QuestionQUESTION: Dear Mark
Not sure if I should ask you or Roger this question. I'm looking into becoming a Volvo man, by buying a Volvo estate car. I'm a little bit confused about the models on the used market. I understand that the v70 is the current one, but I cant find out the difference on 850, 940 and 960. Google hasn't been able to clear this up for me.. So I thought after reading some vise answers that you guys would be able to help me out. And also maybe you would be able to give me some advice on which one to go for, I have been looking at the T5/D5 versions, and power is quite tempting. Would you know if it is a lot more thirsty than the regular engine(even with a light foot), and how fragile they are. What would be the most important things to look/listen out for? I'm will normally not be towing anything.
Any advice would be great.
Kind regards
Gunnar
ANSWER: Gunnar, (not a common US name VBG) The 940 and 960's are the end of the line for the 7 series. 9=chassis 4=engine 0=0. So, a 940 is a 9 series chassis with a 4 cylinder engine. The 960 is a 9 series chassis with a 6 cylinder engine etc. EXTREMELY reliable cars. The end of a legacy IMHO. The 4 cylinder ones are TANKS.
The 8 series is a redheaded stepchild in my opinion. Nice, but problematic. I do not recommend them as a rule unless you can steal one.....
The S70-80 and V70-80 are good cars. S=Sedan V=Wagon(Vagon)C=coupe. 70-80 = chassis. Expensive to maintain though.
The T/D series are rarer and sometimes tough to get parts for. They use fuel proportionally to horsepower output. Duh..
Fragility is dependant on use. The harder you work it, the shorter it will last, like any mechanical object. No known frailties.
I hope this helps you and Roger may have a different opinion?
Mark
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QUESTION: Thank you very much!
That clears up a lot, I have sometimes heard that bigger engines are more economical(?) I was thinking of getting a diesel as they seem to be less thirsty, but I might go for a nice T5 instead(if I can find a cheap enough insurance quote..) and keep my gas foot light.. The 850 has a 10 and a 20 valve engine, I was thinking a 20v might be easier to sell on? Is there any good reason for choosing the 10v? I'm in the UK, I can find a lot of v70 with 100000-160000miles on the clock, a few 850's but not many 9 series cars.. Would it be recommendable to search longer and find one with less mileage? Would a diesel (in general) have a longer life than petrol car?
I don't have room or knowledge to do own repair. So would rely on garages to do all work.
My budget is far from infinite.. so it would also be a bit worrying if the turbo is prone to blowing to pieces, are they quite solidly built units?
Thanks again for your help! Greatly appreciated!
Gunnar is a nordic name by the way.. Personally I'm from Norway. So if you meet any Gunnar's they would quite certainly have nordic blood flowing through their veins..
Thanks again!
Gunnar
Answer Gunnar, thanks for the humor! I'm in the US in Minnesota, lots of Norwegians, uff da!
The turbo's themselves are tough. I personally hate diesels. If you walk behind the vehicle while running and then go into the house, you smell like diesel from the exhaust trapped in your pant legs. If you have an attached garage, same problem. I hate working on them for that reason also. You smell like diesel all day long. Then try to get the stains off of your hands, sheesh.
They are more economical to run, especially in the UK. Long lived, equivilant to the gassers. Low mileage is always a plus. Try to find one that has the maintenence records with it. (Filled out owner's manual.)
10 valve is cheaper to maintain and less problematic. Anytime you add more mechanical parts, there are more things that can fail. Make sense? HTH
Mark
