volvos?

helpimcrap · 22 May 2009 at 21:51

i don't know anything about them so bear with me on this. i'm after something similar to a fiesta although a mondeo size would be second choice and so if i go mondeo size i was thinking of volvo tanks. are they still tanks? or are they unreliable as the rest?

also how does the model system work? i'll have around £2000 to spend and i want the newest possible. so ideally a facelifted mondeo type thing post 2001. i know volvos are v/c/some other letter 60/70/80/someother digits. but what should i look at? :confused:

fonzee · 22 May 2009 at 23:00

you don't half change your mind a lot? American V8 mustang to a Volvo? :confused:

[DOD]Asprilla · 22 May 2009 at 23:01

Saloons are S class, Coupes are C class and estates are V class.

The estates come in sizes 50 or 70 and the saloons come in sizes 40, 60 and 80 although the 60 was later phased out and the 40 and 80 brought closer together. For mondeo size you are probably looking at an S60, the pick of which is the D5 as an allrounder and the T5 for performance although the 2.4 is ok as well.

I'd look at SE trim, which should give you leather all round powered seats. I think you should also get heated seats aswell. You should get an 01 or 02 for your money which reasonable / high mileage.

Never had a problem with mine apart from getting the suspension bushes changed, which considering it's only done 66k isn't great. Expect 200k miles out of the engines.

helpimcrap · 23 May 2009 at 08:59

fonzee said:
you don't half change your mind a lot? American V8 mustang to a Volvo?

believe me, when you are unfortunate enough as me to have an excess of time then you can judge lol.

as it is, i could afford a lot of cars but i want to make sure i get the right one. heart says v8s, head says fiesta type. however i don't want to limit myself.

so far i've got pluses for ford and honda, and negatives for nissan and vauxhall. peugeots and citroens fall in between. so i'm just wondering about newer volvos as i dont actually know anyone with one. :confused:

helpimcrap · 23 May 2009 at 09:00

[DOD]Asprilla;14129870 said:
Saloons are S class, Coupes are C class and estates are V class.

The estates come in sizes 50 or 70 and the saloons come in sizes 40, 60 and 80 although the 60 was later phased out and the 40 and 80 brought closer together. For mondeo size you are probably looking at an S60, the pick of which is the D5 as an allrounder and the T5 for performance although the 2.4 is ok as well.

I'd look at SE trim, which should give you leather all round powered seats. I think you should also get heated seats aswell. You should get an 01 or 02 for your money which reasonable / high mileage.

Never had a problem with mine apart from getting the suspension bushes changed, which considering it's only done 66k isn't great. Expect 200k miles out of the engines.

ah gotcha, explains it perfectly. cheers.

The Edge · 23 May 2009 at 09:33

[DOD]Asprilla;14129870 said:
Expect 300k miles out of the engines.

Corrected

The 5 cylinder diesels are practically bombproof and 400k is probably achieveable provided the rest of the car lasts that long.

Moeks · 23 May 2009 at 11:00

Screw that, get a V8!

...happy to help.

Batf1nk · 23 May 2009 at 11:14

Out of curiosity, what are the negs for Nissan?

helpimcrap · 24 May 2009 at 10:01

Batf1nk said:
Out of curiosity, what are the negs for Nissan?

I was purely basing it on parts prices and reliability. Apparently they're not so good.

Still, looks like volvos out of the frame. Found out my friend who has a V70had to buy an electric window switch and it cost him £309....

I can live without those prices.

MarkDavis · 24 May 2009 at 10:40

helpimcrap said:
Found out my friend who has a V70had to buy an electric window switch and it cost him £309....

I can live without those prices.

Volvos aren't budget cars. They are premium(ish) even if not at the cost level of BMW/Audi etc. The S60 is a good motorway express but you won't get one for £2k.

If you want cheap, get a Mondeo or Octavia.

Dandle · 24 May 2009 at 12:07

helpimcrap said:
I was purely basing it on parts prices and reliability. Apparently they're not so good.

Still, looks like volvos out of the frame. Found out my friend who has a V70had to buy an electric window switch and it cost him £309....

I can live without those prices.

TBH Volvo prices arent a lot dearer than other mainstream brands. There will always be bits you need to get that will cost a lot but thats the same on Fords and Vauxhalls. I actually found Volvo pricing on most things to be very little different to people like German and Swedish. The plus side is they are made better so require fewer parts over their life generally and are easier to work on than a lot of the cheaper cars.

username · 24 May 2009 at 22:57

I have a 2003 volvo s60 t5. It has done nudging 100k miles and drives like new. The only thing I have had to replace which is not a service item is one drop link which was £25 from a volvo dealer and 10 minutes to fit. No other car I have ever had feels this fresh at this mileage. Every other car I've ever driven (Ford, Fiat, Mitsubishi, Rover, Vauxhal) has started to feel tired and worn out by this stage. My volvo however feels tight fresh and as rattle free as ever. Some parts can be expensive but on the whole you need them less so it balances out. If you can get a nice S40 in your budget have a go at it they are very solid cars and feel more luxurious than a similarly priced ford etc.

Crowze · 25 May 2009 at 09:03

Volvo dealer prices are ridiculous, but as long as you know of a decent independent garage then you shouldn't have to worry about servicing and parts any more than any other car. You might be a bit ambitious to get a good example of a post-2001 car for under £2k though - we got a 1998 S80 w/130k on it for £1700 about half a year ago, and from what I gather S60s are more expensive and the early S40s are to be avoided. You could pick up a tidy 850/S70 for well less than £2k though. Also be sure to budget for front tyres quite regularly, they really chew them up especially the turbos.

4T5 · 25 May 2009 at 09:08

Dan. Buy something that is Fun, **** all this sensible talk you don't do enough miles to worry about half the crap this lot go on about.
You want summit to get yourself back on the road & to get you out & about again, That's all.
Get your cash out & buy whatever is about at the time that turns you on, **** being sensible it's for people with familys & careers etc.

Also,
Had a Pint with your Grandad tuther day whilst out with Jim, He don't change at all does he, Top bloke. :cool:

helpimcrap · 25 May 2009 at 09:16

malc30 said:
Dan. Buy something that is Fun, **** all this sensible talk you don't do enough miles to worry about half the crap this lot go on about.
You want summit to get yourself back on the road & to get you out & about again, That's all.
Get your cash out & buy whatever is about at the time that turns you on, **** being sensible it's for people with familys & careers etc.

Also,
Had a Pint with your Grandad tuther day whilst out with Jim, He don't change at all does he, Top bloke.

no, he doesn't change. he's still old.

lol i'm just after something to get me work and back tbh. as i'm still and for the foreseeable future part time i want something cheap on bits and reliable.
regarding sensible. i'm thinking 1.25 fiesta ideally although a few 3.0v6 mondeo sts have taken my notice lol. i've got to save up a bit more though lol.

Moeks · 25 May 2009 at 17:15

Just bear in mind that Mondeo ST220 running costs, fuel, tyres and insurance mainly, are much higher than a 1.25 Fiesta's

It might be a Ford, and they are quite cheap to buy now, but I wouldn't say they are particularly cheap to run, still, good value for what you are getting. I highly recommend them.