I am in the market for a Volvo s60. I would really like the R model, but they are hard to find in NY. I recently found one with 137,000 miles on it. Clean Carfox. 2004.

I am selling my 06 VW GTI, mainly because its a lemon, lately. I have put 5 thousand in repairs in the past 2 years.

I turned toward Volvo because a friend has one with 180,000 miles and spends little to nothing on repairs each year. Is this typical of a high mileage Volvo? Should I spend thousands more on a non R model with less mileage?

I really can't afford high repair costs, all of the time.

 

If you are looking for low repair cost the Volvo is not the car for you. But with that said a 05+ R or even a T5 that has been taken care of would be a great choice.100,000 mile on a Volvo the car is just broken in. Just make sure you have the car looked at.100+k timing belt should have been replace and also look at the angel gear sleeve there are know to fail around this milage. Both are $1000+ repairs..swedespeed.com has a for sale in there forums and there are some great R there that have been well taken car of. GL

 

Thanks for the info. I'm not looking for low repair costs. I'm looking for less frequent repairs. I'm looking for a car that doesn't strand me on long road trips.

My 06 VW has one problem after another. The check engine light is always on, or its making a new noise.

I was told that BMW's are "just broken in at 100k" as well, but then the day before I bought one, I was also told that they cost about $1000-$2000 per year in repair costs.

The car i'm looking at now is another 04 S60 R, but this one has 116k.

 

Right, if you bought a BMW, that 1-2K is if you fixed it, $2-3K if you have a shop fix it.

If your looking for low cost and repairs, you'll be better off with a Asian vehicle I have to say, though Volvo would be better for repairs vs BMW IMO.

 

Yeah, I had a couple Japanese cars when I was a teenager. I didn't take care of them, they were always way over-due for oil changes, and I pushed the pedal so hard to the floor every time I drove, that it would have pushed any other car into an early grave.

I take much better care of my vehicles now, and I don't drive them like I'm running from a tornado. I am a driver. Its what I love. I don't need to be at a track, I don't need to speed, tailgate, and drift corners like the majority of driving enthusiasts in my age group. I delivered food for four years in my own vehicles, and put roughly 60,000 miles on a car per year. I take small road trips at least every other weekend, averaging about 300 miles round trip. I am now a traveling salesman, and drive about 200-400 miles per week in my own vehicle.

I'm working with a limited budget and have a slightly more difficult time getting approved for loans on cars older than 2006. I am currently driving a 2006 VW GTI and I can't stand it. I don't like hatchback, I don't like "arrest me red" paint, and I really don't like replacing the wheel bearings and CV joints every 10,000 miles. I have had it for two years and I have taken good care of it, but still spent around $5,000 in repairs.

I want a car that can handle high mileage, won't strand me 100's of miles from home, but isn't a car that you see 10 of, on your way to the store. I want to buy it around 100k miles, it doesn't have to be "S60 R, fast" but has some passing power. I want a foreign car, other than Japanese or Korean. I am willing to pay a lot more for repairs than Japanese or American, as long as they aren't problems that happen without warning and strand me. I know its asking for a lot, and I'm beginning to see that its probably not possible. BMW owners steered me towards Volvo and Saab. I chose Volvo.

If anyone thinks that Volvo or some other car fits the bill, please let me know. Otherwise, this thread dies with this post. Thanks for the info, guys. Much appreciated.

Phil