I would be grateful for any thoughts?
I have owned since new (Aug 1977) a Volvo V40 2.0, base model but with aircon, leather seats, elec sunroof and a few other extras. By and large I have been very happy with it, and, as a motorway car especially, I find it comfortable. I have done about 101,000 miles (probably well over half on motorways), and it has always been serviced by Volvo dealers (3 good dealers (as far as I could tell), but one awful one). It had a number of early minor niggles, all fixed under guarantee, and I had to replace some exhaust parts recently. Otherwise, less the service parts (incl timing belt), tyres etc, everything else is still original. The paintwork has had a few scratches, which I have always touched up asap. Finally, I have used synthetic oil only since 10,000 miles.
My question is this ? by and large I am fairly happy with the car. It meets my needs, and is probably not loosing much value per year any more (whilst probably not being worth more than a couple of thousand). I wouldn?t want anything smaller, but with the occasional use of a roofbox I can fit everything in that the family needs. However I have the feeling that it is perhaps approaching a time when repair costs are likely to rise rapidly. The engine makes more noise now than it used to, and the exhaust repairs were not cheap. Does any one have any idea whether the car is getting to a stage where parts are going to start failing with increasing rapidity? Am I likely to be faced with huge maintenance bills in the next few year? Should I get rid of it now while I can still honestly sell it as free of problems, and maybe replace it with a 2 to 3 year old similar sized, or slightly larger, estate or small-MPV? I have never owned a car beyond 90,000 miles before, and am really not sure what to expect.
Thanks for any advice!!
James
"Archie"
|
You know the car and presumably have a certain amount of confidence in it.
Any car that replaces the Volvo will suffer a great deal of depreciation, probably far more than any repair that you 'may' have to pay for in the next couple of years.
Whilst I am always looking to change my own car - I get itchy feet very quickly - being sensible, I would hang on the the Volvo, until it decides to cost really big money, at which point you have the choice to scrap it and buy a replacement (a solution that is still probably cheaper than your first thought) or go down the bangeromics route.
Being blunt, the number of people looking for a seven year old Volvo S40 with over 100k miles is pretty slim, so consider your car valueless and just keep running. Don't see how you can go wrong.
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
|
Keep it.
My father has always brought new (coincidentally Volvos) since the early seventies, and run them to the end of their economic life (always over ten years). This has given reliable, quality, motoring as cheap as it realistically gets.
His current S80 2.4 is one of the very, very, first production models, supposedly problematic if you read the press, and has given faultless service bar, as I've said here before, a track rod recall when new and a stone smashed headlamp.
Mum's 1989 440 1.7 GLi, now worth less than a bag of crisps, has been owned since new and has also given faultless service.
The 1979 244DL and 1972 144S that for a few years were owned in parallel also gave faultless service bar a propensity for the 244 to blow rubber diaphrams in the Zenith Stromberg carburettor every few years.
It is therefore no coincidence at all that when I opted out of a company car when the last lease expired, I purchased a brand new V70 2.4T SE with my own money, and intend to run it, and run it, and run it.
My wife's Pug 306 is financially worth about a grand and a half, but is in such good nick (better than many cars a year or two old), is so reliable, is such fun to drive, and suits the need so perfectly, that when another driver did over a grand's worth of damage by reversing in to it, we still got it professionally repaired rather than taking the cash, chopping in the Pug, and buying something else.
|
|
|
|
Well, cars don't suddenly fall apart when they hit 90k.
My dad, who was in the car business all his life (84 now) always used to say, 'the cheapest car is the one you've got' - and I think he was right.
Your car will probably do another 50k without too many problems - given its good history. You might need some parts (alternator, dampers etc.) and, given its a Volvo, the aircon might go wrong. But none of that is big money - try to keep away from Volvo dealers and find yourself a good independent.
