I hate car shopping (formally vw/volvo thread)

[invisibledemon]

still looking for a car for the wife.
have found two that I like, she wants a wagon, so that mainly what im looking for.
would love to get her a passat tdi wagon, but the ones that can be found are out of our price range.

so, tonight, im looking at these two in particular:

2002 Volvo V70 XC AWD XC70 126K
2002 volvo xc70. dont really need 4wd in this area, but the gas mileage is about the same regardless, and this one is priced right.
i like the looks of this one, and has pretty good reviews except the typical "its expensive to repair and starts actually needing maintenance after 100K" crying.

and this one:
2001 Passat VW GLX 2.8L V6 Leather Sunroof Wagon

the link in the article is safe to go to.
like the looks, seems in great condition, tires are good. apparently the two back windows dont roll down, not a big deal, i still get employee pricing at a local parts house. most of the bad reviews to this car pretty much belong to the 1.8ltr engine, and not the v6.

anybody have any helpful insight?

 

[|Chaz|]

In before Wil . Both have possibilities of funky wiring problems. Volvo especially. The 2.8 in the VW is bulletproof but gets like 21 mpg on the freeway. Neither are ideal. What are your desires besides wagon...?

 

[Jeef]

\My mom had a 2001 or 2002 Passat with the vr6. It was a nice car but when she hit a pot hole the tire would go flat. Around this area they are everywhere. I don't know if it was the shitty Michelins or the lower profile tire. 3 tires in under 20k she got rid of it. Never had a problem before or after with flats.
I liked the car it had a nice ride. The factory jack is shit, and I hate the stud lugnuts they use.

 

[phunky.buddha]

2001 Passat, stay the hell away. Major quality issues for Passats in that model year range...

 

[civicious]

No.

 

[|Chaz|]

Called it ^

 

[Briansol]

yeah, i'd pass on both. those volvos catch fire and burn down, like all the time.
MY VOLVO XC70 ON FIRE ON M4 - YouTube

 

[Matts96HB]

I had an 89 Volvo wagon for a while. Had a ton of miles on it and still took a beating. It had its fair share of issues though, the tail lights would strobe like something you'd find in a low-budget dance club, and the driver's seat had a permanent thug-lean going on. I drove around looking like a wannabe hardass in a Jersey Shore night club - all in a poop Brown Volvo wagon.

Yeah, it didn't work.

 

[civicious]

Either of those are a very, very, very bad thing to purchase. If you buy a VW or Audi, buy a new or certified preowned one with a WARRANTY from the DEALER. Otherwise, hope you're ready to spend some money on repairs.

 

[invisibledemon]

alright then back to the drawing board

 

[invisibledemon]

so, when it comes to euro cars, which are ones to go for and stay away from?
i keep coming across early 2000 model volvos for decent prices, and am mainly thinking about those bc of the safety ratings they get.

 

[|Chaz|]

Are you planning on doing all the maintenance yourself?

 

[invisibledemon]

of course.
i dont like to pay shop prices.
and i still have employee pricing at a parts house.
as well as connections at the dealerships in the area. including friends at the euro dealerships.

 

[CAFROG]

My wife has a VW but a Jetta TDI (2004). I don't like it at all. Cheap plastic inside and I hate the lug nuts. Doors feel safe...and heavy. I have to concentrate when I open a door next to a car b/c it's so heavy and jerky through the stop points. Tons of specialty part/tools to purchase and/or fab to change the timing belt/water pump. (for about $90-95).

It's going away soon.

No Japan Wagons?

If it's Euro only.....I like a Volvo but certified pre-owned w/warranty. .

 

[invisibledemon]

cant find any japan wagons in my area.
im not even sticking to just wagons now. i need to find her a car, and im damn tired of looking.

main things im concerned about are safety, economy, and of course reliability. but, most of everything i can find, the reliability part is very relative. esp with auto transmissions, nobody seems to service the damn things.

today i came across an 01 volvo s40 with 140k for $2900, and a 2004.5 s40 with 215k, top end has been rebuilt on the 04, everheated, has all receipts, timing belt and pumps are all new when rebuilt.

but, im looking at everything, those are the only ones that have caught my eye today.
i come across old hondas and whatnot, but i want something with a bit more safety built in, being that this is the wifes car and the baby will be in it 99% of trips she goes on.
i just seem to come across a good amount more of clean euro's than japanese, the japs are all run down or overpriced. the euros have all been priced right within value.

 

[|Chaz|]

Send Wil a message about what you want and the features you want. He'll help you out. He knows his stuff. I would suggest a BMW 5 series wagon or 3 series wagon if you can find either. Or an Audi avant, even though I already know how Wil feels about Audis

 

[invisibledemon]

i would love a 3 series wagon. if that bastard hadnt sold that one i found the day i started looking i would be a happy camper right now.

 

[eg6sir]

Is300 sport cross?

 

[|Chaz|]

Kinda neat other than getting like 15 mpg.

 

[Briansol]

Cars for Sale: 2004 BMW 325xi Wagon in Little Ferry, NJ 07643: Wagon Details - 358559147 - AutoTrader.com

1 owner but high miles. might be worth the trip.