Should I buy a Volvo?

EmmaR

Hi there,

I'm a newbie here and have never owned a Volvo. I'm currently on the market for a small affordable 2nd hand wagon to replace my late model Rav4 as I've just started back at uni studying to be a midwife, only working part time and need to consolidate finances. My budget is $5-7k. I have been looking at a Corolla wagon '05-6 but only the top of the line Levin has basic safety features like ABS and adequate airbags, and comfort features like power windows and cruise control. Everyone always says Toyotas are easy to service, reliable and last forever. But I'd also like to stay alive in an accident and drive in comfort.

I stumbled upon the V50 by accident on CarSales and love the look of the car, plus the safety features and niceties like cruise control (which I use heaps) heated seats etc. I also love the price - seems to fit within my budget. But there are some strong opinions about the ongoing cost of Volvo ownership. Namely that parts and servicing are expensive in Australia. So I'd like to hear from actual Volvo owners, answers to the following:

-Is buying a Volvo for economy reasons wise or will I stay broke with ongoing servicing costs?

-What is the track record of V50s over 200,000km, assuming a good service history?

-Are there other makes/models I should consider? I'm far from a car expert I'm afraid.

Any advice much appreciated!

Emma

carnut222

The V50 and S40/C30 are based on a shared platform with the Ford Focus so many basic parts are fairly reasonably priced. Assuming the car has a good service history you should be able to keep it going at reasonable cost if you use a reputable independent Volvo specialist. My parents have a 2007 V50 T5 AWD and have had minimal issues with it, but it does have low miles (they're in the USA). We have a C30 T5 with about 120,000 km and no major issues. I'm sure more folks will chime in. Assuming you're not going for AWD and Turbo, it should be cheaper to maintain and repair. Also the purchase price is quite low now for the amenities offered in these cars so I personally think it's a good used car buy. Good luck!

Spac

I can't think of a safer car for the money, except for the mechanically identical S40 or maybe the slightly older S60/V70 (none of which fit your criteria of "small wagon").

cubic25

I think it's awesome that you're doing your research. So many people go out and buy shitboxes, only to join a forum afterwards to try and solve their problems.
The whirlpool forum is full of first time car buyers having a terrible time with their Astras or TSI Golf's.

Which model V50 are you looking at?

Most common issue would have to be front control arm bushes. They are made of mush, but easily and cheaply fixed. The engine mounts are also a common issue, but that is also a cheap fix.
The front wheel hubs on some models have an issue that I think was rectified in a service campaign.
Apparently there is a few electrical gremlins that pop up in the early models. One V50 that I test drove needed a new radio and another needed a new proximity sensor for the keyless entry. I've never had any issues though.

You can get a Volvo serviced at any independent mechanic. Most services have cost me between $150-$350. The only time I got ripped off was at a Volvo dealership. It was the first time I had taken my Volvo in for a service and it cost me just over $1100. Avoid Volvo dealers at all cost.

Assuming you're looking at the petrol models, just be mindful that they aren't particularly good on fuel.

Hope this helps a little.

Chris

They will cost more than a Corolla to run but the lack of safety in comparison is huge. The Volvo will protect you, few other cars for your budget will.

I have seen non-turbo petrol V50s with well under 200,000 on them for 7k if you are patient.

jaykenneally

Hey Emma. Good to see someone doing their research!

There are mixed opinions about Volvo's and European cars in general. European cars are known as more technically advanced and this does lead to some reliability concerns. However, Volvo's are really not too bad. Volvo tend to play it safe a little bit and not experiment too much with their technology, and the basic powertrain systems are well designed and have usually all been around for a long time and are tried and tested. In terms of safety, there will be no other car on the market of that age in that price range that would be safer than that Volvo.

I'm a Volvo mechanic at Berry Motor Group in Mitcham (VIC) so I work on different models all the time. I've driven hundreds of V50s and their sedan/hatch/convertible twins (S40/C30/C70 respectively) and they are, generally, really solid cars. I've also owned a V50 before along with the fleet of other Volvos we currently or formerly owned.

