Volvo's best seller in North America underwent a couple of very noticeable changes for the 1998 model year. Foremost was a new and sleeker name, as the 850 became the S70. And even if you tried you couldn't overlook the other obvious difference: a loss of some of its trademark boxiness.
Yes, some of those corners have been rounded out a bit, but it's not as if that has had a negative effect on its outstanding reputation for safety (in fact those slightly more aerodynamic edges might even result in a mileage boost).
The sedan formerly known as the 850 may have itself a new moniker, but its purpose remains the same: to deliver its occupants to their destination safely and comfortably. The 1998 Volvo S70 adds another adverb to that list: stylishly. That's right - the famously boxy buggy has undergone a makeover, losing some of its squareness both literally and figuratively, as the Ford-run edition of Volvo delved into a new marketing turn that lets style ride in the front seat with safety. In other words, "Sure, we're the safest, but we're darned good-looking, too."
Some 1998 S70 owners feel that the debut year was not snag-free. Generally with Volvos the consensus is the car is wonderful until you get the repair bill, but this time around there's a camp where the feeling is that the Swedes should have done a bit more homework. One user proclaimed, "They should have left the 850 alone for a few more years." Several complained about numerous problems and frequent repairs, aggravated by the fact that nearly all replacement parts are only available through the dealer.
But you can't please all of the people all of the time, and certainly many a 1998 Volvo S70 driver conducts his commute with a smile. This is the result of rolling down the road enjoying truly exceptional handling and performance while feeling confident that this vehicle, which received stellar ratings in NHTSA crash tests, will protect you should something go awry. Plus the Narcissus in every driver loves knowing that in this car he looks great doing it, too. One user commented: this car is made for the highway. You can maximize your fun by going for the 5-speed manual.
Fuel economy is quite good, with a well-tuned 2.4-liter engine yielding about 20 city and 28 highway. Air-conditioning, power windows and locks, and ABS are standard equipment. The 1998 S70 earned 4 stars from J.D. Power in the style, mechanical quality, and creature comforts categories, although it was given a meager 2 for mechanical dependability. All other categories were in the middle range.
While we highlight specific author bylines where possible, sometimes our content results from the combined efforts of several members of the CarGurus editorial team. As with all our editorial content, you can expect high levels of automotive insight and expertise delivered in a style that is approachable and free from jargon.
I love this car I have 2 of them one a 1998 T5 second 1998 GLT they are very well engineered and built like a tank.Oct 21, 2023
by Anonymous
Aug 24, 2023
I absolutely love my Volvo I get compliments on it every day of how clean and nice looking it is. It was exactly what I was looking for. Perfect price. Aug 24, 2023
by Anonymous
Aug 16, 2023
Love this car good HP nice handling fits me like a glove all leather seats beautiful interior etc. Its a luxury sports 4 door sedan that fits a family. Its very sleek and unassuming but ket that cherry red mustang 5.0 rev it up just to stay even with me on the freeway but as I pull away the officer believes the cherry red car was the faster one and allows my Navy blue/metallic blue / gloss black/flat black s70 turbo to stay in route but gives the shiny showy car the ticket.
I love this car . O wished I wouldnt have tried starting it hooked up to 24 volt power on accident. Omg Im a bone head. Aug 16, 2023
User rating:
by Donald D
Oct 21, 2023
I love this car I have 2 of them one a 1998 T5 second 1998 GLT they are very well engineered and built like a tank.Oct 21, 2023
by Anonymous
Aug 24, 2023
I absolutely love my Volvo I get compliments on it every day of how clean and nice looking it is. It was exactly what I was looking for. Perfect price. Aug 24, 2023
by Anonymous
Aug 16, 2023
Love this car good HP nice handling fits me like a glove all leather seats beautiful interior etc. Its a luxury sports 4 door sedan that fits a family. Its very sleek and unassuming but ket that cherry red mustang 5.0 rev it up just to stay even with me on the freeway but as I pull away the officer believes the cherry red car was the faster one and allows my Navy blue/metallic blue / gloss black/flat black s70 turbo to stay in route but gives the shiny showy car the ticket.
