Volvo XC70 a good overlander?

[MikeWeaver]

Hi everyone! I came across this project based on the Volvo XC70 and fell in love whit it. It's pretty cheap now, and I've seen one with pretty low miles in local classifieds. It's got a nice flat sleeping platform (which is important for me) and a spacious roof too. I never delead with Volvo cars so I have some reliability concerns.
How do you like it?

 

[SBDuller]

I bought a 2007 XC70 with 38K miles. Very comfortable road car, I thought the front seats were the best part. I banged my head quite often getting in the car, but once in the drivers seat, it was a pleasure to me to drive...on the highway. We just traded it in for nearly nothing at 118K, the transmission was acting up..and I figured the fix cost as prohibitive. The wife bought herself a jeep.

 

[XCvagn]

Great cars and durable. They're highly underrated for overlanding as are XC90s. We have enjoyed our 2010 XC90 so much that 3 yrs ago we got a second one - 2017 XC90 T8 (we've done factory delivery for our Volvos).

The nicer thing about an XC70 vs. XC90 is there seem to be far more options for building it up for overlanding. I've seen a couple of cool builds locally that are pretty rad. The only downside for us with an XC70 is space and flexibility (we're a family of 5). It's why we're partial to the XC90. Actually our first Volvo was a V40 which served us well until 2 yrs ago. We sold it with 200k, our 2010 XC90 has 148k and our newer X90 has 26k. Take care of them and they will last. Our 2010 is still going strong.

We've gone way off the beaten path with our XC90s and they're basically stock. The mods I've done to our 2010 have been adding AT tires, Volvo's Aux Light kit to mount VisionX light canons, HAM radio install, Thule roof basket to carry 2 full size spares and 2 jerry cans, or any combination of them and other gear (was great for our trip to YK, AK, and NWT). We also have 2 sets of wheels, 1 set for AT overland/road tires and 2nd set of studded winter (we tow a lot with ours all year round with most towing miles being winter through heavy snow and ice).

We've tackled sand dunes, mud, wet thick clay, semi thawed permafrost, slate, rocky trails (with careful tire placement), deep snow, desert (powdery sand like flour), high altitude (>10k feet) and while towing and continue to enjoy them.

 

[fnjeep314]

Great cars and durable. They're highly underrated for overlanding as are XC90s. We have enjoyed our 2010 XC90 so much that 3 yrs ago we got a second one - 2017 XC90 T8 (we've done factory delivery for our Volvos).

The nicer thing about an XC70 vs. XC90 is there seem to be far more options for building it up for overlanding. I've seen a couple of cool builds locally that are pretty rad. The only downside for us with an XC70 is space and flexibility (we're a family of 5). It's why we're partial to the XC90. Actually our first Volvo was a V40 which served us well until 2 yrs ago. We sold it with 200k, our 2010 XC90 has 148k and our newer X90 has 26k. Take care of them and they will last. Our 2010 is still going strong.

We've gone way off the beaten path with our XC90s and they're basically stock. The mods I've done to our 2010 have been adding AT tires, Volvo's Aux Light kit to mount VisionX light canons, HAM radio install, Thule roof basket to carry 2 full size spares and 2 jerry cans, or any combination of them and other gear (was great for our trip to YK, AK, and NWT). We also have 2 sets of wheels, 1 set for AT overland/road tires and 2nd set of studded winter (we tow a lot with ours all year round with most towing miles being winter through heavy snow and ice).

We've tackled sand dunes, mud, wet thick clay, semi thawed permafrost, slate, rocky trails (with careful tire placement), deep snow, desert (powdery sand like flour), high altitude (>10k feet) and while towing and continue to enjoy them.

I love to see that someone is really using an XC90. After having had a few Volvo wagons myself, I have always wanted an XC90. Maybe I can convince the wife to get one as her next car. They are awesome!

 

[ccc_]

the xc70 is a big, heavy car
its ground clearance is only an inch lower than the truck i replaced

off the showroom floor it just needs better tires
a fellow i met while having mine service had upgraded his skid plate

our car has gone everywhere my blazers went and almost everywhere my chevy 2500 went
on a trip to and through alaska we had no problems
scared a couple pf times but its AWD kept us going where we wanted to go

 

[clarence2]

Really like this car.

 

[plh]

Its a car, parts are expensive, google them up - lots of transmission issues. Hard PASS!

 

[Tjbell]

As someone who was a Volvo tech/enthusiast, pre 2003/4 had trans issues. I've had a 2005 xc70 with 265k on it all original, and a 2006 at 180 ish. Parts are cheap and readily available. The 5cyl is damn near bulletproof. The rear aoc pump and computer can fail, they are part of the awd system. It is a Haldex system that Volvo, audi, vw, etc still use today. There are a few places who reman them. Change the oil with synthetic every 5k, do trans drain and fill with toyota atf <forgot exact one> every 25k. The 2004 up use an asin/ toyota trans. Timing belt is 120k, and an honest 2 hour job.

