Hello all. I have owned Volvo's for the past twenty years. I have had many repairs lately on my 1987 740 turbo wagon that has almost surpassed 300,000 km (new clutch system and shocks last month) and now I have to replace the heater core - ugh (basically thousands in repairs). I am very seriously considering purchasing a "new" car that many say are safer than my old wagon. My question is - does anybody out there know how safe my three year old is in an impact in the rear seat in my Volvo versus say a new CRV with curtain airbags....And how much do you think I can get for my wagon that I really do not want to part with. I find it to be an excellent travel vehicle, except for my safety concerns. thanks for an comments....

 

I think the 'new' safety claims are mostly smoke and mirrors. I also think there is nothing safer than my 88 240 tank. I hate to say it but the new cars are just not made as well and the brakes are definitely not as good. Try to find a new car with 4 piston calipers. They are out there but you have to go to the exotics to get them. The engines are better now, not that ours are all that bad. I had to replace the engine twice in my 2000 mazda miata (25,024mi replacement had same problem no help from mazda).... will never buy a mazda again,,,,,,EVER!. Honda an Toyota are good but I really just like my volvo. I think if in a collision with a honda crv I would win. My sister tried to find someone that died in a volvo in an accident. She eventually did in California when the freeway collasped on him! Watch those side streets even when the light is green for you. This is what usually kills good drivers. Now for the new volvos..... the brakes suck. I think you are buying a ford at a premium price. The new ones do not seem to me to be as reliable either. I wish I could tell you to buy this ------ but if I were to win the lottery saturday I think I would just paint my volvo and get the ac fixed. I may do that anyway.

 

Good point! I have not yet got rid of my wagon nor have I purchased a new vehicle. Why am I not planning on a new Volvo you ask? Because of the poor reliability reports on the newer models (I could not afford a brand new one). I have spent so much money on my repairs that I practically have new car anyhow - but the cold weather will be hitting soon and I wll need heat - which is about $900 repair for the heater core. Further, when it rains the back passenger floor behind the drivers side get soaked. Can't figure out the leak, but figure it must be the sun roof - that is why I am cryng the new car blues...

 

Brakes - you mention that the old brakes are better - when I drive the new cars, the brakes feel much better to me - more responsive - abs etc. Could you please explain what is meant that the old brakes are better?

 

ABS does not necessarily make the brakes more responsive, nor better. It is designed to stop wheels locking up under severe braking to avoid a skid. A trained driver can do that without ABS by pumping the brake pedal.

On our skid pan we had both ABS and non-ABS cars. Most of the highly trained drivers could bring a non-ABS car to a safe stop faster than one fitted with ABS.

The brakes on older Volvos had 4 piston calipers so that even if 1 or 2 pistons were not working properly there was still a good braking effort.

 

most new cars have a single piston sliding caliper. It works if it is clean and the sliding surface is properly lubricated. Our design the caliper remains motionless and the pistons slide out. It is a better design but much more expensive. It doesn't require being clean or lubricated. A good thing in the harsh environment of brakes. All real performance cars and race cars use mutiple piston calipers. It gives a more even squeeze on the brakes. Abs is great in a panic stop but there are two conditions where it can actually take longer to stop. In loose snow or soft earth if you lock up the wheels you get a plow effect where the snow or earth builds up in front of the wheel. This does not happen in an abs car and the wheel continues to turn and it takes longer to stop. Abs is also horribly expensive to repair but for the most part very reliable. One last thing I didn't mean all old brakes. I meant the brakes on about 80-93 volvos. The old drum brakes were pretty horrible on everything except maybe a ferrari although folks drove for 80 years on them.

 

Well - all of these responses are certainly making me feel better about my current ride. Really, the primary driver of me wanting to move on to a new 2006 CR-V is for my and specifically my daughter's safety. I understand that it is up to the driver and sometimes dum luck - It is not the city driving that worries me. It is the highway driving in less than perfect conditions (heavy rain) - I have good Michelin Pilot tires and I do maintain my vehicle. We often put on 400km driving to our weekend cottage in less than perfect weather.

Still I have spent an enormous amount on repairs lately. I lost my clutch on weekend getaway which set me back $1600, my front shocks were just replaced the week before ($400) and the week before that my heater core went (I still have not repaired that, I just disconnected it -$900 to repair). I am 1000km short of 300,000 km and am weary of this continuing. I know that my turbo will be the next to go....AND when it rains the driver's side passenger floor floods.

What should I do? Drive this car to the ground or fork out the coin and cross my fingers? Or should I look for a newer model Volvo and hope that it doesn't cost me a million in repairs...

 

There is always the old theory that instead of buying a new car, set that car payment aside for repairs on the old one.....

I didn't even know this thread was in here...i replied to the one on the main page....sigh.

 

Took the CR-V for a test drive yesterday and hated it. It will be very hard to replace my Volvo - so now I am back to thinking that I will just continue spending money on repairs for my beloved Volvo. Really, my main concern is safety and truthfully - I feel much safer in my 1987 Volvo than I do with the 2006 Honda CR-V, even with it's airbags and all. If I was to look for a "newer" Volvo - in a station wagon - what model, year etc. should I be looking at? When did they stop making the 740 turbo wagons? I am tempted to buy a newer volvo and fit it with all the new parts and tires that I have put into my older one...I may go to my Volvo dealership in town - though they are a total rip off.. thanks again for all the great feedback.