Things to look out for on a V50:
• Front lower control arm bushes: Someone already mentioned this. During a road test, press the brake hard and let go of it again rapidly (hope that makes sense). You basically want to just jerk the brakes and the car, you don't actually want to slow down. This procedure puts a lot of stress on the control arm bushes, as such, if they are worn you will hear an audible thump coming from the front as you brake. You have to brake fairly hard to make the noise, unless the bushes are totally stuffed then it will do it all the time. If there are no noises no matter how hard you try, the bushes are in good condition. These bushes can last as little as 50,000kms if you live in an area with lots of speed humps and like to fly over them. But generally they go longer than that. They don't take very long to replace them, actually they're probably the easiest control arms to replace out of any car I've ever worked on. If you shop around for the part you can also get them for reasonably low prices, so not a big issue by any means.

• Engine mounts: the most common one is the drivers side. It's a bit hard to see it but it's there, it has a metal bracket over it which hides it a little bit. It's a hydraulic mount, so filled with fluid (oil, essentially). When it splits it leaks everywhere. A car with a failed engine mount will exhibit more vibrations when driving and idling. These cars are fairly smooth but most will have a very slight vibration when accelerating. That's normal, but if it feels really bad, that's not normal. When I say the most common, I've only replaced about 2 of them in the last year. The other one on the passenger side, I've never done that one. Theres also a big bush down the bottom which I've also never replaced.

• Coolant expansion tanks: I replace these on just about every V50 I service. It's the coolant reservoir on the drivers side (actually it's close to that aforementioned engine mount!). If its all yellowy and horrible and has cracks in it, replace it ASAP as they can split and leak coolant everywhere and that could lead to serious overheating issues, obviously. It's not an expensive fix at all so I wouldn't even worry about it if you buy a car that needs it.

• If you can avoid the 2004 model. The really early cars seem to be the most prone to failure. This is fairly typical of any new car that hits the market, that first year is really ironing out the creases. So try and shoot for around a late 05 onwards car.

• If you buy a car with a sunroof check for leaks as the drainage system is pretty poor to be honest. Where the drains connect inside the car, over time they shrink and pop out so it leaks water inside the car. We've become pretty good at fixing these now and have done many of them and they never leak again. But you'll need to take it to someone like us who is familiar with the problem and have tested many different ways to permanently fix it. You're average Jo mechanic won't know our little secrets ;)

• Also check for windscreen looseness. Volvo seemed to have a bad batch of windscreen seal on a few different cars as the windscreens start to come loose. You will be able to push it from the inside and feel it lifting off the car or even see it a little bit. This also results in water leaks. We have the windscreens removed and re-sealed, no need to replace the actual windscreen as it's just the glue that is faulty.

• As for most of the technical gizmos, the AM part of the radio seems to be an issue for some as is the CD player on occasion, but I've only seen about 1 or 2 cars with those issues. All of the buttons and switches we're new to the V50 at the time, hence why I suggested to avoid the very early cars, but Volvo have had little issues with them as most of those switches and electronics continued into the later cars such as the newer V40 and the XC60.

• For going over 200,000kms. Many of the ones I have worked on are getting very close to or have already gone past the 200,000 mark and to be honest, if I blocked out the odometer I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a 50,000km V50 and a 250,000km V50 assuming both had been well looked after. They are solid cars and very well built, the engines are well proven and had already been around in one form or another for about 15 years by the time the V50 came out. The highest mileage V50 I've seen so far was at about 320,000 and was still going fine, the owner had no interest in getting rid of it anytime soon.

Other makes, can't help you I've only been dealing with Volvo's for the last 4 years. Since I bought my first Volvo (V70XC) in Jan 2014 I've never bought any other brand, only Volvo's, and my friends and family are starting to follow suit as well. Other models in the Volvo range however I can definitely help you with.

Your real only other option is the V40 for size and cost. My sister has one (I actually chose it for her). My sister used to have a horrifically unreliable Mazda 323, then she traded that in for a near new Honda Jazz on finance. A year with this tiny buzz box she ended up wanting to, like you, consolidate her finances and get a older/cheaper car so she could go travelling etc... My sister wanted a nice small station wagon. She liked my Volvo because of all the things you can do with a wagon. She goes camping all the time and wanted to sleep in the car instead of a tent. However, she was adamantly against buying a Volvo, soooo I bought it for her and told her if she didn't like it I'll just resell it. Well 8 months later she doesn't like it... she absolutely loves it and wouldn't part with it even if I tried. She says she'll only replace it wayyyyyyy down the track with another Volvo. She's put like 20,000kms on it in the last 6 months!

