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Our dealers have been pushing the base model with SE package and the AWD. GLTs are hard to find here but give far better performance, in my opinion, than the base - have you driven a GLT yet? The base model with SE package was only about 1.5k less than the similar equipped GLT (difference being the engine). I would recommend driving all three as they do ride different. Keep in mind that the dealers will push what they have as I am sure supply is becoming limited. We had to get the dealer to ship ours from another dealer 2000 miles away as this is the car we wanted (they only did this after they knew they were going to lose a sale if they didn't). I know price differences in Canada and US are sometimes more complex than the exchange rate, maybe some US owners can comment on actual pricing?
Steve
Steve
do you happen to know of any restraints that would prevent an american from buying a canadian volvo and bringing it to the us? i know earlier posts dealt with losing the factory warranty with new volvos, but what about used cars? Thanks
Please be aware that the cars are a little different. The obvious differences is the Canadian Volvos have metric guages (kph and litres for example) and daytime running lights. It is the first car I have owned in Canada without mph somewhere on the speedo. Also, you may not have any more luck finding a GLT here than in the US. They are rare and the base model and xc are far more common. My opinion on importing/exporting is that the difference in price or availabilty has to be significant enough to warrant going through the paperwork. As we all know, anything to do with the government can be frustrating. You never know what they are going to do or how they interpret the law. They may let white Volvos in one day and red ones the next.
Good luck, Steve
How useful is TRACS? How well does it work? Will it help me get up a steep snowy/icy hill that I couldnt get up without it? Will it keep me from losing control and having an accident?
I'd appreciate any opinions and experiences, so that I can decide whether to take the new car or the cash.
Rich Ready
I won't be able to give you any first hand experience, but I may be able to help. From my understanding, the TRACS system is a low speed traction control system (active up to 25 mph?). I think on the 96' models this was the only type available. The newer models (except the base model) do have an all-speed version available.
Apparently Volvo's rationalization for only offering low speed traction control was that in adverse weather conditions, you wouldn't be driving too fast.
If you haven't already done so, you should check out http://www.brickboard.com
The boards tend to be more active and are geared towards Volvo enthusiasts.
The car gets good traction with the system turned off. With the system on, the ABS comes on quickly to eliminate wheel spin and maintain traction even when accelerating hard. It's a useful feature, but on the other hand, the Volvo also performs well in wet conditions without TRACS.
Steve
Steve
I have now two Volvo and do not regret it any moment.
Patrick
Thank you in advance for any help.
A $4,000 to $5,000 discount for an extra 14,000 miles seems to be a good deal if the car is in good shape. iMotors thoroughly reconditions its cars and gives a one week money back guarantee. I'm not familiar with Carmax.
I have a 95 turbowagon with about 100,000 miles, and the car is still going strong. Little things are beginning to go wrong, for example, an instrument light is out and the gas filler cover sticks, requiring that the cover panel be removed in the rear to reach the manual release. All the major components still check out well.
Consumer Reports' conclusions are based on surveys of many people. I can't remember the percentages, but a low reliability score from CR still means that the majority of owners have little if any trouble.
What bothered me was the large number of used '99 Volvos on the lot in January of 2000. The sales person said that these were cars from owners who wanted to sell the car before it was one year old to "reduce the depreciation" on the car. I wondered if these cars were so much trouble that the owners couldn't stand to own them for a year.
Steve
Have anybody heard anything regarding that matter ?
The S60 is suppose to replace to S70.
Get all the latest information at:
http://www.Volvospy.com
The dealer continues to replace front turn signal bulbs sockets and bulbs but never cures the problems. There's a rattle in the right front the cannot be found. A leaky oil tube to the turbo that cannot be tightened. This car has been a dog from day one.
I will turn my vehicle in before the warrante xpires. This car has had too many problems to keep for a long term relationship. My 1997 Toyota pickup has the quality that the Volvo lacks. Maybe I will go back to Toyota cars>
1 5769 miles replaced rear suspension
2 15032 miles reprogrammed electronic fuel injection module to eliminate engine stumble
3 19238 miles recall for light switch and air bag ground
4 20147 miles replaced blower motor
5 25,100 miles fixed windshield washer jets
6 AND THE MOST ANNOYING replaced both headlight bulbs within 3 weeks of each other when car was
15 months old. I went to 7 different national auto part stores here in the Omaha area. Guess What?
Only the local Volvo carried these bulbs.
