Questioning value of a '99 S80
 

first, hello to everybody..ill get right to the point, because im hoping i can get a few replys before tomorrow, because they say they're going to take it to auction on monday possibly

So my friend knows someone who runs a small used car lot, and here's the info I have:
'99 S80, leather seats (normal wear)
161k+ miles, tires <1yr old, new abs module put in

it's throwing a p1550, and i've done some searching on it, so it seems like something that can be addressed

it's listed at $4000, though i heard they'll take $2500 cash for it.

it drives well, though it has a small idle bounce (due to the 1550 i think?)

is it worth the $2500? i know this is a really small set of details, but i'd love to try to take it off their hands tomorrow or monday :)

Wholesale (blackbook) average is roughly $2,500. That's average body and mileage. Rough Book $ 1,500 and values can go up depending on what options it has too Remember this is Wholesale, what the dealers are paying for in auction.... If the car is clean and I mean clean in every way, sounds like $2,500 is not bad of a deal.

well the rough idle is most definitally because of the OBDII code that it is throwing, i had the same problem. It is the O2 sensor Bank 2 Sensor 1. I think that 2500 is not bad, but i would try to talk them down 500ish, because of the O2 sensor. if you get the sensor from volvo it runs 320 dollars. and you may also need to replace your DCI coil, not a definite, but when i replaced my oxygen sensors i needed a new DCI coil. Which will run you around 200 also, if bought at a dealership. I had a local mechanic do it and paid nothing for labor so i did make out. But i think its a great deal but i think you could talk them down to 2000 because of the code

wow, thanks for the quick replys everybody...the more i talk to you guys, the better you make me feel about it :D

i have a feeling that he's not going to go much below $2500, if at all. he didn't expect me to hear about the $2500 deal he had talked about yesterday to somebody, so he immediately followed it up saying he could get $3000 easily from auction.

unfortunately, i don't have $2500 to hand him, so i'm going to have to look at his "buy here pay here" plan to pay weekly or monthly, which im figuring will drive it closer to $3000. i'm already set at $3000 as my max, so if he won't go below that, i have no intention on buying.

so, again, thanks for the replies, and hopefully i'll be a frequent forum'er once i pick this car up (assuming i do ;D)

Yes, he might be able to get 3k at an auction BUT.... he still has to pay sellers fee, tax and then he either has to pay a drive service or hire a transport service to deliver the car to your lot....AND THEN if he had that car on his lot for lets say 60-90 days and obviously didn't sell, he lost money from intrest on a car that sat! Soo... If it was my car I'd rather dump it for CASH up front and take a small hit that go thru all that work and then all all those fees!! I bet if you walked in with cash he would take it.... Most dealers play games, like saying I can get 3k at an auction. Let him try,lol..... BTW, I used to work at a dealer for a while before career change, so I know the game first hand.

thanks for the confidence :)

im really thinking that i might even make them try to do the $2500 at a buy now pay later thing...we'll see

i just don't want to make the mistake of buying a car i don't have confidence in the week after i buy it :/

Well just make sure you have confidence in buying a car that is worth it.....Make sure you check out the sreiousness of that code.. I have an 850, but those s80 are a Pain to get right... Now one last thing?? Why do you suppose they are getting rid of the s80 fromt he lot? Is it that its a vehicle that sat on a lot for too long OR could it be that maybe the code has something to do with it? That's how I would look at it? I would investigate that a little further, just to make sure you know what you are getting into since Volvos aren't the cheapest to work on at times... Reg. of what Good luck with this and if u ahve any other questions, post away!

yes, im sure the code is part of it. honestly, i'm not completely sure. i think that he's just in the business of moving cars. he gets a lot of cars from people who refuse to pay their bill for services he does (he also does mechanic work for the local shop that i take my car to), so a lot of this stuff he gets dirt cheap

I bought a '99 with 140k on it for $2750 (Which I hate admitting to others but am doing so for your sake) so it is quite possible that you can get it for $2000 to $2500. With 161K+ miles you are probably looking at a second timing belt among other things. If you are lucky as I am (on this one item), see if a local dealer can tell you if it has had an ETM put in. Mine did not but my ten years for the warranty is not up until May 2009. See if yours was built late in '99 as well. Plus, any lack of maintenance on the seller's part shows that they do not feel it will raise the value of the car. In this case, it probably will not. But lack of maintenance is good on your end for the bargaining. If he is asking $4000 he probably picked the car up for $1750 or less. Used cars are where any dealer's cash comes from. In this case, this is only used cars. He is looking for a quick $2500 with the luxury appeal of the car ($1500 is he will take $3000). The fact that he can get $3000 is not far off because a larger dealer will typically ask $4000 over that. Once all costs are in, the dealer would make about $3000 with that $7000 price tag. I am assuming this is the non-turbo, 2.9L model.

Suggested Retail in my area (NW Oregon), is $5840.

Trade Value in Good condition is $2300.

Good Private Party is $3740.


At an auction, the car is likely to sell between Trade and Private Party on Blue Book, which is $3020, or half of retail ($2920). The median between those two numbers is $2970. His estimate is not far off. All you have to do, is find a way to assure him that he can have $2500 cash in his pocket whether it be through a short term loan or anything else. Do not pay $3000. Otherwise, you might as well fight it out at the auction.

wow

lots of info..thanks! :)

I just picked up our 99 S80 T6 at the auction Tuesday, and I dont mind telling you guys I paid $3750 after all was said and done. Car has 143k on the clock, but is in fantastic shape. I know the are some known issues with the 99 being first year and all, but I think this car was well maintained. Try to listen to what your gut feeling tells you, chances are you will make the right decision.

Wow after reading this thread I really am amazed at the deal I got on my S80.

Anyway, I wouldn't offer them a penny over $2500, you never know exactly how much the CEL is going to end up setting you back. I have an extra OEM O2 sensor that I bought and didn't end up using if you do get the car and want a deal on one.

Maintenance is key with these cars, check out the glove box and see if there are any records available. If not you are going to want to get the timing belt and tensioner changed out right away.

Let know how it goes!

Yea, I didn't have time to go visit them today (we're doing a Lotus Notes->Microsoft Exchange migration, and today's the official flip-the-switch day, so we were busy making sure everything was going to go alright), but I'm going to talk to them Monday and let them know that it's not worth it to me for more than $2500.

If he thinks he can get $3000 at an auction, let him, IMO.

I've worked for a dealer in the past and have been to the auctions. I hightly doubt he's going to get $3K for that car, especially with the CEL on. Don't budge past $2500 is my advice. Like sombody else mentioned, if he can get between $2500-$3K for it at the auction it's worth his time/money to sell it to you for $2500.