Need a car [Used] - Thinking about a Volvo - is this a good choice?

[steve_qix]

Nothing to do with radio....  I need to get another car.  My 1994 Lincoln with 200k miles is going to my 18 year old so he can have something safe and sturdy.  I've been needing to get a replacement anyway...

I usually like to go American, by the way, but there haven't been too many good offerings in the used market lately.  I already have an F350 Ford and the Lincoln. 

Am looking for something really sturdy, but with better gas economy than the old Lincoln.  Have been considering Saab and Volvo.  We already have a Subaru Forrester - great and strong car, but would maybe like to get something different

Before the Subaru, my wife and I looked at the Ford Taurus, but I hit my head on the celing of the car when I drove it (I have a very long back, and am tall to start with).  The Subaru has considerably more headroom, and is very sturdy, so we went with it.  So far, a great car (78,000 miles).  My wife was rear-ended very hard a few months ago.  The Subaru barely showed any damage, while the other car's whole front end was bashed in - radiator punctured, hood bent up - undrivable.  She was ok - very shaken up, but otherwise fine.  So, the Subaru has certainly show its sturdiness.

Can't afford new, so am looking for a used vehicle.

From my research, it seems as if Saab is not as reliable as it used to be.... so I started checking into Volvo.  A bit better, but still there seem to be a lot of consumer complaints about constant and EXPENSIVE repairs.  Notably, I've read about a lot of transmission problems, "computer" problems (check engine lights and the like) that can only be fixed at a Volvo dealer for BIG bucks.

Thoughts? Ideas? Experiences?

Thanks!

Steve

[ka3zlr]

I don't Know Steve..I like them Cobalt series and the Cavilears it replaced...they ran well, bized down the road FB, and Gas not Bad...For Small cars that is...The Girls did well in them...we used up three....Women run to much...

73
Jack.

[KB1IAW]

We just bought a low mileage 06 Malibu from a Chevy dealer and gave our old Taurus wagon to our kid after his Saab crapped out for the final time. It's decent on gas and has a good crash rating, hopefully this car will be as reliable as the Taurus. I guess if money were no consideration I might take a look at the European stuff but I'm still committed to buying American made as much as possible.   

[wb1aij]

My wife had a 80s vintage Volvo. I never thought too much of it. It was under powered, bad in the snow (rear wheel drive) and VERY expensive to repair. We had to replace the alternator & starter on 2 different occasions & each trip was well over $500.00. We traded in the Volvo for a new Subaru Outback in 2000 & traded that in with 145,000 miles on it for a 2001 Infinity. The Subaru was very reliable & good in winter. Had to replace alternator, electric window switches, & moonroof seals. We will see how the Infinity holds up. That is all,over & out.

[W1RKW]

my parents have a Volvo and a sibling had a couple.  All have had repairs that were pricey.  Though very safe I wouldn't go with a one because of the experiences of my family members. 

How about a VW Jetta? We have  a 4dr here.  I'm tall like you and there's plenty of headroom and leg room for me. it's been very reliable for us and it seems sturdy and safe too. And with the standard 2.0L engine, it has plenty of get up and go. The only thing I don't like about it, it has an interference engine so a timing belt replacement is necessary at the recommended replacement interval and it isn't easy to do as a home mechanic and can be pricey as well.

[w3jn]

Crown Vic P71 Police Interceptor.  23 MPG on my city/hwy commute, and good reliability (only issue has been coils, I've replaced 6 of the 8 in 180,000 miles).

All those taxi drivers and police depts can't be wrong 

[kc2ifr]

Steve,
I love my little Blue turbo charged PT Cruiser but the gas mileage sucks AND it needs premium.
BUT it kicks ass.....

[WA1HZK]

Our Friend Chip Fisher is a Volvo Guy. He can tell you anything you want to know.
Send me an e-mail off site and I'll put you guys together.
Keith

[WA1GFZ]

volvo=HOS I hear the yuppies at work P&M about repair prices. I took a ride one day in one and thought the seats hard. I think they are over priced crap boxes. Not the volvo of the past.
That Ford my Dad gave me is a great car and got over 24 MPG to Deerfield with a V8. 2003 Merc. G.M. I think it is a bit smaller than your Lincon. And I'm not a Ford Guy. My Dad hated front wheel drive and always a V8 guy so he went to Ford. I think his last one was a '36 or '38 that he flipped in front of the Capital in Hartford. He told me he rolled it back over and kept driving. He grew up a few blocks away.
I rented a Chevy Cobalt last month and drove to L.I. I had it going almost 90 and I was impressed with it. One of our Techs just bought a new Malibu and loves it. Gets over 30 MPG.
I rented a Hundai in LA last week and it was ok. 

