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Classic Cars Buying Luxury used cars
411 messages, Last post on Jul 13, 2009 at 10:22 AM
You are in the Classic Cars Forum. Your Host is mr_shiftright
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Sorry, but what's "BHPH"?
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"I've owned quite a few "risky" used luxury cars, including: BMW 735i, MB 300D, 300SD, 560SEL, 560SL, Audi 100, (sorta luxury), Jaguar XJ6 (sold quickly after just READING about the car's problems, which it didn't have at the time), Alfa 164LS (quite luxurious)." With all this talk about buying used luxury cars, and what ones to buy and not to buy, I'm surprised nobody's mentioned anything about Volvos yet. Then again, many people (including myself) don't mention the words 'Volvo' and 'luxury' in the same breath. I've never considered Volvo to be a luxury carmaker, but rather, a producer of very durable and reliable cars for the middle class, in the mold of Toyota and Honda. Shifty, I see you've owned a few cars that you deem to be "risky," such as Audi 100s and BMW 7-Series- however, would you consider vehicles such as Volvo 850s (like mine) and 960s to be in the same category? My personal take on this is that 1) I don't see the newer, complex Volvos to be cars that would bankrupt an owner, like an older 100 or 7-Series would, and 2) Volvos are still simpler than a Bimmer or Benz, and thus will run longer even if in a decrepit state of condition. Even an older 240 is like an old '54 Chevy, compared to something like the Alfa 164 or Porsche 928. My '96 850 is long out of warranty but I will continue to drive it because I'm not afraid of the repairs, nor am I worried about racking up high mileage. Also, I would see no qualms about purchasing a higher-mileage 960 or post-1998 Volvo, because, again, they are simpler and more reliable than a Bimmer or Benz.
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I doubt they will appreciate in value, but the early LS-es are known for their durability. Just hope the starter never fails (I think the books say it's an eight-hour job to replace). I am not sure whether anyone builds a luxury car today that won't be a repair nightmare when it's a decade old. Most models have fully automatic power windows and keyless ignition. The Lexus GS series has that weird keypad with a million buttons that pops out of the dash--I guess that's the only alternative to something like iDrive when you have that many features. Even my base model Pontiac G6 has three fuse blocks--one in the passenger compartment, one in the trunk, and one under the hood.
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Replying to: jrosasmc (Jan 04, 2009 11:45 am) Post-1998? The early S80s had tons of electrical problems. The transmission coupled to the T6 motor in the S80 and XC90 is too weak for the engine. |
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I know about the post-'98 Volvos. The first S80s, as well as the T6 editions of both the XC90 and S80, have well-documented problems. To maximize the reliability of any Volvo I buy, I always stick with naturally-aspirated base models, and avoid turbos at all costs. This helps to ensure that I have a good-running, strong car, as I keep my vehicles for a long time. My dad's '99 S70 (base) has close to 100k miles and he has not had one single problem with it. It even has the original tailpipe on it, impressive for a car that sits outside in the frigid Vermont winters.
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Replying to: jrosasmc (Jan 04, 2009 12:01 pm) Avoiding turbos of all types is something I do, too. Are there any turbos out there that folks would buy used? |
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Oh I don't know. Even with all the advances in turbo technology during the '90s and early 2000s I still wouldn't buy one out of warranty. Heck, even if my mother gave me her '03 XC70 for free I'd refuse it.
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Replying to: jrosasmc (Jan 04, 2009 12:41 pm) |
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Replying to: hpmctorque (Jan 04, 2009 11:20 am) |
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jan 04, 2009 10:50 am) |
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