I have owned 30 different vehicles since 1966,and
this one ranks at the bottom. The one bright spot
in all of this is the dealer Mike Gorges Volvo.They have been outstanding in trying to keep
me happy. I am not sure what I am going to do when my lease is up in June of 2001,but because of the
dealer I will give Volvo another shot on the V70 XC .
Rick
It seems that removal of the fin/splash guard is not intended as there appears to be an electronic module attached (AWD computer??)
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated since my next oil change is due soon and my oil resistant latex body suit hasn't come in yet.
Thanks in advance!
The Japanese have taught us that trouble free car ownership is possible and economical so we've come to expect that in all our automobiles. Yet, we're still all out there buying those modern day American land yatchs called SUVs. What is it that we all want out of our cars?
Buy what you really want or need and not what slick marketing tells your automobile will be. Volvos are not as brutishly simple and reliable as I think they were once we built to be. Technically automobiles have come a very long way and Volvo has always tried to be one that leading edge but reliability of these new technologies has certainly not been their forte in recent years.
Things as simple as we're only going to use enviromentaly friendly glues on the door panels was a previous marketing ploy that backfired when used Volvos began showing up with wrinkled door panels just a couple of years later. Volvo has been a leader in modern automotive technology but I don't think that they've really had the money to thoroughly test these technologies before integrating them into their modern cars.
The outsorcing of parts manufacturing on a modern automobile is up to 80% or more these days. Volvo is a very small player in the world car market and was becoming ever more so through out the 90's. This is most likely a major contributing factor to their sale to Ford last year.
Think of the crap Detroit was churning out in the mid eighties as compared to what they're doing in the world car market now. Who would've ever thought Chrysler would pull out to become a major player in the modern world car market while Nissan nearly sank into oblivion.
I like our Volvo I think more because of its approach to design than its marketing hype. I actually like the old blockish styling and old Volvo 850 interior door handles. Everything is rather chunky but utilitarion. Even the switches are firm and require a rather deliberate manipulation to activate rather than the smooth and supple activation you'd expect on a vehicle in this class.
Volvo 850s are anti-class, they're reverse snobery because they are a luxury and yet not a luxury car. A Camery or Accord would be a far more practicle choice for the money if pure ecnomic factors were taken into consideration. If they'd still sold a wagon they certainly would have been given greater consideration. A Mercedes or BMW would likely be a finacial stretch but at least closer to being a true luxury car. Cadillac and Lincoln are made for an entirely different audience.
The 850's handling characteristics are seriously differnt from the vast majority of its competitors. The brakes are so diliberate that you totally have to re-adjust your thinking when you drive it. The handling is exceedingly firm and flat, similar to a Honda but w/o the clausterphobic and buffeted interior. Power on the base 850 engine is adequate but my view I sure is warped by my daily driving of a lumbering under powered 82 Lincoln Mark.
Like the car but really fear the end of the warrantee period. Can someone recommend good replacement tires? Also, I 've been using unleaded regulare with gas price increases, and don't notice any difference. Any comments?
Sunroof: Power glass sunroof with auto open/close, sun shade, anti-trap feature
Does anyone have advice on what replacement tires perform and wear well?
bulbs at the rate of one per month. Headlight bulbs last a bit longer, but I no longer leave the headlights on during the daytime. Dealer has no solution to offer. As a former Toyota & Acura owner, I'm not used to these type of annoyances. I too forgot about the power window failures. Driver's window very tempermental.
I have a 7-month old and my primary reason to buy a Volvo is for his safety.
So far all of you who want to sell before warranty runs out I'm interested in buying with a warranty left so let me know if you're ready to sell.
Thanks.
Mary
While Volvo's are built on the tradition of safety, there are other wagons out there that have good safety records as well. Any of the European Luxo wagons have done well in various crash tests (whether here in the States or in Europe) - the A6 and A4, Saab 9-5, Mercedes E class, and BMW 5 (and now 3-) series. Two additional mid-sized wagons that have received the highest marks in their class by the IHSS are the Subaru Legacy/Outback and VW Passat.
The next decision would be what features are important to you -- do you really need/ want AWD?, how much do you want to spend, etc. Also, of the luxo brands, the Audi, BMW, and MB are the better choices for overall reliability over the current generation V70. However, the '01 XC will be released later this fall and initial reviews of the FWD V70's have been very positive. For the moderately priced wagons, Subaru has the edge over the Passat in reliabilty.
If you're dead set on Volvo, then I guess I've wasted 5 minutes. But, If you're open to suggestion, then hopefully I've given you some other ideas.
george
Thanks so much
Jackie in NH
My decision process goes like this: by using the 2 yr. extension on the current lease, we'll postpone any real decision until the car is out of warranty and then give it back and go out and buy/lease another car.
