Hi all, I currently own a 1993 Volvo 940 with 137,000 miles and a 1998 Volvo V70XC with 134,000 miles. My grandfather is cancelling his drivers' license and wants to give us a loaded (even the digital dash) 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis LS Bayshore with only 65,000 miles and no major repairs ever. I absolutely love this car, but my wife isn't so sold.
We can also only afford to own two cars; it wouldn't be economically practical for us to own three with only two drivers. Their gas mileage is all about equal; so is the insurance cost. My question is: Should I take the Mercury? If so, which Volvo should I get rid of? The V70 has insanely high repair bills but, it is a wagon, so it's good for occasional trips. The 940 is my wife's favorite, and is essentially bulletproof -- no major repairs ever. The Mercury is one of my favorite cars of all time, plus it's soooo comfortable and repairs (if we ever need them) are generally cheap.
So...again...Which TWO should stay?
2007-02-09 00:17:44 · 9 answers · asked by senior07 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Car Makes ➔ Mercury
In response to a previous question...
I can't sell the Mercury, since it technically is my grandfather's. I can either get it and own it for free or he will sell it himself.
Actually, the car was driven in mostly highway driving. He has a house here in suburban Maryland and until recently one in Florida...the only time that car was actually used was going between the two houses; he had a 1990 Honda Civic for all his other driving.
2007-02-09 01:08:27 · update #1
Get rid of the V70 and you save yourself some repair bills. The wife gets to keep her ride that she is so fond of and you get one of your favorite cars of all times. Also, Grandpa will be delighted it is staying in the family!
2007-02-09 01:05:26 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I own a 1992 and 2004 Grand Marquis. The Ford modular 4.6Liter engine was standard starting with the 1992 model. The engine reliability has been excellent in my opinion with no problems whatsoever. However I change my engine oil and coolant religiously, and have always used Mobil One synthetic oil for all my cars since 1980. I worry about your grandfather's car because he apparently did a lot of short trip (rather than continuous highway) driving. So, depending on how well the car was maintained, you could be in for some major repairs. First of all, Ford had it's share of transmission problems and you may need a new transmission sooner than expected. However, the rear wheel drive makes it easier and cheaper to replace the transmission with a new remanufactured transmission from Ford($2700 total cost). You also may need some front end work like lower ball joints, tie rod ends, shocks etc before 100,000 mile which can get expensive at times ($700). Based on the low mileage, I would also guess that you'll need an EGR valve and port cleaning procedure done on the engine ($350). Your muffler and tailpipe will need replacement before 100,000 miles ($450).
So in conclusion, in my opinion, you should think of the car as really having over 100,000 miles on it because of the short trip driving pattern (if that was the case). Don't forget that the rear wheel drive is a great car, but not in slippery road conditions where you need more weight in the trunk over the rear axle. All in all, I'd recommend selling the car as a "cream puff" to some unsuspecting buyer who gets fooled by the deceptively low mileage on the odometer!
One last major repair that becomes more and more probable with the age of the car is the air conditioning system. My 1992 air conditioning eventually got too expensive to repair, so I simply drive it with the windows down in the summer.
2007-02-09 08:58:21 · answer #2 · answered by bobweb 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i would say take the Mercury and keep the 940, because they sound like they're better cars with the lack of needing major repairs.
2007-02-09 08:29:01 · answer #3 · answered by Chad 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
get rid of the v70 if you take away the one your wife likes and the otherone keeps on breaking down and needs a lot of money spent on it - you will never hear the end of it.
2007-02-09 08:27:24 · answer #4 · answered by pinkchampagne 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i would say take the Mercury and keep the 940,
2007-02-11 16:40:31 · answer #5 · answered by jerry 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
check out consumer ratings on merc. i believe it is very reliable. however, it is a bit of a boat when it comes to handling and it might be rear wheel drive which is a pain in snow.
2007-02-10 15:32:11 · answer #6 · answered by robert s 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
how would anyone know which car you should keep it sounds like your wife has made her point i would follow what she wants since you might want to follow her to the bedroom later.
2007-02-12 09:46:15 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
hey if its free its free and give the volvo to carmax its bound to give up any second.
2007-02-11 09:41:03 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, take the Merc and enjoy it, if you dont, you'll regret it later :)
2007-02-10 15:37:10 · answer #9 · answered by ClassicMustang 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