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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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