I love this car . O wished I wouldnt have tried starting it hooked up to 24 volt power on accident. Omg Im a bone head. Aug 16, 2023
by Anonymous
Mar 05, 2014
A car suits your mood. There is nothing exciting about Volvos, and hasn't been since the late 1960's. That said, it is a good daily driver, to work where you don't want to go and to the Wal-Mart, where you don't want to go. This is from the era when Volvo thought they could get into BTCC and TOCA racing, so the ride is a bit harsher, the engine is turbocharged, and the wheels... well at least they are aluminum alloy. The main faults of the S70 are all electronic in nature. The instruments stop working daily. The ABS light comes on because the ABS pump sits against (and vibrates) the electronic control unit, which also causes the speedometer to go out. The plastics are cheap German bits, so they break and crumble to dust. The door leather is stretched so tight from the factory (to save $$$$) that it peels off and shrinks down to where it no longer fits. Finally, crap breaks behind the dash so when you go over a speed bump or a railroad crossing it sounds like someone took a sledge hammer and hit the center of dash with full force ... Ka-crack!!!! Mine is dark blue, it's a box shaped car, and nothing works right in it. My wife calls it "The Tardis" for obvious reasons.
But I like this car because a Volvo saved my family's life once.
We were involved in a head-on collision in my sister's 1985 240 DL sedan. My sister was driving, I was in the passenger seat and we had three children, all under 6 years old (at the time) in the back seat. We were hit by a 4X4 Ford 3/4 ton Pickup pulling a car trailer. The truck had lost control going over the top of a hill doing roughly 60 MPH and crossed into our lane. We ended up beaten battered and bruised but alive. There wasn't much left of the Volvo, but what was left of it saved our lives. We all would have been dead if we had taken my sister's Accord or my Celica that day. I still have a copy of the 240 DL's key on my keychain as a weird sort of good luck charm. Someday, when I review the 240 series, I will upload photos of the accident.Mar 05, 2014
by Tony S
Jan 21, 2014
The brakes are a little hard but overall it is a very great car. It has been good to me for 4 years it was my first car and I could not have chose a better car to drive. It is a fair price and very safe and sturdy.Jan 21, 2014
by Danny H
Jun 30, 2013
Very easy maintenance plenty of room to work on very simple and easy'''''''' nice and smooth ride, after you replace struts.... but for $500 with do you expect.... have not finished with it yet plan on doing a lot more to it I will keep you informed on my progress.............Jun 30, 2013
by Anonymous
Jun 27, 2013
It has 248,000 miles and still drives smooth with turbo still kicking. Needs lots of work to be done on it; willing to keep it. Needs breaks: rotors, discs, calibers, struts, shocks, rear seal, clutch. The paint is fading on the hood but from a distance, it still shines. driver speaker plays occasionally. Lots to be done, but will work on this since I love it so muchJun 27, 2013
by Hunter B
Mar 28, 2013
I just acquired the car, so I'm still learning about it. However, 2 weeks in, I can say I'm impressed overall. 167000 miles, and it drives as smooth and strong as if it were new. Has a few issues, mostly involving a sensor and some minor electrical problems. When pushed about 75%, the car responds with vigor, though it feels a bit sluggish when merely cruising around town. Some of that may be due to the dynamics of a turbocharged engine, and the resulting lag that comes from turbos. The car is comfortable and well-appointed, and I look forward to taking it on a road trip this summer. I miss having a manual transmission, though the automatic in this car has performed fine thus far. I look forward to learning more about my Volvo and reporting on it in the weeks to come.
A year and half after purchase, my S70 finally blew up. Or, more accurately, it blew out seals (the rear main seal, a return line seal) while driving from Kansas City to Chicago. It took 14 extra quarts of oil to actually get between St. Louis and Chicago, but it made it. The cost of repair and the time needed forced me to sell it to a salvage yard, so the Volvo is no more as of Memorial Day 2014.
The car was smooth, fast, comfortable, and always started, no matter what. It was surprisingly competent in deep (more than a foot) snow. It also had lots of small problems, and was expensive to repair and maintain. Much front suspension work was needed in the 14 months and 17,000 miles I owned it. It also had multiple sensor failures, and went through two sets of spark plugs.
I still would recommend the car to others, provided they have the time and money to maintain it. Purchasing one with fewer than 150,000 miles might help, too.Mar 28, 2013
by Anonymous
Feb 14, 2013
This is a great family car that gets great gas mileage, is comfortable, and very reliable. My car has 155,xxx miles on it and is still going just like new. It doesn't have much power, but if you need to get around something, it can handle the task. It's not going to set any land speed records, but will get you from point A to point B very efficiently.Feb 14, 2013
by Maxime B
Apr 11, 2012
even with 321 000 km my volvo is still running strong
exeptionnal assembly
i bought it 800$ and there was nothing i had to do
the car is a pleasure to drive
id travel anytime in my volvo rather than my old sentra Apr 11, 2012
by Crispin D
Oct 20, 2011
I love the ride that my Volvo provides, and fairly decent performance coming
from the 168-hp 5 cylinder engine, not as much performance as i would like
though. Turbo model would've been better.