[ab3al]

steve stay the hell away from volvo.  6 monthhs ago I installed network cabling and a linux file server for the local volvo dealer.  had 25 clients and 20 of them were for the mechanics laptops.  Yeah thats right.. the finance and salse offices had 5 computers  for the handfull of office staff.   THEY HAD 20 FREAKING MECHANICS ON A 10 ACHRE CAR LOT WITH A 3 WEEK WAIT FOR AN OIL CHANGE. 

every bay was full and the service lot was packed.  all the cars on the lifts had half of the front end dissasemble for one reason or another.  And it wasnt a podunk lot it was the 2nd largest in baltimore

After that job no way in hell..

cobalts..  nice when they are new but many friends have owned them with not much luck in the long run... if you go chevy stick with the larger cars

love my dodges and by the way the Hemi's average about 27 hwy  in their cars.

for about the same price range as the volvos go with a bmw with the straight 6... those cars are what volvo used to be before the inventers of the pinto got hold of them

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I love my Toyota Sienna. Made in America too.

[Carl WA1KPD]

Test drove a Volvo several years ago. The backseat was so small my 10 year old daughter complained about leg room.
I bought an Acura TL instead. Loved it. No problems, well thought out and very comfortable on a 90 mile commute each day. 27 mpg with auto and plenty of pep.

Am on my 2nd one and would buy another- new or used without a second thought.
73
Carl

[W1UJR]

Steve, opinions are like...well, you know what they are like. 
If you want the facts, just IM me and I can supply you with all you want to know about Volvos.
We have a fleet of Volvos for service loaner cars, and I have been driving one myself since 1994.
Price vs. value, that's an equation that I know you can appreciate. 
Email is my call at arrl.net.


Cheers,
Bruce W1UJR
www.AtlanticMotorcar.com

[K6JEK]

I had a 99 Volvo S80 T6 (twin turbo) until six months ago.  It reminded me of the Grateful Dead lyric

Lovely to look at
Delightful to touch
It's just a shame she's got to cost so much
She wants money

I loved that car -- fast, comfortable (best seats ever) reasonable mileage,  huge trunk, and according to insurance figures one of the safest cars on the planet.

The '99 (first year) was a disaster for reliability.  I'll send you a spreadsheet of the repairs.  Staggering.  However, once nearly everything was replaced it became a very reliable car.  I would still be driving it but my wife Patty never forgave it for the error message "BRAKE FAILURE.  STOP IMMEDIATELY".  The brakes were fine, by the way.

[WA3VJB]

Made-in-Michigan Mazda 6.

V6 and a 5-spd if you want some fun, 4 cyl and a 5 spd if you want fun and better MPG.

We have one of each.

I had two Volvos in years past.  a 1972 1800ES and a 1973 1800ES. Cool cars, a bit sluggish, and repairs were pricey even then.

[KD3CN]

Steve,
If you like the Subaru, why not get another?  We've had three of them in the family, the most recent a used purchase for the eldest son.  We crash tested two of them, including his recent encounter with a dear.  These are tough reliable cars with great safety ratings and AWD.  We did well last month finding him a used deal on one.  Just a thought.. 

[W2VW]

I'd stick with something proven to work.

What kind of savings would you get from 25% better fuel economy and a 200% increase in repair items?

There are plenty of these FO MO CO rides on planet earth. They must be doing something right.

If you travel over the road and far away from the speciality shop run by ex-dealership mechanics a breakdown could get pretty ugly.

I'd stay away from that green color for the next car That looks like a special order fleet color for the forest service. 

[K3ZS]

I have a Ford, had Chevys and other Fords, the best I have is an American made 1995 Honda Accord.    It has been maintained, a few repairs over the past 14 years, but it has been the best vehicle I have ever had, and the most reasonable repair costs.   If it ever craps out, I'll go out and get another one new.

Getting an opinion on cars is like asking what is the best religion.

[WA3VJB]

I'd stick with something proven to work.

Dave you should know I finally sent the 1988 Dodge Diplomat to a new home. It just didn't have the B-A's to pull the new boat. Some kid who likes hoopties bought it, with your repairs intact and holding well.  He will have fun.

[k4kyv]

About 20 years ago we bought a 1987 Mercury Sable (same as Taurus) brand new.  It was comfortable (don't remember hitting my head on a low ceiling), got fair gas mileage and didn't need too many repairs.  But it developed major engine problems at about 140K, so we got rid of it.

I have worn out three Toyota Corollas, and never got less than 190K out of any of them, although I had to rebuild the engine on one.  I did the work myself; that's when they made them so that you could actually get to everything, and it had electro-mechanical ignition.

We now have two Mazdas; a Protégé (now @ 150k) and a MPV van (my wife bought it and our son calls it the MenoPause Van) and it's at about 113K right now.  Both are still running great.  The little car gets good mileage, and the van, well it's a van, but very comfortable and a great hamfest vehicle.

I tend to buy a car brand new, or used with very low mileage, and drive it till it falls apart, like the Wonderful One-hoss Shay.  But I feel ripped off if I don't get at least to the ballpark of 200k out of a car before it turns to dust.

Our daughter bought a used Honda Accord, and she is at somewhere about 120k and it's still going strong, with minimal repairs and down time.