 

[beef tits]

Snowy road trips and occasional gravel/forest roads are one thing. “Overlanding” is another. No low range, horrendous approach angle, little to no recovery gear options, not a true 4x4…

I suppose it depends what you personally consider “Overlanding” but I wouldn’t consider one of those even remotely capable for what I consider “Overlanding”

Let’s be honest, “Overlanding” is just the latest jingly catch phrase for off roading that means different things to different people.

Watch some old Camel Trophy videos… now that is Overlanding. That Volvo wouldn’t last an afternoon.

 

[billiebob]

Snowy road trips and occasional gravel/forest roads are on thing. “Overlanding” is another. No low range, horrendous approach angle, little to no recovery gear options, not a true 4x4…

I suppose it depends what you personally consider “Overlanding” but I wouldn’t consider one of those even remotely capable for what I consider “Overlanding”

Let’s be honest, “Overlanding” is just the latest jingly catch phrase for off roading that means different things to different people.

Watch some old Camel Trophy videos… now that is Overlanding. That Volvo wouldn’t last an afternoon.

You nailed it. ^^^^^^

It is a gorgeous "car".... I'd love one as a daily driver, I'd love that black one minus everything on the roof but no way is any Volvo "car/suv" an overlander. Sure you can go across a farmers field in comfort but as the clown states no lo range, plastic at departure and approach angles and plastic sliders lol.

A beautiful luxury soft roader. I keep flipping a coin between the VR70 and the XC70. The XC70s longer travel suspension gets a bit of an edge on the VR70 and I love them both but would consider neither for camping or exploring beyond the Pacific Coast Highway.

 

[4000lbsOfGoat]

Watch some old Camel Trophy videos… now that is Overlanding.

That is not "Overlanding", that is competitive racing...

Let’s be honest, “Overlanding” is just the latest jingly catch phrase for off roading that means different things to different people.

I certainly hope that none of us is driving off-road as that would be terribly destructive to the environment and endanger the outdoor-focused lifestyles that many of us here enjoy.

While "overlanding" will generally involve some off-pavement driving, it is not a necessary condition to enjoy travel and time in the outdoors. It seems to me that several folks are happily using these Volvo's for extended, vehicle-based travel.

 

[billiebob]

it is not a necessary condition to enjoy travel and time in the outdoors. It seems to me that several folks are happily using these Volvo's for extended, vehicle-based travel

Yes it is, should we include travelling between hotels with a credit card using a valet to park the car and a bellhop to "setup camp" ? Might as well call a Ford GT an overlander but I call that Grand Touring.

 

[clarence2]

Yeesh.

I think overland travel, if I can define it, is vehicle-based adventure travel. It doesn’t need to include 4×4 off-roading, nor camping. Overlanding means you’re getting in a vehicle or getting on a motorcycle and you’re off exploring some new locations, some new country, some new state that you haven’t been to before. Scott Brady

 

[beef tits]

That is not "Overlanding", that is competitive racing...

It was not a race, nor were professional drivers allowed to participate.

"Neither a race nor a rally, Camel Trophy was first and foremost an adventurous expedition. It did include an element of competition where participating teams could test their 4x4 driving and mechanical skills, endurance, courage, stamina, perseverance and resilience against the worst that nature could offer."

"The main emphasis of Camel Trophy was more toward testing human endurance and adaptability than pure competition. All participants were amateur and anyone, over the age of 21 from a participating nation could apply to take part – provided they did not hold a competition driving license or were full-time serving members of the military. The essentials were fitness, common sense and an adventurous spirit."

Iain Chapman

I'm of the opinion that the definition of "overland" should be taken quite literally; Traveling over land, or in other, extremely literal words; Not traveling over roads. I would not consider most jeep trails or forest service roads to be actual "roads" since they are typically not maintained. They are just someone else's existing tracks "over" top of "land".

We can all call it whatever we want, at the end of the day IDGAF what anyone does with a Volvo. But Volvo still doesn't make a vehicle that is at all capable in any real off-road conditions, which are an essential part of traveling "Over Land". Volvos are built for "Road Trips" and are only slightly more capable than my "Prius" with snow tires.

My Prius has about a 500 mile range on one tank of fuel. Range is also a great feature of an "Overlander" so by your logic, the Prius is no less of one than a Volvo. Gotta draw a line somewhere.

 

[billiebob]

Volvo still doesn't make a vehicle that is at all capable in any real off-road conditions

I beg to differ....



and although they are on road.... try it in a Hummer eh...
soo 1970s, I grew up doing this


ps.... would this be overanding ????? lol
no... this is rallying

but someone willl say yes, it is overlanding lol
lord knows I spent more than one night in the back seat in the ditch.