Author Topic: Car Purchase Advice - 2000 Volvo s70 GLT  (Read 6106 times)

raptor117

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Car Purchase Advice - 2000 Volvo s70 GLT
« on: March 16, 2015, 01:21:57 PM »
Someone from work (we have an e-mail list which is basically an internal craigslist) is moving out of the country, and selling their 2000 Volvo s70 GLT, with 111,000 miles on it.  Asking price $2500.

This would be my first vehicle.  I don't know anything about cars.  Someone told me "Volvo have excellent safety records, can go for several hundred k miles.  They can be expensive to maintain."  Does anyone have advice on common faults or defects to look for in this model when I go for a test drive?  How do I find gas mileage for this vehicle?  From the photos and description it's in decent shape for a 15 year old car - but what do I know?

If I purchase it, I will be using it for some road trips, ~20-200 miles a few times a month.  I walk to work and to get groceries, so buying a car is entirely a want, not a need.

Any advice or thoughts on this vehicle?  How expensive is maintenance on an old Volvo like this?  (while I start learning to do some repairs myself - like I say, I've never owned or worked on a car more than to change a tire or jump a dead battery from a youtube video.  I'm perfectly willing to be lazy and take it to a mechanic, though).

RWD

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Re: Car Purchase Advice - 2000 Volvo s70 GLT
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2015, 02:37:31 PM »
Fuel economy can be found here  :
http://fueleconomy.gov/ (S70 GLT is 17/24 mpg if you want to compare to modern EPA ratings)

You should have the car inspected at a shop (pre-purchase inspection) before you buy.

This would not be the cheapest vehicle you could own for the price.

Capsu78

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Re: Car Purchase Advice - 2000 Volvo s70 GLT
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2015, 02:41:25 PM »
"They can be expensive to maintain"  My neighbor thought he was going in for brake pads- came out with a $1400 bill.  However the buy in price isn't bad.

RH

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Re: Car Purchase Advice - 2000 Volvo s70 GLT
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2015, 03:10:16 PM »
Check out www.brickboard.com in the AWD section. Put your post there and they will give you honest, reliable, feedback from Volvo owners/mechanics/fans.


pagoconcheques

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Re: Car Purchase Advice - 2000 Volvo s70 GLT
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2015, 03:35:30 PM »
The S70 is the continuation model of the 850.  We had an 850 and loved it.  HOWEVER, it was very expensive to maintain once it was out of warranty.  That and the engine died (needed rings) at only a little over 100,000 miles.  We love Volvos and have had four over the years, but we gave up and defected to Honda.  Volvo's are legendary for safety, but that reputation came largely from the 1980s - 1990s 240 series. Back in an era when lots of cars were not particularly safe, the bar was relatively low, and nowadays there are plenty of brands whose safety is competitive with Volvos. 

Since you don't need a car now, consider saving and spending a little more to get a car that is 8-10 years old and focus on brands known for reliability like Honda and Toyota.

If you do like the car (drive it!), try offering $1,000 - $1,500 for it. 

jmusic

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Re: Car Purchase Advice - 2000 Volvo s70 GLT
« Reply #5 on: March 16, 2015, 04:16:27 PM »
"They can be expensive to maintain"  My neighbor thought he was going in for brake pads- came out with a $1400 bill.  However the buy in price isn't bad.

That just sounds like they had it serviced at the "Stealership." 


raptor117

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Re: Car Purchase Advice - 2000 Volvo s70 GLT
« Reply #6 on: March 16, 2015, 06:23:30 PM »
I'm taking it on a test drive Thursday after work.  Tomorrow I'm going to try and find a mechanic that can do a pre-purchase inspection, if possible.

HOWEVER, it was very expensive to maintain once it was out of warranty.  That and the engine died (needed rings) at only a little over 100,000 miles.

What were your maintenance costs after it was out of warranty? 

pagoconcheques

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Re: Car Purchase Advice - 2000 Volvo s70 GLT
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2015, 09:57:07 AM »
What were your maintenance costs after it was out of warranty?

