Hello, I just joined the community and have a question. I am looking for my first car and my parents are recommending at checking out Volvo cars for their safety ratings and reliability. I recently came across a 1998 Volvo S90, black with a clear interior, that only has 48k miles, for $2400! Should buy this car, as my first car? My parents moved here from Europe, so they really like buying European cars, and so do I because I like their style. Would this be a good first car? Would this specific car be expensive to insure/maintain if I have it for only a couple of years? (I know Volvo cars can get pricey)
Also, feel free to give me other suggestions.

Thanks for all the help!

 

I think it would. Did you get it?

On a model like this with such low mileage, I would take it on a LONG test drive, and drive it hard after it warms up. They have a history of having burnt valves when not driven hard enough. There are a couple of strong points that you want to watch for:
1. Timing belt, every 70,000 miles or 7 years, whichever is first.
2. Don't play with coolant leaks... fix them or you will blow the motor.

Other than that, I believe the 960 cars are the best that Volvo every built.

 

That is a good price for a low mileage car! We paid $5k for one with 53k miles in fall 2013, but that was particularly attractive as it was identical to our original car that had a burned valve (see my other posts for that story).

I would caution that any very low mileage is likely to have NONE of the normal maintenance performed. The car we bought had all the original belts, hoses, bushings, etc. Fortunately, I could strip any really recent replacement parts off our original car, plus swapping most of the interior.

All that said, these cars were not in production after 1998 and replacement parts in some cases are either not available or getting to be VERY expensive. However, at that price, do the simple belts, hoses, etc. and just drive the hell out of it.

 

So the S90 needs be to driven hard?

 

Well put it this way - if you drive it like a granny, you're going to kill it. It isn't a stop and go city car. Loves highway and 3,000 rpm.

 

Agree, at least to a point. As an example, we had a low RPM vibration that I thought was an injector sticking. I ran a dose of Techron through the car which helped a bit, but several nice 60+ mile freeway drives at 75+ probably did more to help than the Techron and the vibration is gone. My wife normally drives the car around town, but I do try to get it out for some of our shorter trips. Lexus LS does the longer ones, as much due to the much larger trunk and better mileage than anything else (Lexus 28 mpg on freeway vs Volvo around 24 mpg). Around a very congested LA the Volvo and Lexus both get around 15 mpg.

 

I ran mine long and hard, I do mean hard.

 

I drive mine hard, and theyre amazing cars!