Hi,

Need a reliable car for a relative and can spend about $3-4K. I was thinking Honda because I now have one and it's terrific. However, I ran into a guy today at a gas station and he told me that his 1994 Volvo 940 has 500K miles on it and it's going strong.

Well, my jaw dropped.

I've seen a ton of Hondas with 150-200K on them and thought that was awesome. Well, this was a game changer — at least it's got me thinking enough about it to join this forum and talk to folks who understand this brand.

Please suffer a newbie's initial questions...

1. I frankly don't trust dealers but they seem to have most of the used Volvos these days. If I have to work with a dealer, how much mark up do I figure they're padding the price with — 20-30%?

2. What's the chance of the average dealer even knowing much about the car's history?

3. Is there a great site other than Auto Trader or Cars.com where Volvos are sold?

4. In the range mentioned, $3-4K, I wouldn't mind a wagon. Can you tell me which model you would be looking for and why one is better than another...I just scanned listings for these...

1997 Volvo 850
1999 Volvo V70 GLT
2003 Volvo V70

5. In terms of driving ease and handling, is there a difference between a Volvo and a Japanese car like Honda?

6. The guy at the gas station said that in the old models, he'd first go for a 240, then 740 or his car, a 940. Is there an online reference that rates these models for today's needs, giving reliability, positives and negatives?

7. Finally (for now), I had a neighbor tell me to watch out for highly expensive repair bills. One, the car would be 15-20 years old and could experience a ton of work; and that Volvo repair is more expensive than what it would cost for a Honda — by maybe 2-to-1. Any truth to his opinions?

Any help is greatly appreciated. This is all new territory for me.

Thanks!

 

Welcome to the forum. Volvos will go forever. They are not the cheapest to repair. Make sure you get copies of all repairs. Prior to the 850 series all Volvos were RWD. From the 850 forward they are FWD. Check out the sections of the forum for each model you're interested in. Plenty of information here. Also there is a For Sale section.

 

For that price range you should have a few options.
Personally, I'd try and find an individual seller who has been able to afford
the maintenace and has taken care of that particular car. Always run a Carfax.
Good-luck.