I chose a 2003 model V40. If you go for a V40, look for a 2003 or 2004. They are the last of the breed and the best ones to get as they have all the upgrades and facelifts and are the most modern and well sorted of them. I found a lovely metallic red one (my sister loves red cars) in good condition with 128,000 on it (at the time). It's a base model (2.0L non-turbo) but that's what I wanted. My sister is only really interested in a car that works. Even this poverty pack though still had: Alloy wheels, 6 airbags, ABS and traction control, power windows, power mirrors, power steering, climate control (not just air conditioning, legit climate control), leather and wood everywhere. And it was just, nice. All the materials are so nice to touch, the car is quiet on the road and handles well. My friend had a Corolla hatch of similar age (2004) which I considered buying but the difference between the two cars was chalk and cheese.

So why did I choose a V40 over a V50? Mostly budget. The V40, which is a really nice example, cost my sister $4,500 when she decided to pay me after falling in love with it. A V50 at the time was at least 6 and was usually at the "not so well looked after" end of the scale, with a million miles on them and dents everywhere. To get a V50 in similar condition with similar mileage at the time would have set me back at least $8,000 and we just couldn't justify that kind of money when the Jazz was only worth about 12. Also because I had to pay for it and I'm a poor uni student, I could barely afford the V40 led alone anything else.

But more than that. Like I said my sister came from a very unreliable Mazda and she was afraid of a European car because of the stigma which I talked about before. So I needed to make sure that if she was to keep this thing, it would serve her really well and not have anything go wrong. The V40 simply just does not have as much to go wrong as a V50. I mean, something could go wrong in the V40 as well, I just know that theres less chance of it happening and it's usually easier to fix it if it does. Almost nothing involves going to the dealer on a V40, whereas you replace any electrical component on a V50 and you'll likely be up for a trip to the dealer to have it "programmed".

Also, the Jazz she had was great on fuel obviously being so small, so the thought of getting her out of a 6L/100km car into a V50 which will usually sit on about 12 as a conservative estimate would have been a bit of a shock to her. The V50 has a 5 cylinder engine, the V40 just has a 4. The V40 is not that fast if I'm honest and if you are a fast driver, get a V50 or a turbocharged V40 as my sisters non-turbo is pretty ordinary. My sister is such a careful driver that it doesn't make any difference to her and it's certainly not a slug by any means. I like scrolling through the trip computer on all of our customers V50's and most seem to sit on about 11-13L/100 so my conservative estimate was pretty on the money but is around 2-3L more per 100km than my sisters V40 gets. It's not a huge margin, but the margin becomes far greater in traffic. It seems the extra cylinder in the V50 can cost you up to 5-6 litres more per 100 than the V40. It adds up.

Anyway my helpful advice is rapidly turning into a works-thesis so I better wrap this up. Good luck with your search and buy a Volvo, once you buy one you'll never buy anything else as they're just so damn good.

Philia_Bear

EmmaR;7179 wroteHi there,

I'm a newbie here and have never owned a Volvo. I'm currently on the market for a small affordable 2nd hand wagon to replace my late model Rav4 as I've just started back at uni studying to be a midwife, only working part time and need to consolidate finances. My budget is $5-7k. I have been looking at a Corolla wagon '05-6 but only the top of the line Levin has basic safety features like ABS and adequate airbags, and comfort features like power windows and cruise control. Everyone always says Toyotas are easy to service, reliable and last forever. But I'd also like to stay alive in an accident and drive in comfort.

I stumbled upon the V50 by accident on CarSales and love the look of the car, plus the safety features and niceties like cruise control (which I use heaps) heated seats etc. I also love the price - seems to fit within my budget. But there are some strong opinions about the ongoing cost of Volvo ownership. Namely that parts and servicing are expensive in Australia. So I'd like to hear from actual Volvo owners, answers to the following:

-Is buying a Volvo for economy reasons wise or will I stay broke with ongoing servicing costs?

-What is the track record of V50s over 200,000km, assuming a good service history?

-Are there other makes/models I should consider? I'm far from a car expert I'm afraid.

Any advice much appreciated!

