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Maybe I should post this in both AWD and RWD?
We have one of each. Because of the need to now transport an aging parent who has limited mobility and uses a walker, we'll be looking for a minivan.
Said parent no longer drives and we have her low mileage 2005 Dodge Neon, which is "worth" more than either 16-year-old Volvo, to sell along with one of the Volvos. Goal is a late model van. Had one before, not opposed to it.
I've maintained both cars for years and know the pros/cons of each their respective family of brick. The 940 is a tank but crude. The interior is coming apart. Seats are cracked, belts are worn out, steering wheel has delaminated and it will need a complete suspension refresh soon. Springs and bushings included. It sails down the highway, tracks dead straight and if I keep it, I'm ditching the steel wheels and putting salvage alloys on it. Tired of losing hubcaps.
It's also roomier than the 855T which is smoother, looks nicer, but is a maintenance concubine. Always something, and one day it will be something major. When it's right, it's great.
My heart says keep the 1995 855T, logic tells me the 1994 945T. Can't keep both. They both are around the 150,000 mark.
We can't all fit comfortably in either car. Three 6'+ adults, one with a bad hip and walker, a 5'10" 12 year old and a 10 year old son who is going to shoot up to 6' in a year or two.
???
Erwin
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That's a tough call!
Here is my take:
If you prefer a car that might run forever I'd choose the 945T. That drivetrain is pretty tough. FYI - I drove my 90 240 to 300k then sold it. Original engine and drivetrain still going strong. The drivetrain is great but the downside is that most everything else wears out. I got tired of fixing the various leaks, brakes, exhaust (nearly constant), electricals (constant!) etc. Plus with the 945T the turbo will wear out.
If a fun and comfortable car are more important then I'd stick with the 855T. Accept the fact that it will cost more to maintain and enjoy it! Plus the 945T will be gone so you won't have 2 old WOWO's draining your funds. From what I've seen the interiors hold up better in the 8 series than the 9 series and 850's rarely rust. The 2/7/9 series cars will rust. The 855T could very well last as long as a RWD car with proper maintenance. I know of 850's going 400K+.
But you know your needs better than any of us...:)
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Both cars are still young but approaching the age where shocks/struts, bushings, and other wear parts are starting to go. The parts for the 945 are cheaper and the 4 cyl engine is easier to work on. The 855 is a little smaller but quieter, has a good climate control, and is a bear to work on.
They both have their +/-, and it will probably come down to which is better for the daily commute and garbage hauling. I like the seats in the 855 better, and that is most important to me.
If there is a pick&pull, check the availability of both cars. Spare parts are a premium these days.
Klaus
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My advice is free, so you got what you paid for...
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I agree with KlausC on the PNP thing - if you are a DIYer, availability in junk yards can have a lot of advantages.
If this were /my/ brood I think I'd be looking at a Suburban/Expedition or something like that! Or maybe an Chevy Astro van.
I personally don't think I'd want to go back to a pre-P80 for a daily.
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1998 V70 AWD->FWD->AWD Turbo 220k+
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Thanks. I do the PNP yards regularly except for critical components such as brakes. Suburban/Expedition is out of our price range for anything recent. We've had a Caravan before and being familiar with their maintenance I'd go with one again. Lots of Caravans in the PNP, many more than the other vans.
Rented a 2012 Durango Crew for a 1200 mile trip to fetch the mother-in-law and it was great, but not in our budget.
I've had terrible experiences with new and near new Ford trucks and cars and dealer service in the last 18 years, so they're out.
Putting the 945T on stands in the garage while I went through it for suspension, head gasket (soon, losing a little coolant, no leaks), new interior and window weather stripping would make it a keeper, but who has that luxury of time. The darn thing is indestructible and spotless underneath. No leaks, no rust.
The seats are better in the 855T but in either car I'm beginning to have hip pain on day-long drives. Didn't experience that in the larger Durango which like the Caravan, has chair-height seats.
Don't want to burn up bandwidth here, thanks for the replys.
Erwin
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Minivans are hard to beat in the price-to-utility ratio.
It's funny how brand preferences go eh? Ford has always been on my consideration list, even through the dark years, but esp now. I've never even let myself consider Dodge vehicles as I've had too many acquaintances burned by trans and/or V6 trouble from them. I bet the specifics of local dealer networks have a lot to do with this stuff (your Ford dealer is bad, mine is good, etc).
Anyway, you'd be surprised how good a 10 year old Suburban can be. Then again, taking on a used car means fixing all its problems, and I generally count on at least $1000 for that, plus the aforementioned precious time to do the work.... keeping something you know would certainly seem pretty attractive in that sense.
With so many tall people I was suggesting the 'truck' style SUVs because of their solid construction and room, esp in the second and third rows, compared to other vehicles. The high H-point ("chair height seats") is nice when you're tall too. There's a reason pretty much every hollywood star has an Escalade.
If the 945 is in such great shape, you might look at having someone else do the fix-up work?
Maybe you could retrofit seats from an 850 into your 945?
Good luck!
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1998 V70 AWD->FWD->AWD Turbo 220k+
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