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Volvo 850 Wagons

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#105 of 491 bego by west3 Aug 12, 2000 (12:19 am)
what would the buyout ammount be for your v70xc? did you keep good records?
#106 of 491 Worried by bwh Aug 31, 2000 (6:14 pm)
What I would be worried about is the level of maintenace preformed on the car. Running an engine out of oil does not speak well for the overall care given to the car. The fact that it also has a new transmission is good and bad. Sure now you have a new engine and transmission, now what about the brakes and suspension? Good luck, I just don't see cars like that as a good deal. If it was neglected from the start it is bound to be a continual headache.
#107 of 491 Re:worried(s) by basset2 Sep 12, 2000 (7:07 pm)
Thanks for the replies. I should have made it more explicit that the wagon has been inspected by my very trustworthy mechanic and no other problems were found.I agree that running out of oil does not exactly equate the owner with good upkeep but this must have happened when "husband" was out of town as the rest of the car is fine. I was looking for specific info from 850 owners. Thanks flapjack27. We are familiar with frequent, and often costly, repairs with the Volvos and Saab but are still dedicated owners. P.S my last name is also Pohl.
#108 of 491 New V70 XC Owner by yemi717 Sep 18, 2000 (4:40 pm)
Is there anyone out there with good things to say about the V70? I am the owner of a new 2000 XC. I like the car! It is solidly built, smooth running, and has appointments I was looking for - boosters, third row seat, AWD. I traded a 98 Outback. (Nice car, but it had some electrical and mechanical issues from day one...and was not as solidly built as the Volvo) Is the consensus from owners out there that I should expect to trade this one in 2 - 3 years - before maintenance gets high - just like my Outback!? I plan on trying to drive this car until my 5 year old son goes to college!
#109 of 491 yemi717 by rollie Sep 18, 2000 (7:30 pm)
Regarding post #126: yemi717, if you are talking about the 2001 Cross Country it's too early to know for sure. Fortunately the platform has been around for a couple of years now so many of the early issues were already found and solved. Personally, I suspect the 2001s will do at least as well as the outgoing 2000s but that is only a gut feel at this point as the 2001 is too new to gauge at this point. Unless you got a lemon, you could easily make either car last until your 5 year old heads off to college. The maintenance costs are not cheap but they aren't unreasonable. It will cost you more than a domestic car but not as much as other European brands or even the average Honda Accord or Toyota Camry for that matter (I was surprised to see their maintenance costs for visits aren't that cheap!) Good luck. -rdo rdolliehome.com
#110 of 491 Toyota v. Volvo by lmeyer1 Sep 19, 2000 (12:37 pm)
My two cents. Our 850 is FAR more expensive to maintain (on a per mile basis) than our Toyota Camry. The Volvo is unquestionably a nicer car, but the maintenance costs aren't even close.
#111 of 491 Cost of Ownership by FREDERICK Sep 24, 2000 (10:52 am)
Nobody buys a Volvo because they wanted a Toyota, Nissan, or Honda. This is obvious yet everybody seems to want to justify and rate their ownership experience in comparison to these marques. Let's be honest, you did not buy a Vovlo, or for that matter any other European brand of car, because you thought it'd be the most economical car to drive. If you did you were a fool. The last economical car to come out of Europe was the original V.W. Beetle! I respect any reliable automobile but that is not in fact the sole reason for my buying that car and I have a degree in Economics! I buy a car for a myriad of reasons and the Volvo fit us to a T. We've driven and owned two old Cadillacs and two Lincolns and they were no walk in the "cost of ownership" park. To own and drive a Volvo is a luxury, meaning a higher cost of ownership than all the other brands you could have chosen. Be fare why did you really buy the Volvo, don't later back track and say I thought it'd be the most economical car I could own. Our Volvo is one of the most utilitarian and comfortable cars we've ever owned period.
#112 of 491 Frederick: Cost of Ownership by lmeyer1 Sep 25, 2000 (1:00 am)
I agree that you buy a Volvo for reasons other than reliability. But we apparently differ on one point. It wasn't always this way. That is, there was a time when you could buy a Volvo and, in addition to all its other fine attributes, you'd get a pretty reliable car. This change is what gets me, and also what causes me to look at other makes and wonder why Volvo can't seem to keep up. Of course, the reason I look to Japanese cars is obvious. They set the standard when it comes to reliability.
#113 of 491 Cost of Ownership (Contd.) by FREDERICK Sep 25, 2000 (5:00 am)
lmeyer1- We really are not as far apart as you think, because I too remeber those old 240's of yester year that were in deed nearly unstopable. I loved those cars and was sorry when they passed on to be replaced by the "new" 850 line. There were so many new things in the 850 that Volvo was not traditionally known for mainly a front wheel drive 5 cyl. platform. A lot of the 850's production parts were outsourced and there certainly was a lack of oversight and quality assuranced testing when Volvo was putting these cars together. But they were struggling just to stay relevant. A lot of the 850's problems stem from inferior outsourced parts that fail at alarmingly early life spans. I seriously believe that the 850 was an independent Volvo's last gasp at trying to stay competitive in an ever increasing consolidating auto manufacturing world and they basically failed and had to fall into the hands of a larger company like Ford. My hope is that Ford will through the $'s into the brand that is needed to assure its future similar to the way they've successfully brought Jaguar back from the brink. Volvo is a great brand and I hope to see them back on top of their game but remember the last century saw a lot of great margues bite the dust too. My 49 Packard is just one of those sad stories.
#114 of 491 newdog by rollie Oct 02, 2000 (12:17 am)
Regarding post #132: newdog, '98 70 series wagons were plagued by two prevalent problems - early bulb failure and dash rattles. The bulb failures were cured by a replacement of the bulb sockets at the dealership. It's a simple job that takes less than an hour to complete and fixes the issue (and is of course free). Those cars that had rattles are a different story. It seems some owners found success and other didn't. I would highly recommend that you get the dealership maintenance records for the '98 and review them in detail. Then take the car out for an extended test drive to see if there are any rattles. If your review doesn't turn up any serious or recurring problems and you don't detect rattle I would highly recommend the '98 V70 over the '97 850 Wagon. Both are fine cars overall but the V70 benefits from a fresher design and about 1400+ refinements according to Volvo. Regarding booster seats, I'm pretty sure they were a different design for cars prior to the '01 V70. I would be shocked if it could be retrofitted (it would involve a complete replacement of the rear seat.) Good luck. -rdo rdolliehome.com p.s. - Be careful with Consumer Reports data. For long term analysis I think it's about all we have. However, one of the biggest problems with CR is that a problem with say an ashtray or a bulb socket weighs the same as a transmission or engine failure to them!

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