Emma

V50 2.4i's are generally reliable

Main issues
Early cars have issues with the PCV system, this is a replace once thing as the design was updated later on to fix it for good. Its $1000 roughly to have someone fix this on average, if there is evidence its already been done then it wont ever need to be done again

most of them came with a defective Fuel pressure sensor, replacement sensor is $100 and it takes 30min to swap with some basic tools. If its ever been replaced it probobly wont need to ever be done again

Coolant tank is likely to be dead, replacement is dirt cheap sourced from the USA, just assume this has to be done

AWD.... DO NOT BUY AN AWD V50 AS A UNI STUDENT, worse fuel economy and a pile of issues that easily outweigh any benefit

Suspension
I've never seen the control arm bushings flogged out on a 2.4i V50, it can happen though
What is far far more common are
1. Shocks/struts
2. Upper spring seats (front)
3. Sway bar end links
4. loose bearings (rare ish but happen)
5. upper shock mounts (rear)

The main issue with Volvo is that parts sourced in Aus (unless second hand) are generally very expensive
The same parts are easily shipped over from the USA for cheap (cheaper than most parts for any car in aus)
The one exception is brake parts which are very reasonable in Australia

Servicing
Every 10k / 12 months
Normal oil change is $60 worth of penrite HPR10 Full Synthetic and a good quality oil filter for $15, and a $1 crush seal for the oil plug
Every 50k / 4 years
Trans flush
Brake fluid flush
PS fluid flush
replace spark plugs with genuine volvo
Every 100k/7 years
Timing belt with water pump and front engine seals

any v50 with a sunroof will likely leak, the fix is easy and does not take much time, frequently its just harder finding the correct size new clear hose over anything else

V50 T5's have zero advantages for you... worse fuel economy and far far more service items, they are zippy though

If I was a uni student and looking to buy a car
Second hand 2007-2009 Mitsubishi Lancer any day every day with sub 100,000KM and budget to have the timing belt done right after you buy the car, cost will be less than the volvo and will do everything the volvo does but better

V50 horror stories
I have an 07 S40 which is the same as a v50 except sedan over wagon
Car had full service history from a volvo dealer, including $5k of recent receipts for service items

When I got the car with 172k on it
AMM was dead
Fuel pressure sensor was dead
boost pressure sensor was dead
Air filter was horrid
leaky sunroof hoses
suspension was totally flogged out
Trans had never been serviced
Angle gear had never been serviced
rear diff had never been serviced
haldex uni had never been serviced
had non genuine volvo plugs

But still drove fine and was getting the owner from home to work every day with no issues

All in all... $3500 in parts and a ton of my time to fix everything wrong with the car
if you had to pay a mechanic it would have been an easy $4-5k in labor

Chris

Only thing I'd say about the 07 - 09 Lancer is that it lacks side and side curtain airbags. Until 2010 they generally only had front bags, so not as safe. The 07 - 09s are also subject to the Takata recall saga where the later ones aren't. However the later ones are out of budget.

lasercowboy

This thread is a great example of why i really, really love this forum.

I have a 2010 S40 2.4i (same car but sedan) and it's a fantastic 'appliance' - it does everything it needs to with enough style and comfort to not be boring.

Depending where you're located, one of us might be able to give you some local knowledge/advice or even check out a car for you.

If you're looking at that cheap, high km manual V50 on CarSales (silver) then I'd be cautious. I don't know anything about it, but it's been for sale for so long (and it's manual, which is usually more desirable) that I think there must be something nqr about it - at least get it checked before purchase.

EmmaR

Thanks all for your thoughtful replies, much appreciated! Food for thought for sure. Man, suggesting you might buy a Volvo certainly gets people fired up!! One friend said, rather poetically, "Euro cars are faaaaaaarked. May as well just take out all your cash and start a fire with it then use that to propel a hot air balloon or something". So I'm just not sure if buying a Volvo for economy reasons is necessarily the wisest, despite the fact the car looks great and clearly has loads of safety features. Hadn't thought of a Lancer, but the wagon seems to be a good compromise between the Corolla and the V50. Plenty of them around, too, by the looks. Can I ask, why the 2007-09 over say 2006?

Spac

It's pretty silly to treat all euro cars as the same. If someone is talking about a V50 as being no different to a Citroen in terms of ownership, then you can safely ignore them.