A new car may not be any more trouble-free; just look at some of the problems that get posted on here by owners of new cars...
|
|
|
|
I take it you mean you've had it since 1997, not 1977! I think you should hang on to it - it's worth next to nothing now.(certainly nowhere near £2,000 as you suggest). It's been well maintained and now is the time to reap the benefits, virtually free motoring. People get nervous when their car approaches 100k but for no logical reason. Any repair costs, unless it's something major, when you'd have to think again, are going to be much less than the depreciation on a newer car.
|
Thanks for all the comments, which pretty much tie in with what I thought. Yes, 1997 was what I meant!
Interesting that you don't think that it is worth anywhere near £2000. I have just put it into What Car on-line valuation, as a base model with none of the extras, and including the mileage, and got the following.
Dealer £3,375
Private £3,121
Part Ex £2,231
Trade £2,203
A local dealer also said that he might be interested for about these (trade) prices. I had a look at Parkers a few weeks ago, and again they were not too dissimilar. Why do you think that it is worth so much less?
Any other comments still welcome!!
"Archie"
|
|
My parents bought a new Volvo in 1974 and reluctantly gave it away earlier this year as it was surplus to requirements - they no longer needed 2 cars. Other car they had is an 850 estate which they are just trading in at 8 years old for a new V70 which is overdue from the dealer (ordered in mid-July, delivery was promised for 3rd week in September...).....if yours is going strong, hold onto it but keep getting it serviced on time - aircon re-gas every 2 or 3 years, oil change at least once a year irrespective of mileage. Even one unexpected repair bill of, say, £300 is still much cheaper than thousands to buy a new car. My parents intend their new car to be the last one they ever buy (both now in their 70's and looking at up to 30 year life again from their new Volvo!).
|
|
|
Archie
Sorry, my comments about it not worth anywhere near £2,000 were a bit 'rash'. Looking on Autotrader they do seem to be around that figure which surprised me a little. I still think you'd be better hanging on to it though. I'm the same, my Passat has done 100,000 and I sometimes get the feeling I should change but when it comes to it I then realise that it's reliable, cheap to run and does what I want, so why change.
regards
Terrier
|
Personally I would rather plunge my face into boiling chip fat than own a V40 but if you like it and you know the car, hang on until it expires.
Once cars get to the £2k-4k bracket I always figure it's worth hanging on to them bar catastrophic failure.
|
>>Personally I would rather plunge my face into boiling chip fat than own a V40
I can only assume that you have been offered a number of volvo V40s in the last couple of years; that or an unfortunate childhood, I guess.
|
I can only assume that you have been offered a number of volvo V40s in the last couple of years; that or an unfortunate childhood, I guess.
Neither, just a nasty case of Ed Zackery disease.
|
"and run them to the end of their economic life (always over ten years). This has given reliable, quality, motoring as cheap as it realistically gets"
My father has done this with his Toyota camry 1.8 turbo diesel which he has owned since 1985. It had 20,000 miles on the clock when it was new, and now it has 280,000 miles on the clock after almost 20 years. Unfortunately, the rust is setting in but the engine is as good as gold. The car has never broken down and all repairs/ replacement parts have been economical. And it still returns 45-50 mpg.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I have had Volvos for years. If properly maintained mileage is almost a non issue. Take a few moments to check the Volvo owners club website high mileage section and there are cars on there which have done 2 million miles. One mechanic said to me most Volos would outlast their owners.
|
|
|
![2019 Volvo V40 T2 [122] Momentum Edition 5dr](https://img.common.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/unsafe/trim/90x60/smart/filters:quality(70):no_upscale():format(webp)/https://cdn.uk.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/images/fallback/coming-soon.webp)
![2017 Volvo V40 T3 [152] Inscription 5dr](https://img.common.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/unsafe/trim/90x60/smart/filters:quality(70):no_upscale():format(webp)/https://cdn.uk.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/images/cas/b5ea1fa372a12e2881bdef037bd7c3c1/181c112a55dd9bf20506ea1cecb4cfd4.jpg)
