USED Volvo XC70 4x4 (00 - 07)

Based on the V70 estate, but with extra ground clearance and four-wheel drive, the XC70 is a halfway house between a conventional estate car and a fully fledged off-roader.

On the plus side, you get the same comfort, practicality and clever use of space as in the V70, as well as the ability to venture a little further afield than your average estate car. The four-wheel-drive system also means the XC70 drives a little better than the V70, as it’s less prone to running wide when pushed hard through corners.

However, don’t think that the XC70 is a genuine off-roader - it won’t manage much more than a rutted track off-road.

Finally, despite the improvements, the XC70 is not that great on Tarmac, either, thanks to its vague steering and poorly controlled ride.

For most of its life, the XC70 had a simple choice of two engines, and choosing between them was equally simple: diesel every time.

Originally, the only diesel was a 163bhp D5, but when its power was uprated to 185bhp in July 2005, a new 2.4-litre diesel (confusingly, also with 163bhp) joined the range. However, the less powerful (and less economical) 2.4 lasted only a year, so the simple advice is to always buy a D5.

The petrol engines are less economical and short of low-down pull, but if you must have one, go for the more powerful 2.5T which replaced the 2.4T when the range was lightly face-lifted in mid-2004.

The other simple rule is to always buy SE trim. This brought useful extra kit over the basic S, but is so well equipped that there’s no point in spending any more on the flagship SE Lux that was introduced in May 2003.

Compared with a standard V70 estate, the XC70 is considerably more expensive. However, it strikes the middle ground between its two most obvious rivals - cheaper than the Audi Allroad but dearer than the Subaru Legacy Outback.

The diesel XC70 is by far the most fuel-efficient version, but both petrol and diesel models are more frugal than the equivalent Audi. Overall, in fact, the XC70 is cheaper to own than the Allroad: the Volvo has lower insurance groups and lower maintenance costs.

The differences aren’t so clear cut next to the Subaru, but the Volvo is certainly not significantly worse (especially when you consider that the Outback has only petrol engines).

Labour rates and average repair bills are less at Volvo dealers than at Audi garages, and Warranty Direct tells us that Subaru repairs are, on average, more than those on Volvos.

Two recalls have affected the XC70: the first, in July 2004, followed worries that the fuel injector pipes might not be fitted correctly; and the second, in December 2004, was a result of concerns that possible overheating could lead to a fire in the engine bay.

Warranty Direct doesn’t have separate figures for the XC70, but it says that the V70 it’s based on is a little worse than average for reliability, with the suspension responsible for almost half of all claims, and the electrics at fault in another quarter.

The company says the car can suffer from injector problems on diesel models, immobiliser faults that flatten the battery and problems with the front suspension.