Anyone have any advice.....critique of my reasoning?
Abolutely NO probs with this car....except the headlite bulbs burning out, and that's understandable when they are on all the time.
This sounds like a good question for Car_Man in the Smart Shopper Forums, in fact there is an active thread on End of Lease Experiences where you may also want to post your question.
But since you posted the question here, I'll give you my thoughts:
First off, I thought the std Volvo warranty was 4 yrs/50,000 mi not 5 years as you stated. Assuming that 4 years is correct, then I would not"extend your lease another 2 years, because the last year of your lease would be out of warranty. While its good you've had no major problems with your car, you would be taking a gamble on having no major warranty problems surfacing after 4 years. If they will extend the warranty for the last year of the lease (or it is 5 years)then its a consideration (see below).
I would be curious to know who your lease is thru, since I've never heard of a bank offering to set up a new lease deal at the end of a lease ie new monthly rate, milage limit, etc. But if they have, then you really need to check the new numbers out to make sure they aren't taking you to the cleaners -- go thru the same process of the inital lease -- capitalized cost, new residual value at the end of the 5th year, money factor, etc.
Most of the time when a lease company offers to extend a lease, its for 3-6 months AND its at the same monthly rate. If this is what they are offering to do for you here -- continue to lease for 2 more years at the same rate you are paying now, then absolutely NOT. You would be paying more than if you had established a 5 year lease from the very onset.
Bottom line....if you're really set on keeping the car for another 2 years, then get more info (as above) in order to make sure you are making a wise financial decision. You haven't mentioned whether you will be under the milage limit at the end of the lease. If so, that may work to your advantage for the third option (the "trade in"). What I think they are saying is that the car's value at the end is greater than the residual value that is spelled out in your contract. Thus the "equity" that you have could be used towards payment on your next vehicle.
Sorry about the long winded post, hope the info helps,
George
The agency is Navy Federal Credit Union, and they have a variety of options. Since the lease expires in late Sept, I'm going to get serious about this next week!
J
Is it better to spend the extra $10K to NOT inherit someone else's problems?
after reading some of your posts about the unreliability of Volvo wagons, I'm worried that we're spending a lot of money for not much value, no matter WHICH wagon we buy.
We are replacing our current 1993 Ford Taurus wagon. We have 2 kids and a large dog.
any advice or comments? thanks in advance!
I probably should have negotiated down and gotten a better interest rate too BUT my main question is about the extended warranty. I have the option of cancelling it and I need opinions. It is 6yr, 75K bumper to bumper for $1875. I didn't know warranties were negotiable. The car is still under the original factory warranty (4 year, 50K) and this seems like a lot of money to spend for 2 more years. Also - anyone know about these warranties available on-line? The prices look pretty good.
Any advice is appreciated!
Steve
I have had a few more unique experiences: at 500 miles, the door lock mechanisms let go, and I completed my drive to work holding the driver side door closed. The rear tail gate mechanism froze ( and of course it was the day we were bringing home a large gift for our son's birthday).
As I've written in my other posts, what really irks me is Volvo's refusal to take responsibility for the problems. The headlamp problems and turn signal problems are KNOWN, so why did I have to return four times for each light?
I'm up for suggestions on how to influence companies to take responsibility for poorly constructed and engineered products. Everything I read says the paradigm shift is toward a customer-centric business model. Who forgot to tell Volvo?
BTW, I do indeed own the website domain, www.myvolvosucks.com which does detail my ills. If anyone has suggestions or submissions for content, I'm all ears. : -)
And to perspective Volvo shoppers I say, get a Toyota!
We called our Volvo dealer and asked about it and they said that as long as we bought the warranty before we actually reached the 50k mark we would be getting an extension of original factory warranty for an additional five years and or up to 100k miles. For $1200 I'm just happy for the peace of mind.
I know that it may seem crazy but I still like this car even knowing what I know and anticipating possibilities many of you have not even touched on yet. I think like many of you that we bought the Volvo because we believed in its mystique. We bought this car for safety, practicality, utility, and durability. I really planned to keep it.
Now, God willing, with extended warranty in hand I may be able to achieve that goal. This was to become my next car after it wore out a bit and my wife needed a new one. Ten years from now I want to be tootaling around town in an old run down 150+k miles old Volvo wagon thumbing my nose at all the yuppy BMW, MCB, Honda, and Toyota drivers.
Scott