The build quality is outstanding, only thing I've had to repair is the AC
compressor, along with standard maintenance. Gas mileage is a little bad, but
considering it's a 4400lb car it's reasonable. Going back to what I said about
performance, it's fun to drive, but if it had a turbo it would be so much better. Oct 20, 2011
by Dale C
Oct 07, 2011
Awesome, awesome car. May not have the best performance, but it could get up and go when it needed to. Handling was amazing could take sharp turns like nobodies business. Unfortunatly had a lot of problems because the previous owner did not take any good care of the car at all which was a shame cause it really is a great car to own and I do plan on buying another one when I can. Loved the way the car looked from the front. Very agressive looking, but one thing I didnt like about the looks was the famous Volvo box look in the back. One thing I think that would really help with that would be to install an Evo or STi styled wing and it would look great. Had great gas milage and I pretty sure if the car was in better condition it would've lasted forever. This car for sure is a fun one to drive, and like I said earlier I for sure going to be looking to buy this again.Oct 07, 2011
by Justin Z
Feb 24, 2011
The 98 turbo volvo s70 glt is the whole package. It's quick, smooth
acceleration and shifts. Stops on a dime and great for the highway. Its
built like a tank can't kill this car. Still looks great for being 13 years old
beautiful paint and leather interior. 25 mpg highway and it;s a blast to
drive fast or slow. The police don't second look at it eitherFeb 24, 2011
by Anonymous
Feb 05, 2011
Great car but need something bigger. Heated leather seats, airbags, sunroof -- all in all, a nice car that needs a little work. Still drive it to work every day but would do a little work if keeping it for the next year.Feb 05, 2011
by Michael R
Jan 28, 2011
its a sleeper for sure. excelent quality car especially for how i try and beat it into the ground. it will take you just about anywhere including ice and sand banks on the lake. kinda heavy but definately safe and reliable.Jan 28, 2011
by Anonymous
Jan 17, 2011
heavy duty tank, safe, dependable, classic car. Built to last, never rusts. Can put on milage without decreasing the car's value. Need snow tires for all 4 wheels. But when you have them on...the car drives very well/ Bummer to invest in tires but worth it.
Jan 17, 2011
by Anonymous
Sep 04, 2010
Performance: I have the stock non-turbo 2.4L 5cyl engine, Up until last week it has been running fine, But now it seems like it wants to stall on me, I do not know what is wrong with it.
Build Quality: My brakes squeal when I reverse, and other then the engine wanting to stall it runs fine.
Appearance: I love the tan leather seats, they are amazing and very comfortable. The only flaws on my car are on the bottom part of the front bumber (my wife is from Florida and we both now live in Pennsylvania, shes not used to high curbs so she tends to hit them quite often) Also one day my wife decided to somehow manage to hit a mailbox and so now on the front passenger side fender has a nice dent in it.
Cost of Ownership: It gets great gas mileage and I drive like an a$$h0le lol. But the downside is parts arent very cheap for it...
Fun Factor: Incredible stock sound system. My S70 defintly has the balls for an automatic! Love it! Just hope I can get it fixed cheap.Sep 04, 2010
by Maxwell B
Jul 17, 2010
Hauls ass. Takes corners well. Scares the pants of dudes in their ricers when they get beaten by a 12 y/o Volvo. Not just grannies car anymore. HIDs are a big addition. Buy one at your local Costco today!Jul 17, 2010
by Jordan C
Jul 17, 2010
Quart-mile in 13.8 seconds at 106MPH. Its most definitely a sleeper
people try and race me all the time and fail. This car most definitely turns
heads left and right. People ask me all the time why would you pick this
car? Its a VOLVO!Jul 17, 2010
by Matthew O
Apr 26, 2010
It is a comfortable ride with only little trouble over bumps. Acceleration is pretty good up until around 80, with supreme braking and very accurate handling. Gas Mileage and Outward appearance leave something to desire for, however interior appearance is way above par for the year and rather cheap now. Apr 26, 2010
by Thomas S
Oct 06, 2009
Its well build comfy litlle car maybe a bit slugish but on the highway well it rocks. Great handling and with leather seats still in a good shape i love just being in it. Its sill early day but i was told maintaining this car could be a costly affair.Oct 06, 2009
by Samantha S
Sep 27, 2009
Performance - have to floor it to get going, braking is good, handles well
build quality - it rattles a lot!
