My girlfriend recently asked me: “Do you think you will ever want to have children?” I puffed out my cheeks and offered: “It’s such a lot of work.”
The domestic dispute that followed is at least in part due to the Volvo XC70. Had I not spent the week driving around in this family battle bus, I wouldn’t have had such a clear insight into how much work moving a young family about entails.
The other half of the blame for this spat (because as you can probably tell, it’s not my fault) belongs to my friend Fraser, father of two and fellow Volvo driver.
I lent on Fraser and his family to help me establish whether the XC70 was a good family car or just an enormous estate on big suspension springs, which gives (even short) drivers that commanding view of the road that has made 4 x 4s such popular sellers.
So, I drove the XC70 and he read the handbook, opened every cubby hole, pressed every button. The only way he could have been more thorough would have been to give his 4-year-old a screwdriver and said: “Do your worst son.”
While I wafted along the motorway, relishing the smooth, quiet ride and ample power, Fraser nodded approvingly at the in-car entertainment that keeps children quiet.
As we cornered at various different speeds, I noted how the car handles like an Audi (well, but with very light steering that offers little driver feel). Fraser marvelled at the leg room up front and how it didn’t impact on the rear seats.
Then, as I was being distracted by yet another flashing light on the dash from the Volvo’s excessive safety devices, Fraser started scrabbling around, reaching through to the back seats, and then produced a dull thud and let out a little gasp.
He had just discovered the built-in, leather-clad booster seats. Which impressed him because, as he was almost relieved to tell me, regulations now state that children have to use a booster seat right up until they are 135cm or 12 years old. Which is difficult for parents because they have to persuade a child of 12, who doesn’t want to look uncool in front of other kids, that he has to sit in a baby chair like his little brother.
He also said not having to take baby chairs in and out of the car when giving friends lifts or when going to Ikea and the like would be a help – and it’s one less thing to have to buy.
So there you go: Volvos make the hard work of raising a child a little bit easier. If you, like your child, also need a booster seat, but a 4 x 4 is too much, then the XC70 is there for you. If you want all the latest safety gear, like the blind spot warning systems and the DVD entertainment system, then you probably want an ex-company car because these are all optional extras.
Alternatively, if you like to drive, don’t want lights flashing at you and buzzers buzzing to tell you how close everything is, and don’t care if the kids are bored, then you will want the lower, better handling V70 in whatever spec you can find it in the market.
What’s the market like?
There are around 200 Volvo XC70s in the used market and they are almost all diesels. Their price point, in comparison with the V70 estate on which it is based, is very similar, being only 5% more on average (which is within the window of negotiable discounts).
What else can this budget buy?
The great news for nearly new buyers is that the XC70 and V70 feel like £40,000 cars, even though they are not actually that much – 1 to 2-year-old cars are nearer £20,000. This will buy you any number of estates: Ford Mondeo, Vauxhall Insignia, Mercedes E-class even.
But there aren’t that many big estates that have the raised ride height and all-wheel drive. The Subaru Outback or Forester are the only two that really come to mind as fair comparisons – and while these cars can be up to £3,500 less, they feel it in terms of living experience.
Summary
A family car that is as practical as it is stylish and impressive. It makes transporting a family significantly more comfortable and elegant – although you do pay for that.