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This is not a "For Sale" ad.
My wife's Volvo is a 2008 V70 with 100,000 miles. We bought it 5 years ago and have put about 40,000 of those miles on it. It's a wonderful car for highway travel and has been relatively trouble free. I've replaced two batteries, the alternator, brake pads and the engine mount near the coolant recovery bottle, the spark plugs and air filter in the last 1 year. The biggest gripes have been the sunroof drains that have blocked up twice, flooding the front footwells with 2" of water after a rainstorm and the silly insert key fob into the dash thing that sometimes takes several attempts before releasing the fob.
I've DIY'd all of our Volvos for the last 15 years. 745t, 945t, 855t, C70 and this V70, but am getting older and less able to crawl in, around and under a car like I used to.
Here's the question. My 85 year old mother is no longer driving and giving us her 2004 Lincoln Continental with 100,000 miles. It's a peach and rides beautifully. There are millions of them and parts are cheap everywhere. It's an "old lady's car" but my wife is interested in keeping it and selling the V70. The Lincoln is one of the last body on frame V8 RWD, 4door platforms. It's tempting.
Thoughts?
Erwin in Memphis
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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My choice would depend upon the availability of a good dealer.
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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I'll keep the Lincoln on the at this point!
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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Is there room for both of them in your life? I guess it might be down to space and fixed costs but by sharing mileage as required it might keep the daily running costs about the same. Ease into it gently and make the decision after running them both for a while. I suspect that the Lincoln will end up by being the one in your garage though. You'll be able to sell on the Volvo with few regrets.
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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Derek,
Won't keep both. Already have four cars, one for each driver, plus a motorcycle.
Thanks,
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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You are asking crazy Volvo people?
The Lincoln is a quiet cruiser, gets reasonable mpg, has soft seats, and any mechanic knows how to work on them. The trunk is not quite as roomy as a station wagon, of course.
I side with your wife.
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Keeping it running is better than buying new
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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Thanks Klaus. As you know, I've been here for over a decade and love my Volvos. This being Memphis though, if I keep the Lincoln it will be the only in town without huge rims.
lol
Erwin
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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Hi Erwin,
"This being Memphis though, if I keep the Lincoln it will be the only in town without huge rims."
Is that means your Lincoln has a higher chance for getting it stolen because parts demand?
A long time ago, my mom wanted a Honda Prelude, not a common choice for old folks like my mom, my friend suggested that she will get hijacked by young kids in one month. I think he was right. I never got her pearl white Prelude that she jumped and up and down at the Honda dealer.
Thank you as always.
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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Driven a lot of Town cars and Volvos. Volvo are better road cars. More fun to drive for sure. Much better in snow. You will need snow tires on the Town car when driving in snow. Do you get much in Tennessee? Town cars are roomy, soft riding cars. Like a living room on wheels. They are also tough and can last as long as a Volvo. Seen Town cars with 400k+. Maintenance costs are lower too. Really depends on what is more important to you.
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Will I buy another Volvo??? We'll see....
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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Snow in Memphis? Maybe a dusting in March. Every few years we might get an inch or two and for that we have my son's Cherokee XJ.
Erwin
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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I mean, you're asking on a Volvo forum... I think all here can agree that the Volvo is a better choice.
You alluded to a couple things though, your wife and DIY work...
1. Happy wife, Happy life. That said, if your life is going to be miserable driving around in that boat and fixing old-Ford problems, then perhaps no one will be happy and you should convince her that this Volvo is the best thing for you both. Bottom line, make sure neither of you come through the decision with any resentment.
2. Service. You mention getting older and less able to work on the car. Do you mean to say that you would consider paying someone else to diagnose and work on your car? You might factor in your potential service experience into your decision. Is there a known honest and reliable dealer or indie specialist in the area for either Volvos or Fords? That's what my parents decided to do when they bought their 2008 XC70 about 8 years ago. Their service experience has been roughly similar to your except they went to the dealer for everything, including oil changes, until the dealer closed. Now they go to a local European car specialist. They've been happy with those experiences. My mother is happy to have a "professional" doing the work and my father has been happy with his interactions with the shops. Their wallet is undoubtedly lighter, but they are happier and carrying less worry.
If all else fails, you and your wife choose your favorite car and stage a race. The winner gets to keep their weapon of choice!
--
XC60 / Odyssey
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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Yea, I know there will be a pro-Volvo bias here. ;^)
Besides Volvo, I've had Fords / Mercury all of my life. Much easier to work on. An example, radiator replacement on my '95 855T and my daughter's '07 C70, especially the C70, was an all-day affair of disassembling densely-packed components. The V70 would require the same. Replacement of my '07 F150 radiator took two hours with minimal disturbance of anything but a couple of shrouds.
The complexity of the newer cars and limited access of Volvo diagnostic tools and software to independent shops has led to the better shops going out of business. There's one left with which I've had very bad experiences for a tranny replacement in the '855t, and I don't use dealerships.
I'll still DIY so I'd be pleased with the Lincoln's layout which is very similar to my F150 under the hood.
Thanks for the input, the decision will be forthcoming. I prefer the V70's ride and ergonomics and I do the driving on long trips.
Erwin
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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As a Volvo owner of 41+ years I vote to drive the Lincoln. Enjoy the American ride and find a good shop to do the work. Peace of mind. My 1993 850 has 230K and continues to be a money pit. Things are looking shabby on the peeling dash and headliner. I looked at new Volvos but don't want to give the chinese my money. Take the Lincoln.
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posted by
someone claiming to be
on
Wed Dec 31 18:00 CST 1969 [ RELATED]
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Of the Volvo's I've owned, '88 745t M46, '91 945T, '95 855T, '07 C70, '08 V70, the 855t was my favorite. I put over 220,000 miles on it virtually mechanically trouble-free. I started refreshing things and replaced the headliner, moonroof, complete suspension, radiator (again), T-belt and water pump, brakes, etc. Normal stuff. The AC evaporator never failed!
Early on I did swap to 15" wheels from another Volvo which smoothed out the ride tremendously. It was fast, good looking and devoured the miles. Then the dashboard started breaking loose around 200,000 miles and I wasn't going to remove it to redo the clips. Then the tranny went out and for the first time I took it to an independent shop for a replacement which they botched twice. The clearcoat and paint were peeling and I decided it was time to let it go. A kid bought it for a summer car before going back to college.
I saw it on Craigslist later for a few hundred bucks and thought of all the new parts on it. Made me ill.
Tell you what, if the Lincoln had Volvo seats there wouldn't be any hesitation. They never got the ergonomics figured out like Volvo did.
Erwin
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