Worst/best year for V70r

Hey guys, so latly iv been looking at getting a V70r. Problem is I'm new to volvo and am unfamiliar with any problems these are prone to having. I wasn't sure iff heir was a best or worst year for these cars. I hear don't get the auto trans....but who really wants an auto trans in a 300hp wagon honestly? The more specific year iv recently looked at would be a 2004. 6speed, looks real nice. Hopeing to have one by late august or September.
Thanks for the help.

PM (stove) on here. He owns Valhalla Volvo and works on these daily. Probably not R's everyday but you get the point.

The newest, best maintained one you can afford is the one you should buy. I was in the market for one a couple months ago but decided to get a 2000 V70R instead. The biggest maintenance issues seem to be the 4C shocks and struts (which are $280 each from Rockauto and more expensive everywhere else), the angle gear and coupling sleeve in the AWD system, and the dual mass flywheel and slave cylinder in the manual transmissions. From what I've read the '04 models had a lot of teething troubles that were worked out in the newer ones, but they can still be good cars. The '05+ models got nicer interior trim and color-matched body moldings; the '06 and '07 cars got a 6-speed automatic.

Swedespeed's R forum and Volvospeed are good resources if you want to do more research. Get a pre-purchase inspection done before you buy any R and keep some money stashed away for maintenance and you should be OK.

Just make sure you have enough money to handle a clutch, angle gear/sleeve, and suspension refresh when the need arises.

I'd buy a. New as you can afford. Maintenance records are a plus (there is more to maintenance then just oil changes). Angle gears are a worry if you launch hard or like to attempt burn outs. Shocks are pricey. Other then that they're ok. I had an s60r. I'm also a Volvo tech and 3 co workers drive them daily.

Thank you all for your advice, after reading all your post I researched the slave problem and angle gear problem. I recently found one at a dealership, and am hopefully putting a deposit down this week, and should be driving it off the lot late this month! How do you guys feel about the IPD oval exhaust? Iv read Input on other sites but would like some input from you guys if possible.

Volvohhh said:

How do you guys feel about the IPD oval exhaust?

Click to expand...

R needs shotgun. Anything other and it is just a plain V70.

I vote the 6 speed auto model. I have a 2006 S60R GT and the tranny is pretty respectable. The fact that the AWD is beefed up compared to the manual gearbox models is a big plus. You also don't have to worry about slave cylinder issues. Later TC80SC gearboxes had an upgraded valvebody, so it might be worth springing for an 07. If you search around, there is a way to tell what the car has...think it has something to do with build date.

I drive the crap out of mine and it has treated me very well.