We got rid of this car over 6 years ago and I have since discarded the records, so I can't be specific--though I do recall that basically everything related to emissions was replaced and that the odometer broke at one point.  The odometer is an easy DIY fix involving an hour or so with simple tools and a cheap plastic gear available on the internet, but the problem is common enough that low mileage should be suspect on a Volvo of that era in the absence of a credible maintenance history.  I'm sure the Volvos cost a lot to maintain and repair, much more than with the Hondas we've owned. 

In fairness, it should be noted that I'm a bit of a contrarian to the received wisdom on this site when it comes to buying old cars because my experience is that cars tend to get expensive once they hit about 12-13 years of age because all the little things start going (switches, seals, etc.)--this was doubly true of the Volvos we had.  I prefer to buy used cars at 4-6 years and sell them at 10-12, even if they are lesser cars, but that's me. 

Have a good independent mechanic go over the Volvo--if it's up to muster and the price is right, go for it.

robbyho

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Re: Car Purchase Advice - 2000 Volvo s70 GLT
« Reply #8 on: March 18, 2015, 10:08:02 AM »
I had that car as a hand me down from my mom back in 04-05. We tallied up 150k+ miles before my brother totaled it. It was a good driver overall. Heavy, not fantastic on gas. Parts were very expensive. If you have to take it to a mechanic that specializes in volvos or imports it will be even more expensive. The vinyl/leather on the door panels started to bubble after a while. I would not recommend and I think there are much better options.

raptor117

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Re: Car Purchase Advice - 2000 Volvo s70 GLT
« Reply #9 on: March 18, 2015, 01:24:35 PM »
Parts were very expensive. If you have to take it to a mechanic that specializes in volvos or imports it will be even more expensive.

Can you be more specific about the prices of parts and repairs you experienced?  People keep saying "Volvo's are expensive", but I have no frame of reference for any vehicle, Volvo or otherwise.  Does this mean $200?  $2000?  More?  For what parts?

I'm okay with paying for necessary repairs, but I would rather make an informed decision BEFORE purchasing a vehicle.
« Last Edit: March 18, 2015, 01:26:56 PM by raptor117 »

Le Poisson

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Re: Car Purchase Advice - 2000 Volvo s70 GLT
« Reply #10 on: March 18, 2015, 01:34:42 PM »
Don't walk away from it. RUN!!!

I had a 1999 Volvo C70 which is in this same era. I will never buy a Volvo again. Period.

The ABS brake sensor on these cars runs the entire dashboard. When it goes down you lose all dash electronics. The replacement part is $500 +/-, although remanufactured units are available. With your low mileage, one of the questions to ask the seller is if the module has ever been replaced. If it has, then the mileage is bogus. If you lose the mileage you lose the odo, but keep the tach (IIRC)

The turbo on  mine let go with surprising regularity. After rebuilding it ($1200 each time) at a local indy shop for the fourth time, the shop owner asked why I kept the car. That was sortof my aha moment.

Look up the price of replacement tires. Compare to the price of tires for a Buick Lacrosse. Or any other non-luxury car in the same segment.

Aftermarket parts are hard to find, expensive, and tend to be very cheaply made. Dealer parts are hard to get and tend to be very expensive. I have a set of sparkplugs if you need them. I think the sticker price on them was just over $100.

There is an active online Volvo community. I think its called Swedespeed - even they complain about this era of Ford-inspired Volvos. http://forums.swedespeed.com/forumdisplay.php?9-S70-V70-amp-V70XC-(1998-2000)

The front bumper makes a great snowplow.

I tried 4 different Volvo dealers for various service needs. Every one of them was worse than the previous. The first one kept my car for 2 weeks when I took it in for a complimentary oil change. Things went downhill from there with Volvo Canada.

The Volvos are amazing cars to drive. they 'fit' perfectly and feel amazing on the road. They do nothing else well. Sortof like a lot of other clown cars.
« Last Edit: March 18, 2015, 01:44:09 PM by Prospector »