EmmaR

Totally agree. There just seems to be this knee jerk Aussie bloke thing: "yeah, na, European cars are shit, haha". That's why I came here - to speak to people who actually know Volvos. I'm going to keep an eye out for a V50, also look at / research the Lancer and just see what comes up. @lasercowboy I will avoid that particular car - thanks for the heads up! I'm on the south coast of NSW near Wollongong so looking all over Sydney and potentially also Canberra.

cubic25

Take all cars you are looking at for a test drive and you will instantly notice how much better built the Volvo is. Ergonomics, NVH levels, engineering, etc, will all be superior.
I am honestly surprised every time I get in my mum's new Mazda 3 and compare it to my 7yo Volvo. In isolation, the Mazda is great. Compared to the Volvo it feels cheap.
In saying that, if you want cheap, reliable and dependable motoring, you can't really go wrong with a Jap car.
Considered a Nissan Cube? I should never have sold mine.

Chris

As a minimum check http://www.howsafeisyourcar.com.au/ That Lancer wagon is a one star car crash wise in real world crashes. Also known as a death trap. The later shape Lancer is safer by a mile (4 star) but no wagon. As a minimum you want 4 stars but ideally 5 (which the V50 is, as is the V40 that came before it).

Honestly, I get really annoyed with the constant recommendations of the fabled Aussie male to buy a 'great Japanese car' that may cost little to run but will leave you dead or seriously injured in a crash. Same geniuses that want to put young women in small cars because they're easy to drive, or kids in known shitboxes because it will make them be cautious. Rant ends :)

EmmaR

Great resource, will check it out, thanks. Safety is definitely my priority - not much good saving money on parts and servicing if you're dead.

morgan

I have a 2007 d5 and for the last month have had a brand new Nissan xtrail as a hire car , didn't realise how safe and well built the Volvo felt until I got back in

Philia_Bear

Chris;114633 wroteAs a minimum check http://www.howsafeisyourcar.com.au/ That Lancer wagon is a one star car crash wise in real world crashes. Also known as a death trap. The later shape Lancer is safer by a mile (4 star) but no wagon. As a minimum you want 4 stars but ideally 5 (which the V50 is, as is the V40 that came before it).

Honestly, I get really annoyed with the constant recommendations of the fabled Aussie male to buy a 'great Japanese car' that may cost little to run but will leave you dead or seriously injured in a crash. Same geniuses that want to put young women in small cars because they're easy to drive, or kids in known shitboxes because it will make them be cautious. Rant ends :)

There are a shit ton of lancers on the road in aus and yet we have a tiny road death rate
Most of the death comes from single car crashes with people falling asleap at the wheel or parents running over kids

The speeds involved in city driving are prohibitive of the likely hood of death from a crash unless your some form of pedestrian
Unless your not wearing a seatbelt or are over 70
Basel stem skull fractures being quite common in over 70 humans involved in medium severity crashes that a teenager would otherwise walk away from

On the highway... the speeds are such that if you get hit by a truck your dead regardless of what car or suv your driving
Volvo (my private contact) got back to me and confirmed the outcome of the incident involving my wife would have been the same or worse had she been in the xc90 over the i30 with her event

Car safety is relative to the environment your driving in

Philia_Bear

EmmaR;114623 wroteThanks all for your thoughtful replies, much appreciated! Food for thought for sure. Man, suggesting you might buy a Volvo certainly gets people fired up!! One friend said, rather poetically, "Euro cars are faaaaaaarked. May as well just take out all your cash and start a fire with it then use that to propel a hot air balloon or something". So I'm just not sure if buying a Volvo for economy reasons is necessarily the wisest, despite the fact the car looks great and clearly has loads of safety features. Hadn't thought of a Lancer, but the wagon seems to be a good compromise between the Corolla and the V50. Plenty of them around, too, by the looks. Can I ask, why the 2007-09 over say 2006?

06 is fine
05 is fine if manual
04 is avoid

240

The advice here is good, but I thought I'd share a personal experience as I have a family member who owns one.
It only has about 80,000 km but in the past 12 months it's needed a fuel line replaces (about $500) and the breather box replaced (over $1000).
That being said, it is super comfortable, safe and smooth. There's also a sense of quality - whenever I get in it after being in a Japanese car I realise how well built it is.

I should also ask, what's your reason for wanting a small wagon in particular? If it's because of fuel usage, you'll be surprised - they're not an efficient car. A corolla will definitely use less fuel.
(Sorry if someone else already covered that bit.)

Main thing with Volvos is to keep them properly maintained, if you do that they'll last.

captain_anchovy

$1000 for a breather box ??