendly or performance minded shoppers.
If a volvo wagon is your choice - the standard model is a good choice but not at such a high price point. But I think a Passat wagon is as luxurious and sporty for significantly less $$$.
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Hamud 3:26PM (3/13/2008)
This car would certainly be the car of my choice wouldn't it be so fu...ing expensive here in Brazil.
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MikeW 6:34PM (3/13/2008)
What axle ratio does Volvo use with the Haldex here?
3.749 or 3.464?
Shorter would be better. With better programming the torque converter could be locked up more, and hence lower revs.
and lower revs keeps this engine out of VTEC.
and doesn't this engine want 0w-40 oil only if you are towing/driving high speeds in the summer and 98RON fuel, compared to the 5w-20 and 87 AKI for the Dakota.
So if 0w-40 oil is in the engine and 87AKI fuel is used, the mileage will be crap.
Haldex Generation 4 with 'eLSD' rear differential yet?
and how do you have 'bi-xenon' with reflector headlights? Does the housing just aim up?
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brmacrae 9:07PM (3/13/2008)
My wife and I just leased a new XC90 V8 2 weeks ago.........we drove just about every other midsize/crossover SUV on the market, a used Allroad, and the XC70 before narrowing it down to the XC70 and XC90.
We've owned about every brand car out there, mostly european over the last 10 years, and while I'm not a huge Volvo fan by any means, I really like both XC70 and XC90s.....
The '08 XC70 as tested is a georgeous car, folks........clean looks from the front and side (rear is a tad awkward for me, but I could live with it)........interior is fantastic. Rich, supple leather, the most comfortable seat's I've EVER sat on (perhaps excluding a 740iL BMW we once owned), and the car drove very nicely. The 3.2 seemed to pull it around adequately, and we really liked the car. Not sure what real world MPG is, but real world MPG of the GM Acadia/Outlook/Enclave SUVs isn't all that great either........high teens running downhill with a tailwind, from what I've read on Edmunds blogs.
What else REALLY compares with the XC70, in that price range?? Audi A6, BMW 5-er wagon, and MB E-class aren't exactly bargain basement, ya know;)
We ended up with the XC90 V8 because it leased out for just a few $$ more (with current incentives), and for virtually the same money, we got a 3rd row, more cargo room, and the awesome Yamaha V8. We averaged 24.5mpg with the XC90, running 64mph over the last 100 miles of a recent trip, and that's with just under 2,000 miles on the odometer yet. Pretty impressive for the size vehicle it is.
PS: I bet the XC70 would have done a lot better in the snow with some dedicated snow tires.
brmacrae 9:30PM (3/13/2008)
I love the following comment in the original article:
"The Volvo XC70 delivers on good looks, impeccable safety and the European charm that some Americans continue to covet."
You obviously don't.
"But as a family man with three children, there are plenty of other vehicles on the market that can haul more people and more stuff than the XC70 while delivering better fuel economy at a lower price."
This confirms it. You can't see the rationalization for spending $46k on an XC70 when you could haul the kids around in a bare-bones 4-cylinder Caravan stick with plastic hubcaps and a rubber floor for $19,999
If all you're looking for is space-capacity-mpg-price, you're shopping in the wrong showroom.
If you care about luxury, safety, european driving experience, all-wheel drive without having to drive an SUV, then this vehicle has something to offer you.
Next time, try to be either A) a bit more openminded or B) back it up with some examples of what you're comparing it to.
MJ Posner 10:03PM (3/13/2008)
Looks nice but no match for my Audi Allroad, more power, better awd, nicer cabin, air suspension, better handling and better looking....Wish Audi would sell the C6 version here, would likely run mid to high 40s..and would offer a V8 as well.
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Chris Shunk 9:43PM (3/13/2008)
What, you didn't like my Buick Enclave example? It was close to $40,000, and it too is good-looking. It got better gas mileage, can hold more people, and more stuff than the XC70. There are plenty more examples like this, but I figured one that I've already driven and reviewed was plenty...
My whole point is that a good-looking, semi-spacious, fairly slow $46,000 station wagon doesn't cut it.
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Calguy 2:17AM (3/14/2008)
Though I thought I was a die-hard addict, after 5 Volvo wagons, I'd had it with unreliable Volvos. With my Saab 9-5's OnStar and 29-30mpg on the freeway, it's hard to justify the AWD penalty in mileage. Furthermore, for all those that think they'd rather have an Audi wagon, realize that realistically, even at the steep $46k for the Volvo, an Audi A6, BMW 535ix or MB E-class wagon are $60,000+. No joke. I almost bought the BMW 5 wagon and finally just couldn't justify paying $23,000 more than the Saab for less cargo, worse mpg, horrid run-flat tires and iCrash-iDrive. The Saab or Passat are more appropriate market competition for the XC70.
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antrow 3:51PM (3/14/2008)
I had a 2002 Saab 9-5 Aero prior to my (piece of crap) 2006 9-3 Sport Combi.
I LOVED the 9-5 and miss it !!! It was a great car and I had little in the way of trouble with it.
I was not averaging more then low 20's in MPG (mixed driving). I wanted to get another 9-5 but the lack of cup holders and it's harsher ride updated look and unusual exterior design tweaks turned me off. Plus, they were not dealing much.
Tioch 10:25AM (3/14/2008)
I've enjoyed what Volvo has brought to the states for years now. Although I don't rate them as an auspicious luxury brand, I typically see them as a little better than average. My point being is if you are Volvo, and you are a little better than average, you really need to show it.
The XC70 has always been an odd child in my opinion, much like the Audi All-road. Yes, the styling is masculine (moreso now for the XC70) and the engine choices were great. The latest version above is a pretty good addition, just not a great one. In all honesty, the dashline they showed is boring. It takes cues from BMW dashes. Also, Volvo needs to address how much "nanny'ng" they put the driver through. That part about the parking assist is a turn-off in my opinion. Give us the option, but don't automatically turn it on for us and don't make it a pain to turn off either.
Also, if you're going to offer an AWD system, it better be competent in the snow. If you boil it down, most Americans equate AWD with bad weather traction and not performance. Hence, if you have a car that suffers in snow, you've got a problem if you're slapping an AWD badge on it. I agree with the others who've questioned about snow tires though.
I've owned an '03 S60 2.5T for a couple years now and I do love it. I even debated looking into moving into a XC70, but to be honest, the XC90 is just that much better. A low mileage, used XC90 would honestly be a better choice than this new XC70.
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EO 2:42PM (3/17/2008)
I've spent the last three years in a Subaru Outback turbo wagon and the avearge mpg over 35k mls was high 19s with careful driving. Driven hard, it drops to the 17s. Having now opted for an XC70, whilst I don't expect mpg improvements, I know I've got a better quality, MUCH more reliable, more upmarket and comfortable car which otherwise ticks the same boxes as the Subaru. The XC70 is a real step up from the Outback and hardly more expensive when similarly equipped. I looked at the Audi, VW and American competition, and none measured up so well as an overall package. Put snow tires on your XC70 and it'll get up any hill that most SUVs would struggle with in winter conditions.
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hk 2:19PM (5/29/2008)
Just passed 7.5K in miles and my MPG continues to improve from 18.0 to 21.2 (so far). This is my third Volvo wagon and second XC. I'd sworn off Volvo and was looking for something new, but wound up with a very nice Christmas gift, a redesigned roomy XC.
So far, so good.
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