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Poll: Gurm's "new" car

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  • Poll: Gurm's "new" car

    So I'm selling the Bimmer coupe. It has to be, much as it saddens me. Julie demands a wagon... and the one in the garage is a long way from reliability. I'll likely sell that as well.

    Right now, the Bimmer is worth about $4000. (KBB says $4500 but they're going for $4000 around here...)

    I'd LIKE to spend around $3000, then take a couple hundred of the remainder, sink it into the 960, and put the rest away for the inevitable "oops we've had the car two months and..."

    I can get the following vehicles for within that price range:

    - Volvo 740 Wagon, early 90's. $1500-$2000
    Pros: Cheap to maintain, if anything major breaks it's at most $100. Parts aplenty! Ultra safe.
    Cons: It's nearly 15 years old, and I've already GOT one old moldy wagon in the garage. It's also the "boxy but good" Volvo.

    - Volvo 940 Wagon, mid-90's. $2500-$3500
    Pros: Newer than the 740. Parts just as cheap. More modern-looking design, nicer ride. Still ultra-safe.
    Cons: Pricier for essentially the same damn vehicle. Still more than 10 years old.

    - Volvo 850 Wagon, late 90's. $3000+
    Pros: Much more modern than either of the others. Essentially same interior as the 960... i.e. as current Volvos. Looks cooler, rides much nicer. Might have AWD if I get lucky.
    Cons: Higher maintenance costs. Not as bad as the 960, but no "free pass" warranty period, although a couple of the places selling them are offering extended warranties, that would likely put me over the top.

    -----------------------------------

    Right now I'm leaning EITHER towards the 850 or the 740. There's a 740 wagon about a half hour from here that has "high miles" (wonder how high) but is ultra clean and pristine inside and out. The high miles doesn't faze me - those B230FT motors do a half million without blinking. I could replace every part under the hood except the block for about $500 if push came to shove... or get a whole new engine for it really cheap too. Hell, I've GOT an engine in the garage! Repairs for this car would be obscenely cheap.

    On the other hand, there are a couple of 850's from 1996-1997 with light pressure turbos and AWD that are around $3000-$3500. The parts are pricier, but not as bad as the 960, and it'd certainly make Julie happier to have the more modern car. Plus... AWD! (Turbo not such an issue, I can make the 740 a turbo for short money...)

    Hard call!

    Options I've dismissed:

    - Minivans. Any minivan under $4000 is an adventure I don't want to undertake.
    - Audi. Yeah, apparently mid-90's Audis, I'm told, have "engine block issues" after 100,000 miles. Uh-oh.

    Options I haven't really looked into too much:

    - Subaru Outback... I like them, not too many up for sale. Might be worth hunting for, they seem VERY reliable. But I know nothing about maintaining them, or their "approaching 10 years old" reliability rates.
    - Larger VW's... it's the Passat that's actually a human size, right? I mean, it's no Volvo wagon, but it's usable yeah? I dunno. I know nothing about VW's, since VW owners hate Volvo owners.
    7
    Early 90's Volvo 740 Wagon
    0%
    1
    Mid 90's Volvo 940 Wagon
    0%
    2
    Late 90's Volvo 850 Wagon
    0%
    3
    Other (explain)
    0%
    1
    The Internet - where men are men, women are men, and teenage girls are FBI agents!

    I'm the least you could do
    If only life were as easy as you
    I'm the least you could do, oh yeah
    If only life were as easy as you
    I would still get screwed

  • #2
    Yugo.
    Yeah, well I'm gonna build my own lunar space lander! With blackjack aaaaannd Hookers! Actually, forget the space lander, and the blackjack. Ahhhh forget the whole thing!

    Comment


    • #3
      I like the 850.


      ~~DukeP~~

      Comment


      • #4
        I'd say go with the older one cause it's cheaper but old cars tend to break down more often. Can't you just convince the wife to keep the bimmer?
        Titanium is the new bling!
        (you heard from me first!)

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by DukeP
          I like the 850.


          ~~DukeP~~
          I don't.
          We looked at several of the vintage you are talking about a few years ago and ALL of them had engine problems of one sort or another.
          Chuck
          秋音的爸爸

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Gurm
            ...
            I know nothing about VW's, since VW owners hate Volvo owners.
            Does this has something in common with that story of yours that Volvo's attract old women in VW?

            My take on the issue: I can tell only by the looks, and since I love recent Volvo's (but not the face lifted current ones!) and like boxy, classic ones, but the intermadiate ones not very much, so...blah you have to decide about the looks

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by DukeP
              I like the 850.


              ~~DukeP~~
              Should have said "liked the look".


              ~~DukeP~~

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by cjolley
                I don't.
                We looked at several of the vintage you are talking about a few years ago and ALL of them had engine problems of one sort or another.
                PS Sould have added: we were replacing a 740GLE.
                Chuck
                秋音的爸爸

                Comment


                • #9
                  Yes, I'm thinking that there's SOME reason that the 1995-1996 850's are coming WAY down. Either there's some kind of problem or the title isn't clean. A couple have turned out to be repossessed cars - although honestly I haven't got a problem with that, so long as I get to thoroughly test it first...

                  I'm finding a few 940 Turbo Wagons, 1993-1994, for $3000-ish, and that's the way I'm leaning at the current moment. The 740's are rarely nice enough to make Julie happy with spending money on one when I could (in theory) deodorize what's in the garage. LOL.
                  The Internet - where men are men, women are men, and teenage girls are FBI agents!

                  I'm the least you could do
                  If only life were as easy as you
                  I'm the least you could do, oh yeah
                  If only life were as easy as you
                  I would still get screwed

                  Comment

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