I have noticed in the last couple of months the increase of whining on the cost of maintaining their Volvo. First of all "Even Volvos don't last forever".
Most of the cars listed on this board are running at least 10 years old, with more than 100,000 miles or more. And I have to read how the cost of fixing or maintaining this car is killing you. Have any of you looked at the cost of a new car lately. I think the average is running around $22,000. How would you like to make a $400 a month payment for the next 6 years on top of carrying full insurance on that new car. And you will still have to maintain the car. If you think maintaining a 10 year old Volvo is expensive. Call a dealer up and ask the cost of a 30K,45K and 60K service on a Cross-country, S80, or S60.
After you pick your jaw up off the floor you will realize how cheap a 700 series is to maintain. Cars break and parts wear, realize this. When I was in High School and College I worked for a parking company. That is where I was introduced to Volvos. I had this old guy tell me once that he went by the .10 cent rule. He kept a car till it cost him .10 cents per mile or less. Today I still live by that rule. What that rule is You add the cost of car, plus unscheduled repairs. Remember not the normal cost maintaining the car, just repairs. If your replacing your struts and shocks every 100K that's maintained. Replacing a evaporator or condenser in the AC system is a repair. Charging the system is maintained. Brake pads and rotors maintained. Wheel cylinders and the master cylinder is a repair. Replacing the battery after 5 years is maintained but replacing the alternator(not the brushes) is a repair. Understand how this works? Now think of a repair as a time situation. You go to the dealer and get a new Turbo motor installed with a 2 year warranty. Cost is say $3500.00 with sales tax. You would need to drive the car another 35,000 miles to cover the cost of that particular repair.
So if you would buy a nice 90 744T for $4000.00 and put another $2000.00 in repairs over say four years that you owned it. By driving it 60,000 miles you would have come under the .10 cent rule. The average time needed would be around four years to put on that 60,000 miles. Or a cost of $125.00 a month to own and repair that car. I call that one hell of a bargain in these times. $125 verses $400 plus for a new car. Maintaining a 740 is a lot cheaper then maintaining a new car.