appearance - white with leather interior, great airconditioning!! great stereo!
fun factor - it gets me from a to b im very happy with it!Sep 27, 2009
by Cameron J
Sep 26, 2009
This was my first car. I had the Coral Red exterior and tan leather interior. It was not a fast car by any means. I did get to have some fun against other cars at a few stop lights though. It was a good first car. reliable, smooth ride and just all around comfortable. Even now that i drive a CLK430 I still miss the S70 on occasionSep 26, 2009
by Nicholas E
Sep 11, 2009
Well it lasts long, its slowly falling apart, but it still runs good. 115,000 miles and counting and im hoping for another 150,000. I can change it between sport and economical mode. which means i can go faster and eat my gas or go regular and still get my gas eaten just a bit slower.Sep 11, 2009
by James S
Jul 29, 2009
This is a very nice car, once you go volvo you don't go back. Has the get up and go that a volvo should but i still want to have ipd replace the exhaust and the ecu. for the winJul 29, 2009
by Michael G
Jul 20, 2009
well built, pretty quick with the help of the turbo, nice ride, comfy clean interior good car. Expensive to fix and upgrade but i still love it, go with IPD USA and u can really make it a nice carJul 20, 2009
by Christopher P
Jul 19, 2009
This and other Volvo's are often looked over as they are assumed to be heavy, slow, expensive to maintain, and boxy in looks. This car weighs jut over 3000 pounds, and is powered by a 2.3L inline five cylinder engine producing near 240 horse power and 270 ft lbs of torque as LOW AS 1250 rpms. 0-60 times are between 5 and 6 seconds, and the stock quarter mile is 14 seconds. Not bad for a 11 year old vehicle, eh? My 1998 S70 T5 currently has 123,000 miles and has only needed a brake caliper and an AC condenser (under $500 in repairs in 11 years!). this S70 has always been a Jersey and New York car, and still has absolutely no on its underside. It is built like a tank! I hit a dear dead on at 50mph and was able to drive home with just a slightly bent hood and shattered headlights. The interior is plain and straightforward, the steering wheel tilts, and telescopes(goes in and out, for those that sit really close or far away from the seat.) And the seats are one of the most comfortable seats you will sit on, a d also contain a whiplash protection system that coddles your body when you are in an accident, and prevents whiplash. The seat belts have explosive tensioners that will snug you into the seat in the event of an accident, the front air bags are almost not even needed. The side airbags are mechanically set off by steel poles in the sides of the seats, when you are hit in the side and one of these poles is hit, the airbag will go off. Between these steel poles is an iron block that turns the seats into part of the car in the event you are hit in the side to avoid the sides of the car from caving in. These cars are still used in Europe today in the police force because of the quickness, reliability, and there durability. I would buy another one in a heartbeat, this has to be one of the best overall vehicles I have ever owned. I am glad I chose this car over The Subaru's, BMW's, and Mercedes I had looked at... the price for parts and maintenance is as cheap as an American car. Try buying a brake rotor for a BMW for less than $60!, Try changing the brake pads on your Mercedes! oh wait you cant do it without hooking it to a Mercedes computer!Jul 19, 2009
by Patrick V
Jun 30, 2009
cheap to fix, it's a very solid car, no rattle whant a nother one
like this one but with a turbo. would have another one but
stationwagon for more cargo space and a more beautiful body
shape. hopefully an "r"Jun 30, 2009
by Ashley K
Feb 12, 2009
I loved the car, it was sturdy and never failed to impress me! The car had heated seats in the front and the back, which was very nice to drive. The car was very fun to drive it had good pick up and was very safe.Feb 12, 2009
by Thomas C
Jul 08, 2008
The car is great when I had it, did alot of modifications in it. Performance can be better, but its okay for me. Can beat an WRX on the lights. I loved to speed at my car's maximum speed.Jul 08, 2008
by Anonymous
May 04, 2008
Though it sounds corny, my 1998 Volvo S70 saved my life. I bought my black 1998 Volvo S70 used in 2005 and would still be driving it now if I hadn't totalled it about a week ago on the highway on the way to work. A mini van in the breakdown lane was on fire, belching out thick black smoke. Blinded, I came through the smoke doing about 45 and smashed directly into the back of a Dodge Ram pick-up that had stopped suddenly. The entire front end of my car was smashed, and I veered into the guardrail, where my car got wedged. The airbags deployed, the windshield cracked, and the hood peeled up and back like an accordian. But I only had a scratch on my leg, some bruises on my arms and knees, and a bruise across my collarbone where the seatbelt held me. Everyone who has seen my car after the wreck can't believe I just walked away from the accident.
