98 V70 Wagon or 03 Jetta Wagon?!

[vgterian94]

HELP! WHICH ONE TO BUY? I will daily these cars and maybe bring them off-road and on X-country trips.

The Volvo:
-180k miles
-manual
-T5 model
-needs rear window switch replaced
-needs AC recharge
-needs pcv oil trap replaced (included with sale)
-premium gasoline

The VW:
-150k miles
-manual
-2.0 GLS
-timing belt and other stuff were recently replaced
-needs nothing
-regular gasoline

BOTH CARS COST THE SAME.

How bad are MK4-generation VW electronics?

If they are not things that require special technicians and ginormous/inaccessible parts, then I will go with the Jetta.

[Big_Jim]

buddy of mine has a mk4 jetta TDI. i hate working on that mother****ing thing. its an electrical dick kick.

[Frostedv40]

I'm a bit biased towards Volvo to begin with but those early 2000s VWs can be a nightmare. Also the P1 V70 T5 is a pretty solid engine and transmission, should keep you going for another 100k miles at least once those couple things are handled. Also way more comfy as a x-country trip vehicle than a jetta wagon.

[vgterian94]

Originally Posted by Frostedv40

I'm a bit biased towards Volvo to begin with but those early 2000s VWs can be a nightmare. Also the P1 V70 T5 is a pretty solid engine and transmission, should keep you going for another 100k miles at least once those couple things are handled. Also way more comfy as a x-country trip vehicle than a jetta wagon.

There isn't as much "over-engineering" in the Volvo as the VW, right? And how is the aftermarket/OEM support and helpfulness of the V70 community? Is there any other good place to go other than Swedespeed?

[Frostedv40]

Originally Posted by vgterian94

There isn't as much "over-engineering" in the Volvo as the VW, right? And how is the aftermarket/OEM support and helpfulness of the V70 community? Is there any other good place to go other than Swedespeed?

There's a little overengineering but it's more mechanical than a VW would be (IE different types of bolts holding things together) Aftermarket/OEM support is sizable. FCP and IPD will probably be your major source of replacement and aftermarket parts though, they've been around for a long time and have made a good name for themselves. There's also Volvospeed which is another huge Volvo community as well as Matthews Volvo Site (it's more of a repair database but there's an active forum with helpful people.)

[kevinl]

I have never worked on a vw that hasn't made me want to quit working on cars all together so I'd say go volvo

[lk250f]

Get the volvo, you will have so much more fun with it. Few things, frosted it's a P80 V70 :P sorry I had to. Your XC70 is a P1, which is stunning i may add! 98 is the last "good" year, no VVT or electronic throttle, good old 2.3 whiteblock from the 850's. The oil trap job is a little involved but definitely doable, a lift is recommended. I had access to a lift at work and it made getting the lower intake bolts off a lot easier. The A/C issue is probably an evaporator, you can recharge but it will leak right out. Only way to find a non leaking evaporator is to get a OE updated evaporator. Also you will love the seats for sure, plus the power and sound. Lastly check timing belt, they are due every 70k which is a decently low interval. Besides that, have fun! Not sure if you plan on modding but a downpipe, exhaust, TIP and a Snabb tune can open up a lot of power, especially since your 98 has the nice 16t turbo vs. the less efficient 15g.

[Frostedv40]

Originally Posted by lk250f

Get the volvo, you will have so much more fun with it. Few things, frosted it's a P80 V70 :P sorry I had to. Your XC70 is a P1,

Huh, I've seen people on sites like swedespeed call the 98-00 v70 XC a P1, didn't quite understand why though. Also yea those seats, you'll want to marry them. Friend has a 99 v70 XC and it's really comfortable.

[lk250f]

I was mistaken, your car is a p2. P80 chassis is 850,x70 98-00, etc. but anyway these cars are cool!

[vgterian94]

Checked out the car. The lock for half of the rear seat does not work so I could not fold all the seats down. Interior panels and trim pieces were missing or not properly installed. There was no muffler, just a rusted un-hung straight pipe; despite this, the car was quite. Car smoked a bit of oil; the owner said it could be because of the clogged oil trap. The car threw several codes (OBD port was inside the center console--oh, the Swedes :P), all power-train related.

The car ran smooth, but creaked whenever the car moved with the wheels steered to their maximum angle. Accelerator felt tight, yet throttle response was pretty slow. I think I will have to pass on her. That timing belt job also looks like a pain because of how close the front of the engine is to the frame...

[Frostedv40]

Originally Posted by vgterian94

Checked out the car. The lock for half of the rear seat does not work so I could not fold all the seats down. Interior panels and trim pieces were missing or not properly installed. There was no muffler, just a rusted un-hung straight pipe; despite this, the car was quite. Car smoked a bit of oil; the owner said it could be because of the clogged oil trap. The car threw several codes (OBD port was inside the center console--oh, the Swedes :P), all power-train related.

The car ran smooth, but creaked whenever the car moved with the wheels steered to their maximum angle. Accelerator felt tight, yet throttle response was pretty slow. I think I will have to pass on her. That timing belt job also looks like a pain because of how close the front of the engine is to the frame...

That kinda sounds like something I'd steer clear from. What's your budget anyway? I have a Volvo wagon for sale that's in far better shape :P