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Is the cost of ownership and repair on Volvos much higher than a Honda or Toyota for example?
There is a 1998 Volvo S70 for sale at a good price near me with about 120k miles on it. Reading Edmunds I see a lot of people who have that car and going strong with 250k+ miles. So it seems like is should be reliable but I'm wondering if things start breaking is it much more to fix like a Mercedes or BMW is?
That model Volvo was one of the absolute best in terms of reliability, ergonomics, and quality. Mechanically, it is very similar to the 94-97 model years in fact almost everything but body panels are swappable. It also shares quite a few mechanical pieces with the 99-00 MYs.
I haven't priced out parts for Mercedes or BMWs but I would suspect they are similar if not slightly less, the difference is the quality of the car is vastly superior IMO.
How are you with DIY mx? There are several online forums with walk throughs on how to fix almost anything on that car, similar to the BMW following that exists.
As long as the car came from a good home and was well cared for I wouldn't hesitate to purchase it. Keep in mind it has a timing belt and that must be changed on schedule. On the second belt change you must replace the tensioner and associated pulleys and I would suggest the water pump as well. It's about a $500 preventive mx fix.
You need to understand that you are purchasing an 18 year old near-luxury European car and will most like be required to put some significant money into it shortly. For example I replaced the entire front end on my car (struts and mounts, tie rods, control arms, end links) and used factory parts or equivalent and spent around $1,000 doing it myself. Those cars also have an evaporator that leaks and must be replaced (or no AC) and that is a $1200 repair for $100 in parts (again a DIY thing but it's a 4 out of 5 beers one).
I think Toyotas and Hondas would be cheaper to maintain but you lose a lot of the luxury and quality build that you get with that era Volvo. To be frank, almost any two decade old car will need to have money put into it and if you aren't doing it yourself it's going to be cost prohibitive.
Thanks. I probably will pay for any work just because I live in an apartment and don't have anywhere to work on a car. I guess I'm wondering if Volvo mechanics also tend to charge more.
It is a nice car. My friend's parents had one when it was new and I always loved that car but I am mostly looking for a cheap commuter car to do 50 mile round trip on the highway every day. The cost on the Volvo is the same or less then some Civics, Accords, Camry and Corrollas with similar miles on them
Ooooohhh....50 mile round trip commute? Like you, I'd prefer a Volvo but from a practicality standpoint and same money, I'd go with newer/fewer miles Honda or Toyota. I'd choose dependability for your commute. If it was just for an in-town run-around car, I'd say Volvo.
Ooooohhh....50 mile round trip commute? Like you, I'd prefer a Volvo but from a practicality standpoint and same money, I'd go with newer/fewer miles Honda or Toyota. I'd choose dependability for your commute. If it was just for an in-town run-around car, I'd say Volvo.
For the record any honda or toyota I get will be old and over 100k. This is second car for my family and my budget is about $4k.
The S70 was a pretty reliable vehicle, but the FWD has fewer problems, and lower costs than the AWD variant as Volvo had not issues with early AWD systems, such as with the similar model year XC70. Is it an automatic or a five speed manual? The manual is a tad more reliable, since you don't have the automatic transmission with which to contend, but the auto transmissions are not bad. For a 1998, 120k miles are not too high, but I'd have it inspected and would check to see if the maintenance records are available.
Toyota and Honda need maintenance at similar mileage, as well, and parts for a Volvo may be only slightly more expensive. Honda parts are not at the lowest end of the spectrum, either, but you can find more independent mechanics for Honda and Toyota than Volvo, depending upon the area of the country. For example, where I live, Volvos are very common and there are some excellent mechanics who can properly diagnose and maintain the vehicles at reasonable cost. One other consideration, is that while the Volvo may cost a bit more than a comparative Toyota, the safety equipment on a 1998 Volvo will be better than on a similar year Toyota, so for a family, it might be a better buy to have an older Volvo than an economy car that did not have the same safety equipment until years later.
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We have a 1998 V70 Wagon. We were told it had the engine and front trans-axle rebuilt before we got it. We just had to replace the raidator and the oil cooler lines, a new AC condenser thingy and a replacement air pump something or other. (would have cost about $1500 for a mechanic to do it). Most of the cost is labor, but the parts usually have to be ordered over the internet.
Still at 288,000 miles that is not a bad record.
There are a few things broken, but it is still more comfortable and more options than my daughters 2006 V70 wagon. This year is one of the best IMO. The seats are super comfortable and once you figure out what all the buttons do, if the stuff still works, it is a really neat car to drive. Performance is ok with turbo. MPG mediocre but not bad. Handling in the snow is awesome. Nearly equal to my 4x4 dodge which has better tires and weighs 5500 pounds.
Despite the age and wear, this is still a car I do not mind driving for business purposes when my truck is in for an oil change or being borrowed by whomever is moving this month. I have no problem dirving it on my 54 mile round trip commute, or on longer trips. In fact, I would prefer it to a Honda ot Toyota because it is so comfortable. If you drive a lot, comfortable can be more important that a few extra MPG. It is also a great option for my 16 y.o. son if he ever gets his license. Safe, good in snow, not quick/fast, not flashy, comfortable for 4-5 people with a bit of stuff or a dog, easy to drive/park.
To me the cost of fixing it was well worth keeping it around, expecialy since I traded some other old broken cars for the labor. Oh and BTW not a lick of rust on it either and it spent its whole life in Michigan.
OP, this is what to consider.
I been working on my cars since 1990.
I am staying away from any German or Scandinavian make. Reason being is very simple. They are very pricy on repairs. Set aside that Germans are fallen down on their face reliability wise, thing with Scandinavians is they are incredible "Volvo way or FWY", even more than Germans. I once browsed Volvo forum - that's best way to learn about any car - and easily found how awkward and labor taking, if not devilishly complicated, those cars are on repairs. Everything is special tool and those start at $300 and up. This why you will see European or Volvo Specialist repair shops but very seldom a "Japanese".
Japanese are rather simple to fix, parts are abundant and cheap, reliability they normally outperform Volvo, definitely outperform on mpg. 100 000 miles for a Japan made Honda or Toyota is considered "just broken in".
In simple words, they are cheap to own. Volvo, OLD ONES, may, just may be stellar reliability but if it hits you with repair bill, you could buy a Civic for the money.
Keep that in mind. I am not sure when Volvos reliabity declined, likely after GM got its fingers into it, but it declined badly.
I spoke.
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