Hi, Folks:

(This post is a kind of off topic. But, I think people here may give me more helpful info.)

I got a Volvo 240 DL Wagon (130,000 mile, 1990) last Dec. The baby is my first car, tell the truth, I love it. Since I am a poor student, it is a little bit luxury for me. I visitied Europe in 1999, and there I knew volvo.

Next May, I will graduate, hehe~~, make money. Hopefully, I may find a job $60,000-80,000. At that time, I think, I will change my car. But, today, when I tried www.autotrader.com to check the price. Oh, my godness! Even 1998 V70 asks for $25,000+. The new volvo is above $30,000. So, here comes the question:

1. Buy a new volvo, $30,000+

2. Buy a used volvo (2-4 year old), $20,000~25,000+

3. Keep my old 240, and spend money fixing it. (Now, it is staying in the shop, need $800 to make it running great. :( )

Which is better? Show your opinions, please!

Thanks!

Shawn

just my 2-cents worth----------BUT IF MEMORY SERVES ME RIGHT, all volvos are now front wheel-drive. {can't tell you for sure, i don't look at new volvos, can't afford one, so why waste my time looking} anyway the engineering and design of the 240's were so refined that they were no-longer interesting to the hungry-car-buying public and volvo "chose to make a more INTERESTING product. there's a comparison to be made to the volkswagen beetle and the 240. however spend your money wisely and the 90 240 wagOn will be the BEST MONEY you will ever SPEND. NEVER forget money spent for a new automobile is the WORST MONEY ever spent. the common thread is repeated several times tonite.......LET SOMEONE ELSE "EAT" THE DEPRECIATION".........the market is "flooded" with cars that were put back into the "stream" because an owner wanted something "else", and had the money to spend on payments. shawn, you will "tire" of your 240 before it outlives it's useful life, it's "made to be worked on, when necessary", and will gladly give it's "life to save you from bodily injury when you are involved in and accident" {try that with the majority of the japanese, and 'detroit jewels' on today's market}. having said that the only repair that i've found "not to be easily accomplished is service to the heater core and heater fan motor".......otherwise the 240 volvo is an engineering marvel, and deserving of it's reputation......i've owned many front wheel vehicles and do not look forward to owning another as long as i live, even if it's a GIFT.. i'd go one step farther..look for a pristine 93 volvo and "save it" for the future, while they're still available my 83-245, 86-244, and 90-244 were the best autos i've ever owned and i've had 75 to 80 autos since 1964.,,,,,,,,,,,,,nuff said

You coud spend around $6000.00 down and $$$$$$$ per month on a new one , or you could take a couple of thousand to a good mechanic and have the 240 just like new with no monthly payments.

Hmmmmmmmm.............

------Robert

I'd keep your current car for a while. You've got a really nice machine - it's nothing like a new car, but unless you need an 'image', the 240 will give you reliable, cheap transporatation for several more years, and with a whole lot more driving 'feel' than a new car. You can drop in a full performance suspension package and maybe an exhaust and cam for a little more fun at a fraction of the cost of a new car. A newer 700 or 900 series can provide you with a more luxury-oriented ride (and more performance if you get a turbo) if you really need something newer, and you can find one of those for under $10K.

I could get a newer Volvo, but I love my '83 240, and it asks nothing but 5 oil changes, a tune-up kit, and 26 tanks of gas or so a year typically. Scrounging from the junkyard and indulging in a few aftermarket performance parts has given me a really fun-to-drive ride.

Save your cash for a down-payment on a house. Then you'll really be ahead of the game, and you can afford some really sweet cars in the future.

Your 240 is probably only about half way through its useful service life. It is also a very solid and very safe car, as safe if not safer than most newer vehicles. I think that repairing it is a very sound investment. You can't buy that much car for the money anymore. In terms of reliability and longevity, it is the best car that Volvo has made.

Think of it this way...even if you spent $1000/yr repairing it you'd still be dollars ahead. A new car will depreciate the moment that you drive it off the lot, and a used car could very well develop more expensive problems than your 240.

