When I sell my honda, is a used Volvo a good choice?

Question

I'm planning on selling my 02 honda civic ex pretty soon. Once I get her sold...I was thinking of getting an older Volvo. I've heard they are great cars, especially the older ones. Does anyone have any experience with them or advice? thanks!

I know, I know...selling an 02 honda to basically trade down sounds totally moronic but I'm in a HUGE financial bind. I need to try to sell the car, keep some of the $ & get something cheaper. I'd keep the honda forever if it were not for this obnoxious (family court) issue that is bleeding me dry financially.....any other CONSTRUCTIVE ideas would be wonderful! thanks for all the great feedback so far ;0)

Answer 1

Volvos are reliable, durable and safe, and don't have to be fuel hogs (my 1990 Volvo 240 with 225,000 miles on it gets 28 mpg average). If you get an older Volvo, do get as much of its service history as possible, and have the engine compression tested to ensure it's still sound. If the engine and transmission are good, and the body is sound, anything else you ever have to replace on it will be cheaper than buying a car!

In over 16 years of owning my Volvo, I've had one real piece of car trouble: the alternator died at about 160,000 miles. Oh, and the windshield wiper motor died at about 200,000 miles. Other than that, I've just had to replace wear and tear items. This car even has its original clutch, which amazes me. It's a tank.

I've had three Volvos (two 240s and a 340 (a European model not available in North America)) and they have all been superb. The only thing I'll replace my 1990 Volvo with is another Volvo.

Your Honda is probably a good car and I'm sorry finances force you to part with it, but a used Volvo can make a practical replacement, if you research your purchase prudently. See if you can get a 240 from the early 1990s. A Volvo with under 150,000 miles is probably still in good shape, and one with under 100,000 miles is barely broken in.

Answer 2

My sister has a Volvo station wagon. This one is about an '85, I think. It replaced a '74. She loves these cars. They are incredibly safe. They were in an car accident in a friend's Volvo a few decades ago. The car went over an embankment and rolled several times. Everybody in the car was fine. They went out and bought a Volvo. A few years ago my brother-in-law was driving the first one and got t-boned. The car was totalled but he didn't even have a bruise. So of course they bought another Volvo. I know of several people who have had similar experiences.

We're in Seattle, so its not used as a commuter car (way too much traffic here and parking too expensive and too hard to find). However, they drive over a hundred miles into the mountains every weekend during the winter. (part-time ski instuctors) They do use chains, but the car handles the conditions and mileage really well. You need a good mechanic who knows how to work on them. Not that they're unreliable, but nothing runs perfectly forever. We don't have to worry about rust here (no salt on the roads) but that issue is the same with every car if you're on the east coast.

I think that a Volvo would be a great choice. You may pay more than you would for other makes, but you'll get more value. Good luck!

Answer 3

First, stop and think about the basics. Forget the makes and models and all the media driven, or social circle driven, hype of any particular ride.

Ask yourself if this makes sense;

"I plan on selling my 2002 and buying an older car. Should I?"

The answer is obviously, "no." It is a poor decision for every factor involved. The only single reason to do this is if you have a financial concern and are looking for a short term answer. I say short term because if your intention is long term than the financial equatioon does not make sense any longer. The older vehicle will always break down more.

Do yourself a favor. Keep the 2002 or trade up, buy newer. If its just that you cannot afford a newer Volvo, then good, dont buy one. Hype is hype, and Volvo is Volvo. iIf you need to have your ego stroked and feel like a winner, dont drive a car that will find itself on the side of the road.

Good luck.

Answer 4

How old of a Volvo do you want? Personally, I like Hondas and think they are wonderful. We had an Audi A4 wagon, a '98 that we got new.
It was in an accident in 2001. I was glad to in that car, as it was like an armored vehicle, but when it was "fixed" it locked me in with the alarm going off several times. Newer European cars, Audis more than Volvos, have electrical problems that may extremely difficult to resolve, so watch out for that when you're looking.

As a general rule, in my area, mechanics cost much more for European cars than American or Japanese.

Right now though I have a Honda Insight and an Acura, even though the Acura dealer is 200 miles away for warranty work.

If you live where there is some one who knows a lot and enjoys working on those old Volvos, go for it. I love those old Volvo sports cars.

Answer 5

To Trade an 02 Honda for an Older Volvo. Unless the Volvo was Gold Plated, not a chance. With Today's economics and unless your prepared to be for ever tinkering around. Stick with a Honda or Toyota.

Answer 6

Make sure it's older than a '98 is good (pre-ford)
But if they breakdown they could get expensive to fix. Keep it maintained if you go that route. Personally I'd stay with the civic but good luck if you go with the Volvo, make sure you have the service records and get it checked by a mechanic you trust and knows Volvos.

Answer 7

I bought a 2002 Volvo S80 T6 last year and I absolutely love it. Not only is it totally reliable (haven't had a single problem with it), but the styling on this particular model is beautiful. It looks better than most BMWs. Plus, it feels good knowing they're such safe cars. I say go for it.

Answer 8

Bad, bad plan. Your Civic has at least ten more years of life. The Volvo, despite world-wide rumors, are plagued by transmission problems, electrical gremlins, cooling system failures, etc. They also are VERY expensive to maintain unless you are looking at a twenty five year old 240 sedan.

Answer 9

Stick with the Honda

Answer 10

i would get a carfax and as many service records as i could before buying any used car. Volvo's are very good and very safe cars. a well cared for one should go for a long time.