Replacing the V70 with a Volvo V70 turbo, which is replaced by a Volvo S80 2.4T

My 2001 Volvo V70 needed a replacement: after a huge mistake of a Dutch Volvo-tuner (they replaced the cambelt without using special tools, so the cambelt wasn’t installed correctly) so I didn’t trust the engine anymore (running idle wasn’t great: it had some dips sometimes). I drove the car more than a year with these problem but it didn’t get worse. But I decided to buy a new car because I still didn’t trust the engine.

My old Volvo V70 (the dark gray car) and the new V70 turbo

The V70 turbo drives well, but at the dealer there was also a very nice 2002 Volvo S80 2.4T which was like a brand-new car! After two weeks I switched the V70 Turbo for the S80. The dealer didn’t have any problem at all with the switch and also checked the S80 including a new MOT.

After the Volvo 244 has been sold (it appeared the car had a broken head cylinder gasket and since we’re househunting at that time I didn’t have the time to fix it, so the car was sold to a Volvo-mechanic who actually owned exactly the same 244 but with a manual transmission) I was looking for another V70 since the V70N is a really nice and beautiful car. Another option was to buy a 850 or a V70 Classic. Unfortunately it appeared that a 850 or V70 Classic in excellent condition are pretty hard to find in the Netherlands, so I should look for a V70N (or V70 P26 as Volvo calls it). But this time I wanted a V70 which had more options than the V70 that I had now.

After a few days I found a silver metallic Volvo V70 2.4T with black leather upholstery, premium sound system and nice 16-inch wheels here in the south-east part of the Netherlands. The car was one year older than my V70 (this car was produced in 2000) and the mileage was slightly lower. It appeared that the V70 was owned by the uncle of a friend of mine, who bought a S60 at that dealer. At that moment there was a very nice S80 2.4T Elan standing in the showroom itself. The S80 had a higher price than the V70, but the S80 was in excellent condition: not a single dent or chip, full service history, new Michelin tires, a lower mileage (213.000 km, the V70 had 297.000 km) and an amazing interior. Since we’re going to move this October (if the mortgage is arranged) I thought an estate was the best option. So I bought the V70 2.4T.

The V70 drives pretty well, but had some issues with the brakes (a small vibration in the front brake discs, the dealer thought it could be caused by the non-usage for a while but the problem was still there after a few days), the turbo had some small play I think (it worked, but I’ve heard better turbochargers) and the S80 had a much lower mileage. The dealer told me if I wanted to switch to the S80 it would be possible. So I did. I paid a little extra (the same difference that the V70 turbo and the S80 had a couple of weeks ago) and went home with an as good as new car!

The specifications of my Volvo S80 2.4T Elan:

produced in 2002
Elan edition
200 hp 2.4 litre 5-cylinder engine
mileage: 213.000 km when I bought it
automatic gearbox (without Geartronic, so it’s the basic AW55-50 transmission I think)
Volvo HU-601 radio with 8 speakers premium sound system
I’ve upgraded the 601-radio with a Grom USB/MP3/smartphone-module
Scarab Green metallic paint
lightbrown / beige Wasa (anti-allergic, leather and standard cloth) upholstery with wooden trims, a carbon shift selector (it’s replaced with the wrong trim in the past), leather steering wheel (including radio control buttons) and cupholders
17-inch Arrakis rims with Michelin Primacy HP tires (two of them are new, the other 2 are pretty good)
climate control (automatic air conditioning) with Volvo air quality system
unfortunately no parking sensors (they’re needed here in the Netherlands since everybody wants to park as close as possible behind other cars)
rain sensor
cruise control
STC (traction control)
electric windows and mirrors (which also are heated)
dynamic chassis
tow bar

The S80 is in perfect condition, but I think I’m going for a Powerflush of the automatic gearbox in a short term. Just to be sure the ATF is in perfect condition. And I already detailed the car (waxing, cleaning the trims, wheels and add some extra protection with Meguiars carnauba-stuff).