Volvo V70 Estate 2000 - 2007

Ask someone in their mid 30's to say the first thing that comes to mind associated with Sweden and they'll probably either say Abba, Ikea or Volvo. The Volvo they'll be thinking about will be an estate and probably painted in a primary colour,

Volvo has done little to move away from this image and with such strong brand recognition that's no great surprise. The issue that now confronts Volvo is that the competition is much stronger and offers a decent level of choice and alternatives. The V70 estate is the noughties version of the classic estate car and while a strong contender finds itself up against some formidable opposition.

The reasons to buy a V70 is it's combination of size and safety. Inside the V70 the back seat passengers will be a little let down by the lack of leg room, especially if the person in front of you likes to stretch out. The head room is ample and the visibility good for all but the occasional seats in the back. These face out of the back window and are really only big enough for children but do mean that you can take quite a few children in the car as long as you don't need to pack much luggage. The inside is finished with quality materials throughout and offers among the best seats of any car maker. The aircon works quickly and efficiently and provides a pleasant atmosphere throughout the cabin.

The Volvo V70 come with a wide choice of engines and all of them are capable of the task of powering a big car. The 2.4 petrol engine offers the least in terms of power at 140 bhp and a 0-60 slightly over ten seconds but is pretty thirsty with 28 mpg. The pick of the bunch is probably the 2.4 diesel unit which offers sub nine seconds 0-60 and 41 mpg. Being a car that's most at home on long journeys you'll be glad that you went for the more thrifty version.

Driving the V70 is not something that one does to blow away the cobwebs. Safety and comfort are given a higher weight than excitement and thrill seeking. The ride is stable and sure but not so sure as to encourage any reckless behaviour. There are electronic stability and traction control systems fitted as standard to all models that prevent the car picking up more speed in a corner than it can deal with, so powering onto that slip road on the motorway feels like a forbidden pleasure. This can be little surprise from a car with a reputation for safety and will surely have been considered when buying the car.

Safety on the V70 is good although not class leading scoring four stars against the five stars of the Renault Laguna or C-Class Mercedes.

Overall the Volvo is a competent family estate car. It offers some touches of luxury but not much glamour. It is unlikely to take much custom away from the likes of BMW or Audi as it's not as much fun to drive but is a solid, reliable performer. It's fan base will be happy with the offering but any floating voters are likely to look elsewhere.

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