As for reliability...other than a couple of repairs(front exhaust manifold after 120,000 miles) and the replacement of the fuel pump, which wasn't broken but needed to be replaced to prevent a serious problem down the road, the car was very reliable and ran great. I bought the car with 92,000 miles and it was going strong up until last week with 149,000+ miles. If it weren't for the average age of the S70s and the tendency for a lot of used ones to have high miles, I'd buy another in a snap.
However, I just purchased a 2004 S60, so I'll let you know how it goes.May 04, 2008
by Josh S
Apr 17, 2008
The car's are very safe and everything is very user friendly. Seats are comfortable and has alot of room. Handles excellent. Has plenty of power for daily driving.Apr 17, 2008
by Bradley H
Apr 01, 2008
It was never the prettiest car on the block. And certainly wasn't the fastest with a little V5 engine, although in sport driving mode that thing could accelerate pretty good for a late 90's 4 dr sedan. 0-60 in about 8.9 seconds. This car has excellent handling and braking performance. You do need to step a little harder on the brakes than with other vehicles. The Volvo S70 is very low to the ground and I have successfully taken it around sharp turns at speeds of 35 mph. I developed the skills I have today in this car and it has been reliable, although had frequent mechanical problems that were very costly to fix.Apr 01, 2008
by Jimmy S
Mar 06, 2008
we used to have one of these...but due to ford's association with volvo it started going to hell.Mar 06, 2008
by Nicolas G
Jan 03, 2008
fast, and solid... did 400 000km before replacing suspension, still havent replace exaust...clitch is original and so is the TurboJan 03, 2008
by Anonymous
Jun 21, 2007
The car just really meets my concept of design perfection. It's almost 10 years old already (only had it for one) and I still admire it despite all new models on the road. Love to drive it. All the sophistication, however, lends itself to a need for maintenance. The ABS light is frequently on, the tranny and turbo fall out of synch, and some interior part is always frayed. I would only recommend this car to people who are in love with it -- it ain't practical.Jun 21, 2007
by Anonymous
Feb 15, 2007
What a fooler...the mom station wagon...HA!!!!! This car handles the corners at very high speed, tremendous acceleration, comfort interior and it averages (and I am not a slagger driver) about 23.5 miles to the gallon. It does use premium fuel (I do cheat and get mid grade octane) but the car just plain is a runner. Volvo's are pricey to repair so do your regular maintenance and you should not have ANY issues until the 65,000 mile mark when you need to check tires, brakes and have a general check up. I traded out my run of the mill radio/cd player for a Panasonic top line with GPS -this slipped right into the same hole as the old radio and could be taken with you if you choose when you sell this car. This little sleeper is a sport vehicle in a Safe Soccer Mom shell. Sticker for this car was in the high 20's but it's resale value is high also. A little care and you have a 5 year vehicle (the styling has no major changes - a little rounding of the top) and a big resale or just keep it and run. My other Volvo ( a 1985 240 GL is still alive and well-although it sits outside in the Texas sun so there is the fading and dash crack effect, but runs like a top, a/c goes down and frosts the inside of the windshield and it has over 200,000 miles. All I can say is go VOLVO!Feb 15, 2007
I'M CONSIDERING BUYING A 1998 VOLVO S70. IT HAS 3 CODES: P0300, P0303 & P0304. I'VE REPLACE SPARK PLUG IN # 3 & #4 CYLINDERS AND IT IS STILL MISFIRING AT 2000 RPMS AND LOWER. IT RUNS FINE ABOVE 2000 RPM'S. IT'S FIRING FINE AT IDLE SPEED; SO I DON'T THINK IT'S THE IGNITION. IS CODE P0300 A VACCUM LEAK? OR A SENSOR PROBLEM?
I had to replace my battery and lost my code to reset radio. Since then I have found my code but when I turn my radio on it says off and it won’t let me enter my code.
Hi Folks, Observations: Volvo 1998 S70 T5 Turn ignition key, have dash lights. Clicking under hood Engine not turning over Questions: 1. Correct to assume this is likely electrical, likely not a spark issue? 2. Where is the starter motor? 3. Where is the ECU? 4. What are the electrical connections related to ignition? My current understanding is: ignition switch to ECU to ignition coil to distributor? I don't understand the relationship between the starter motor and the ignition coil. With my logic they seem redundant (but obviously my logic is wrong).