In-depth reviews

Volvo V70 estate (2007-2016) - Reliability & safety

Despite its reputation for longevity and hassle-free ownership, the Volvo V70 came a disappointing 89th in our Driver Power 2015 customer satisfaction survey

Carbuyer Rating

3.1 out of 5

Owners Rating

4.2 out of 5

Read owner reviews
Reliability & safety Rating

3.8 out of 5

Big Volvos have a reputation for going the distance. There are plenty of tales circulating about cars doing well over 250,000 miles. As a result, the Volvo V70 is popular with hire car companies, as well as high-mileage business users.

The V70 is safe, too; it achieved the full five stars when it was crashed tested by Euro NCAP. It also comes with a wide array of safety kit.

Volvo V70 reliability

Despite that reputation for longevity and hassle-free ownership, the V70 came a disappointing 89th place out of 200 cars in our 2015 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey. It was rated well for build quality, seat comfort and practicality, but a 73rd place finish for reliability is merely satisfactory, while a 189th result for handling is simply poor.

Volvo V70 safety

Volvo built its reputation on vehicle safety. Other car makers have since caught up with and, in certain areas, exceeded its high standards but even so, the V70 is an impressively safe car. It’s five-star performance in the Euro NCAP crash tests was achieved through scoring 88% in the adult occupant test and 71% in the safety assist category.

Standard safety kit includes a full complement of airbags, as well as whiplash protection, anti-lock brakes and traction control. There’s also the City Safety automatic braking system, which automatically brakes the car if it senses an imminent collision.

Meanwhile, the car’s arsenal of safety kit can be boosted with the optional driver support pack featuring a range of safety assistance aids but costing a not insignificant £1900. Alternatively, many items can be bought singly such as blind-spot warning (£500), and lane-departure warning with active high beam and driver alert (£700).

Richard is a former editor of Carbuyer, as well as sister site DrivingElectric.com, and he's now Deputy Editor at Auto Express. Having spent a decade working in the automotive industry, he understands exactly what makes new car buyers tick.

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