Hey Volvo guys....

[primesuspect]

Some of you people are really into your Volvos :D

Tell a Volvo n00b what you think of this car (http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=201017148&dealer_id=57794410&car_year=1998&search_type=used&make=VOLVO&model=&distance=25&address=48091&advanced=&certified=&bkms=1148144983110&max_price=&min_price=&first_record=126&end_year=2007&start_year=1981&isp=y&pager.offset=125&lang=&cardist=11). I'm in the market for a used car and this seems fair.

Any idiosyncracies/oddities/things I should look out for?

Good deal? Stay away?

Thanks!

[Gargoyle]

I mainly know the old Volvos, so I'll defer to mcwc or Buddy Jesus. My initial impression is that that's a fair deal, though. If Google reveals any particular problems, you might want to get them investigated beforehand.

[mcwc]

I'm the same as Garg, I don't know much about FWD Volvos. I'm mostly into the RWD ones. All I know is that 1998 is the first year for the S70 and the last year for a mechanically linked throttle body in Volvos as in 1999, Volvo switched to a drive-by-wire system or something like that.

A quick search popped up a useful thread and also go through the links in the thread for more info, http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=63756&highlight=s70.

[TheSmJ]

Pay a professional to inspect it first. It'll be worth the money.

[Shorty]

Pay a professional to inspect it first. It'll be worth the money.
Do that. Really do that. I didn't, hence me having to shell out 6 weeks later for a much newer car and losing a chunk of ££££ in the process.

[pseudonym]

Seems a bit cheap to me, I thought they held value better than that. 114 is a lot of miles too, but if it was taken care of, it should be fine.

[Esso]

Also make an check, that the engine and car has been getting the fully service support.
190000 kilometers (114k miles), if the engine has not been fully serviced, it will cost some more.
Otherwise that it's far better prices in US then in Sweden. :wink:

Check the Internet for information, and see whats the users are complaining about.
In the end its you money.

If anyone has an link to check list when buying cars, it can surley help people.

[QCH2002]

Looks like a good deal. I'm not sure about Volvo's from the last 5 or so years since Ford bought them, but before that, they were good cars.

114K is a lot of miles but a Volvo that has been serviced somewhat routinely should be no problem. I've seen Volvo's with over 200K and still run great.

[Buddy J]

Overall, the car looks and sounds good. Those pictures don't say much, but it sounds nice and the price is right where it should be.

Although it's a first year car and buying a first year car can be troublesome, the car is essentially a Volvo 850 with a restyle and a new name. Parts availability should be excellent.

I'm going to guess that the car for sale is the non-turbo version. That's probably a good thing in your case. If it said GLT or T5 on the trunk, you'd want to budget a few hundred bucks for a turbo rebuild. My guess is that with an automatic and the base inline 5-banger, that motor should be just fine.

Take the car to a shop and have a mechanic inspect it. Pre-buy inspections are usually $50 or so. Double check all the electrical stuff and make sure the windows and sunroof all work. Electrical problems tend to be the nagging issue with late 80s and early 90s 700 and 800 series Volvos, but that one shouldn't have any problems since it's pretty new.

[GHoosdum]

I'd say that car is good for another 85K or so, if your mechanic gives it a clean bill of health. I've seen many 850s last over 200K easily. Then again, a lot of those that do don't have power windows that work any more by the time they're done, but hopefully this is straightned out for the S70. ;)

My wife's aunt drives a V70 and she loves it.

And Q, as far as I can tell, Ford's acquisition of Volvo hasn't undermined the quality or longevity. :thumbsup: