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I still haven't made up my mind about which vehicle to buy to move back East in.
I'm thinking of a used Volvo now. I have a friend that swears by them. I don't have a lot of stuff... but more than I could cram into a used Subaru (wagon).
So I'd love hear any good advice on the best used Volvo wagon to buy. So far I hear that 1997's on back are the real workhorses. Good on gas and reliable if they have 200,000 miles or less?
I'm trying to make the best decision on a used van, pickup, or a wagon like a Volvo or Subaru.
I got some EXCELLENT advice about pickups... which made me think I want to hold off and buy a better truck... AFTER I relocate and buy a home.
I hear it's harder to get a mortgage if you're paying on a vehicle too. So I'll:
1. Move to the Southeast,
2. Rent a little house,
3. Drive a car around that's good on mileage... searing out the areas that look best for me 4. THEN, buy a better used truck.
Any and all candid comments are welcomed. (No point in being snarky though.) So... the gist of this question is about advice on a reliable Volvo wagon that gets pretty good gas mileage.
(I'll be driving from the West Coast to the Southeast.)
Many thanks!
Honestly there is no practical difference in cargo capacity between the V70 and the Outback, you are looking at between 2-5 cubic feet depending on the model/generation. We had a 1998 V70 GLT (turbo) wagon that was a kick to drive, didn't have any problems that I can think of but it was a lease. I think that generation is a bit more reliable than the next 2001-2007?, which I have heard have some electrical/tranny issues. I think both have an Audi sourced in-line 5 cylinder, until they brought the 3.2 V6 in somewhere around there. Great seats in that car but it rode pretty rough and while it handled well you never seemed to know what the tires were doing.
After an S60 R (same great seats, same very good, but numb performance) for the following lease we bought Subarus and haven't looked back. More dependable and allow you to feel the road without a rough ride.
If your stuff won't fit into a Subie OBW, then it won't fit into a Volvo wagon, either ... carrying volume is just about equal on both. It's not just the cubic volume, but the shape of the volume that can be a big factor here.
Absent a need to use a pick-up truck for the hauling or towing capacity, they are a poor choice just for transportation.
I just wanted to put in my vote for a Volvo wagon.
I've owned many Volvos but one of the best cars I ever owned was a 1979 Volvo 244 DL Wagon.
I purchased it off of a K-Mart parking lot in Helena Montana where it was sitting with a for sale sign in the window.
It had 250,000 plus miles on it when I got it in 2002. Rust wasn't a factor due to it spending it's entire life in Montana.
Only two owners since new and it had all records.
Before moving to Pennsylvania I gave the wagon to my friends son with a little over 400,000 miles on the clock.
I spoke with my friend about six months ago where he had told me that the wagon finally gave up at approx 440,000 miles.
Bullet proof she was. Regular maintenance and oil changes gave her years of driving her owners in utilitarian style.
May she now rest in peace.
I still haven't made up my mind about which vehicle to buy to move back East in.
I'm thinking of a used Volvo now. I have a friend that swears by them. I don't have a lot of stuff... but more than I could cram into a used Subaru (wagon).
So I'd love hear any good advice on the best used Volvo wagon to buy. So far I hear that 1997's on back are the real workhorses. Good on gas and reliable if they have 200,000 miles or less?
I'm trying to make the best decision on a used van, pickup, or a wagon like a Volvo or Subaru.
I got some EXCELLENT advice about pickups... which made me think I want to hold off and buy a better truck... AFTER I relocate and buy a home.
I hear it's harder to get a mortgage if you're paying on a vehicle too. So I'll:
1. Move to the Southeast,
2. Rent a little house,
3. Drive a car around that's good on mileage... searing out the areas that look best for me 4. THEN, buy a better used truck.
Any and all candid comments are welcomed. (No point in being snarky though.) So... the gist of this question is about advice on a reliable Volvo wagon that gets pretty good gas mileage.