Shawn,

I say that a new car (any new car) is a terrible financial decision. It will depreciate at least 50% within the 1st 4 years. If you don't want to repair yours, buy a 4 year old car in good condition with good maintenance records and let someone else pay for the depreciation.

Maybe a better idea would be to sell your's and buy the best 1993 240 out there. Then it wouldn't cost so much because of neglect repair. Find a 240 that is like new and treat it like new. They're tough to find but they exist. They will be more easily fixed than any new Volvo, either DIY or by a mech.

Rene

Dude, single(?) guy making $80,000. What's the concern with spending thirty grand on a new car? Not like you'll be buying every single year or anything. Buy a car that you'll have for six years and now you're down to $5000 a year.

But then there's me. I make plenty of dough but I'm just cheap as hell, so I keep buying (very) used cars and putting tons of miles on them. Then it boils down to like $1500 a year.

Honestly, for my $30,000 I would buy a lot of other cars before I'd buy anything new from Volvo. The product isn't the same as the 240 you have.

Hi, Chris:

Why you said, "The product isn't the same as the 240 you have. " Does this mean the new volvos are not as longlife as 240? As far as I know, 240 will go 250,000 miles without major failure. And, my car has 130,000- on it. So, it is a long way to go. But, what bothers me is to fix the old volvo in a mechanic shop really expensive. This May, I will take a long trip from TX to PA. So, that is why I send it to the shop. (It's still there now). According to the mechanics, I need pay $1,000-2,000 for fixing it.

The job list:

1. Defroster

2. Suspension

3. Brake

4. A/C

5. Tune up.

6. Water pump.

I am able to do some of the above by myself, but the study here is so demanding. Also, I can't wait 6 months to DIY.

So, sometimes I guess if it is cheaper to have a newer volvo, ie, 2-3 years old.

So, your opinion, just keep the 240? There is no any other newer volvo like 240, so strong, so solid, so simple, so classical... Hehe~~

Your list of required repairs is extensive!

Defroster...I'd bet you're talking about the fan motor that blows air out of the ducts...that's a time-consuming repair. I'd estimate $400.

Suspension...if you need suspension work make sure you put ipd polyurethane bushings wherever possible. They sell a kit for each car that includes all required bushings. www.ipdusa.com. You'll be amazed at the difference in the ride and handling. The car will feel like a new car! Make sure the shop has the proper tool (Volvo tool) to put in the rear suspension trailing arm bushings, and knows which way to orient the bushings. I'd estimate $600 for this job.

Brakes...use PBR (Repco) dustless pads only. Make sure the rotors are turned correctly. Make sure the bearings are greased properly and the front bearings are installed with proper pre-load. Could be $300.

AC...find all the leaks (probably o-rings in the line fittings)...recharge with R-12. Maybe $130.

Tune-up...Bosch Plus 4 platinum plugs, new plug and coil wires (Volvo OEM, please), new cap and rotor...maybe $130.

Water pump...well-known Volvo repair. Takes a bit of time to remove and replace. OEM parts are great. ipd sells a heavy duty part, but I like the OEM stuff. Make sure the shop knows how to set the pump so that the upper donut seal properly seats against the engine head. I'd guess about $180.

Well, that's a lot of money for any car. But, there's nothing like a Volvo. May I suggest that you work on the Volvo a little at a time (as funds permit) and RENT a car for your long trip. You can get a weekly rental with unlimited mileage for $300...I got a Mercury Grand Marquis from Hertz for that rate just last week. It came with the Hertz Never Lost system, which was wonderful.

If you can afford it I would buy a 99 or newer Volvo becuase they all have some kind of side impact HEAD protection.

If I can afford it right now I would shoot for a used 1999 C70 or S70GLT/T5.

I have seen 1999 S70 for less then $20, 000 however without sunroofs (which I have to have!!! - thanks lady for totaling my 740GLE with a sunroof forcing me to buy the (reliable) 240DL (but boring) I have now.

I guess I will go ahead and fix the A/C on my 250,000 mile brick and keep rolling, rolling, rolling...

Hi, Gordon:

So, you mean 2-3 year old is a good choice? C70 is convertible, right?