Can someone with first hand knowledge let me know how the 1998 Volvo Wagon performs?
My former husband handled the cars and has passed away. With 4 teenagers, it's all on me now. I've got about $5000 to pay cash for a car and am leaning towards the Volvo Wagon (can only afford the 1998 model). If you have knowledge about this please tell me what your opinion is of it and/or WHERE I can get a good car review including repair costs etc (Consumer reports.or and Edmunds and Motor Trends are not helping). Thank you so much!!!!
I am in the auto industry and I help people make decisions on auto purchases. In your case, I would not buy a 1998 Volvo wagon. The reasons I recommend against it are that the maintenance costs will be high, the reliability on a 10 year old car is typically not very good. Also, a 10 year old car will have quite a few miles on it.
Unfortunately, a $5,000 car is usually going to be more of a headache than a saving grace. Here are some tips on finding a good used car.
1. Get a Carfax report. These are not 100% accurate, but you will get a pretty good idea of the history. If you don't know how to read one, don't worry - they're pretty straight forward. Just make sure you look for any clues that tell you the car could be a problem someone is trying to dump.
2. Have a trusted mechanic take a look at the car, before you buy it. Pay him to go through the car - top to bottom. Make sure he checks for prior accidents - refuse any car that has had metal panels replaced or repaired. Frame damage is not acceptable.
3. Choose the newest and lowest mileage car you can find. Don't chase after the ultra low mileage older cars - cars are meant to be driven, so a car with too low miles may cause you trouble.
4. Choose a car with less creature comforts. Power seats, power moonroof, power folding seats, power steering column, etc are all items that can be done manually. These things are also items that break and are expensive to repair.
5. Stick to a smaller engine. You don't know where gas prices will be in 3-5 years and you don't want to be stuck with a gas guzzling V-8 (unless you drive under 8,000 miles per year - then you don't have to worry about gas mileage).
6. Go to Yahoo and search for problems with the model/year you are thinking of buying. There are lots of forums that provide information about problems people have encountered and at what time and mileage. Take these forums for what they are - some people use them to "bash" a car, because they were personally affected.
7. I'm a strong advocate for Toyota, Honda and Nissan cars, however in the price range you're looking, you'll probably get stuck with a high mileage car in one of these brands. Which is better, a high mileage Toyota or a low mileage Dodge? If the Toyota is well taken care of, I would choose it over the Dodge. Domestic cars are not up to the quality standard of the Japanese imports.
8. Keep away from the European imports. Parts and labor costs are too high and a $5,000 European car may become your worst nightmare.
9. Keep away from the Korean imports. Hyundai and Kia cars have improved dramatically since the early 00's, but they still have problems and parts are expensive. Resale value is also horroble, so you'll have a lot of trouble getting money out of the car when you need to sell.
10. A great test of a manufacturer's longevity is to look at how many of their cars are still on the road after 5, 10, 15 and 20 years. If you look at the cars that are still on the road, you'll see Toyota, Honda and Nissan cars from the early 80's still running. Yes, you do see early Volvos (240 series), but you don't see too many mid-late 90's cars - this was a tough time for Volvo.
11. Most important, take emotion out of your purchase. Write down the things that are important to you - prior to searching for your car. Stick to those things and don't let your emotions drive your purchase. Also, go with what your gut feeling tells you and know that your first impression is usually the right one.
12. Don't but a reposessed car, nor an ex rental car. Do you think the drivers took good care of these cars? Lease returns are typically good, because the driver will get billed for and excess damage to the car - they must be careful.
Remember that most people get rid of their old cars because something has gone wrong and they don't want to repair it or things keep continually breaking and they just want out. Very few people sell their perfectly good used car. In fact, most keep it as a back up car or give it to their kids or relatives.
There's a lot of information here. I hope it helps you make a good decision.
Greg
