Volvo V50 (2004 - 2012) D5 R DESIGN Sport 5d Owner Review

The V50 is a robust and sturdy car, the ride is good but not quite that of the larger V70s. Perfect if you want an estate car but don't want/need the chasm like qualities of a V70. The M66 gearbox is very good and a lot of the running gear is shared with the ford focus of the same era so parts are cheap. Avoid prefacelift models if possible due to electrical problems. Common faults/weak points are ac condensers, wheel bearings, rear shock top mounts, rear inner tyre wear, poor headlight output and drop links. The 2.0D engine I had previously was surprisingly fast and a nice mix of power and economy. The D5 volvo powerplant I currently own is fantastic, cruising on a wave of torque (400NM with manual gearbox - parkers are wrong on this), and 180bhp in what is not actually a particularly big car means performance is fantastic. It is economical too I have averaged 43mpg over the last 8000 miles (I only got 43avg in my 2.0D). Sturdy, safe, comfortable, economical, quick family estate car.