(I'll be driving from the West Coast to the Southeast.)
Many thanks!
In my opinion, the best years for an older Volvo wagon are back in "The Brick" days. Rear wheel drive made for an extremely smooth ride, and posi-trac differential made them go in snow like nobody's business. The 2.3L 4-banger engine was bullet-proof, and if you had a manual tranny with overdrive, you'd pull down 26-27 mpg on the highway.
Skip the Turbo model. It's nice for power, but it'll drop 3-5 mpg off your economy.
As an added bonus, it'd be the perfect car for a Vegan to be driving...
We have a 1998 with 240,000 miles on it. It is a V70 Xc AWD turbo. 5 cylinders.
Before we got it the engine, awd gearbox and turbo charger were rebuilt. I guess we will probably get to rebuild the transmission eventually. I am informed we will likely get to rebuild the AWd gearbox a time or two more. It needs struts. We put a new heater core in it. Otherwise it is doing fine.
It is a nice car, but its purpose escapes me. It is not fast, but not a dog, it is not comfortable compared to the luxury cars, not roomy, it is not a people hauler, it really only holds 4 and not all that comfortably, it does not have a ton of cargo space, not bad but not great, it does not get good mileage (20.5 MPG combined), it is not pretty or sporty, it handles somewhat like a truck full of lumber (partially because of the worn out struts though). So what is it for?
My brother said it is the soccer mom car of Europe and for American soccer moms who do not want a caravan, grand Cherokee, BMW 328, or dodge charger and who want to create an appearance of European sophistication (I asked if that means they stop taking showers, but he did not find that funny - he is a europhile).
It has good safety features, but it was not the safest car for 1998. It can tow things reasonably well, but nothing heavy. And if you like buttons, this is your car. I saw one good description saying it looks like a button monster was driving the car home from a bar and threw up all over the cockpit. It rivals my old Subaru XT Turbo for using two or three buttons for what most vehicles use one and for having loads of mysterious buttons that you have to look up in the manual to determine it does something you will probably never need.
If is basically a well rounded car, decent at almost anything but not really good at anything. It is reasonably good in the snow and ice, but not quite on par with a Subaru or a 4x4. However it was over $38,000 in 1998! That is a pricy car. I still do not fully understand why someone woudl pay that kind of money for one given other options in that price range.
Do not get me wrong, I like it reasonably well. It is a fine car to give to my daughter if she ever gets going and takes the license test (she is 18.5 years old). I just do not understand why people ever bought them in the first place.
Oh I just discovered one of the headlight wipers is broken. I guess I ad better stop driving it. Cannot have a car without headlight wipers. (except I have not found the button or combination of buttons that makes them come on anyway).
BTW. We paid $1500 or $1800 for it (forget which) so you can probably find one you can afford.
Second BTW. We are told this is one of the worst time periods for these wagons. Older ones or several years newer are supposed to be much more reliable. Also if you get one NEVER get it repaired at Volvo. Volvo parts are absurdly expensive and so are the labor charges. (The heater core was quoted at something like $800 we went DIY bought an after market one and put it in in about an hour or two (working in bits and pieces of time). I think that total cost was around $150. Volvo wanted around $350 just for the part.
We also have a ford ranger (2003) 170,000 miles. They seem to be tough as nails. Cheap and decent hauling capacity. Get the extended cab version. they get about the same MPG as the volvo. However I wish it was 4x4. (some are, ours is not). My brother had one he sold at about 320,000 miles still running but rusted out. Our extended family has had very good luck with them.
A dodge grand caravan is a cheap option with outstanding cargo capability. However I would just drive it to your destination and sell it immediately. OUr experience with them has been horrible. We had three and I probably did more repairs on those three than on all of the other 20 or so cars I have owned combined.
Last edited by Coldjensens; 03-22-2013 at 07:30 AM..
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(except I have not found the button or combination of buttons that makes them come on anyway).