I hate to deal with car salesmen.  Most are assholes, and they force you to play that silly haggling game.  If I want to buy a new car, I shouldn't feel like I am buying a very expensive item at the Dayton flea market.  I like the way Saturn was said to do it; offer the car at a fixed selling price up front, take it or leave it, with no bargaining and haggling.  But I understand the whole "radical" Saturn concept was discontinued some time ago, and with the latest restructuring, the brand itself may disappear.

Two of my three used Corollas were purchased directly from previous owners and I did nearly all of my own repair work.

[W1RKW]

one thing to consider when looking for a used vehicle is to look at how old that generation is. Earlier generations of models may be plagued with new design issues where as later in a generation those bugs are worked out.

[flintstone mop]

Steve
We parked our Honda Element and now driving either a 1997 Buick Regal (a give-away from my parents) with 109000 miles getting 27mpg or a 2003 Buick LeSabre with 72000 and getting 24mpg.
Highway driving these vehicles get around 30mpg. Seems to be a GM secret for reliability and good mpg. The Century is also a very nice ride and economy.
Volvos might be expensive to repair.

Fred

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

one thing to consider when looking for a used vehicle is to look at how old that generation is. Earlier generations of models may be plagued with new design issues where as later in a generation those bugs are worked out.

The problem seems to be the 'manufactured obsolescence' mentality of most companies now, preferring to change a proven design after a few years for the adult A.D.D. crowd who need the latest and greatest to keep up with their neighbors. My experience with Audi clearly reflects this. I owned an 80s model 4000 that I actually used for road rallies as well as daily driving. Minimal maintenance, cheap to fix when it did need fixing, $250K miles on it when I got rid of it. Far different than the 1997 A4 I drove for 3 years, also bought used. Couldn't keep it on the road, something broke every month. Simple things like the suspension were made needlessly complex so as to be 'more advanced' (read 'expensive parts, expensive to fix, defective from the start'). Other items like the timing belt system, particularly the tensioner, were done on the cheap, resulting in major engine repairs like valves etc when the tensioner or belt let go. Audi had class action suits against them for both of these items and finally had to settle, but fought it all the way despite their poor design choices. I loved my first Audi, now I twitch whenever I walk past one.

Steve, it looks like the overwhelming majority are advising and even warning you against it. I couldn't agree more. Unless you can afford to buy a new car with a warranty and SELL it before the warranty expires, you are asking for trouble. My sister and her family had Volvo wagons for a decade or so, starting with a new one when the kids were small. As they grew, space became a problem. I rode in the back seat once or twice, couldn't get out soon enough. 'Tight' doesn't really cover it. They traded the first wagon when repairs began piling up, for a 'newer' used version - something they came to regret many times over. Like me with the Audi, they found themselves having too much money sunk into repairs to sell it. And of course, it continued to break. Very expensive to maintain, and very labor/parts-intensive. Like Don, they had owned a Sable or Taurus wagon previously, and always missed it. Had 240K when they sold it to someone locally and was still on the road as of last year.

My advice - ask folks who have owned *used* models (ignore the ones who feel that name = status). Then ask mechanics who maintain a wide variety of vehicles, not simply Volvo and one or two other import brands. This will give you a far wider range of comparisons for value purposes. Far better than say, asking a used car salesman who sells Volvos. Something about 'vested interest in the outcome' and all that. I'll throw in with the Ford folks: great reliability and bang for the buck. Less of a fashion statement, no doubt.

according to insurance figures one of the safest cars on the planet.

I still remember the Mercedes Benz ad from the 80s-90s when the interviewer asked the M-B engineer what he thought about Volvo bragging about their energy/impact-absorbing design as if it was their idea, pointing out that M-B had in fact designed it. The engineer just smiled and replied "some things are too important not to share". 

  However, once nearly everything was replaced it became a very reliable car. 

Ya think??  I threw in the towel before the complete rebuild of the Audi was realized. At least the new owner was left with only 25% or so of the parts to replace when they break.

[w1vtp]

Steve

I remember Tom and Ray the car talk bros making some not so complementary remarks about the Volvo.  But why take my word for it.  Here's their Test Drive section:

http://www.cartalk.com/content/testdrives/

Just scroll down to the Volvo sect

Al

[K6JEK]

I'm not advising against a Volvo and I owned one for ten years.   I sure wouldn't buy a first model year, though.  The 99 T6 repair record reads like this: replace with updated part, change to new type of this, install new version of that.  A lot of big expensive stuff got done under warranty but some out of warranty.  Then in 2005 they finally finished the car.  It had zero problems for the next three years.  It had 120K  miles on it and looked and ran like a new car, no squeaks, no rattles, no leaks, no oil burning, no hard shifting, no dull paint, no funny things that don't work.

My wife, however, didn't trust it at all.  She seemed to be driving whenever the interesting stuff happened.  Since we're often on the road out here in the West, maybe between Nowhere, NV, and Nothingthere, AZ, she really didn't want to be in the car which in its youth had given us so much entertainment.  I couldn't talk her out of it so we let it go.