Volvo XC, or maybe Subaru Outback? (auto, gasket, SUV, AWD)
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Having one rear wheel drive car which is definitely not a snow mobile, we are thinking about getting a used car which will be reliable for short community trips (grocery runner), decent in snow and good for carrying my son's sporting equip. Looking at wagons and smaller SUVs at or under $6500 +/-. Something we won't mind if it gets nicked up a bit either. There are a ton of choices. It would be one that I wouldn't mind leaving outside since we only have a single car carport. We drove a 2002 VW Passat GLX 4motion today with 168,000 miles. $4995. It was ok. One owner, all service done at that dealer. What do you think of the following? Would you lean one way or the other based on this info?
2001 Volvo V70 CX AWD Cross Country, 126,000 miles, one owner, all service at the Volvo dealer. $7995 (a bit higher than what we want to spend, but very clean)
A Subaru's only competition in the snow is an Audi, and the Volvo like the Audi ain't cheap to repair. Plus you get to hang out with Subaru cultist at SUBARU OUTBACK - A Home to Subaru Enthusiasts
I can speak to that era XC from experience, and would not recommend buying one used. They are not the most trouble-free car on the market, and I would not go over budget for it, since you're going to be going over budget in repair/replacement costs as well. After about 2002-2003, that series did well, but the first year for the redesign was problematic.
It's certainly a comfortable, nice looking, and capable wagon (when it runs trouble-free), but there were continued issues with the AWD system (just like its predecessor), and electronic gremlins/failures as well. The FWD wagons were much more reliable, overall, and later versions of the XC70 were reliable.
In short, I would not spend more than you want to spend on that year XC. A late 2002 or 2003 would be a better candidate, by far. My parents used to jokingly say that any Volvo wagon on the used marketplace was one from which to run, since if you had a good one, you kept it or sold it to someone via word of mouth. While that may not be as true today, there are still some years that are better than others.
I'd also pass on the Passat, by a wide margin, though I know it's not on the short list of consideration. And, I have heard about issues with the 4-cylinder Subarus and head gasket issues, so that might be something to keep an eye on, too.
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You are way overpaying for those cars, at least the Volvo which I know somewhat about. A car of that vintage/mileage should sell in our area of the country (mid-atlantic) for no more than $6k, and thats dealer cost. I would really say more like $3.5-$4.5k on the private market.
The issue with the AWD system in the Volvo was the viscous coupling. If all the tires aren't rotated regularly and allow to wear evenly it will blow it out, and it's around $2k IIRC. However removing the VC and driveshaft is about a 15 minute job and restores your Volvo to it's excellent FWD capabilities, no extra money needed. FWD Vovlos are excellent in the snow, as my parents bought one and it drove everyday in New Hampshire. I even drove it up there, and now have it in NC.
The 2001 however was a P2 car, and the first model year of that car. If you are interested in Volvos look into a 1998-2000 V70 XC, they are the older style P1 cars that tend to be much more reliable. Same issue with the viscous coupling however like I said you can convert into an excellent FWD easily when/if it goes out. The 1999 and 2000 model year used an electronic throttle module (ETM) that was prone to failure about once every 10 years and it should have a new one on it by now. If not it is expensive to replace ($1k) although there is a better aftermarket alternative available for around $600.
Also I agree with the poster above, although it would probably go for any car. One thing I notice is the "nice" cars on craigslist are gone within hours, I once called on a '97 Volvo 850 w/ 112k on it and it was sold within 3 hours of posting. Others have repeated listings every few days...
Thanks. Great knowledge and opinions. Very helpful! Those are just 3 I was checking out online and might look at tomorrow. Of course there are a ton more elsewhere and those are just the listing prices.
I know what you mean about good cars going quickly. Called about an '05 AWD Mariner today and it was gone.
I know there was a point right around then that Subaru did get the head gasket issue figure out, but I don't know if the 2001s are a 'good' or 'bad' year specifically.
Thanks wheelsup for the link. I'm reading some of the reviews now. I am reading some complaints about the head gasket issue on the Outback. The '03 Santa Fe actually has some pretty good write-ups.
Not set on any of these by any means. Just trying to compare and narrow down the options. Thanks all!
Thanks wheelsup for the link. I'm reading some of the reviews now. I am reading some complaints about the head gasket issue on the Outback. The '03 Santa Fe actually has some pretty good write-ups.
Not set on any of these by any means. Just trying to compare and narrow down the options. Thanks all!
...and as we look, we keep adding to possibilities. Grand Cherokee, Escape, Tribute... haha.
Thanks wheelsup for the link. I'm reading some of the reviews now. I am reading some complaints about the head gasket issue on the Outback. The '03 Santa Fe actually has some pretty good write-ups.
Not set on any of these by any means. Just trying to compare and narrow down the options. Thanks all!
I just browsed the Sante Fe's writeups and one thing I noticed is every positive review I clicked on for the most part had only a few years of ownership and a few thousand miles under their belt. When you click on other cars they have much higher mileages. Just something to think about when buying a 7-10 year old car. You don't care about reviews under 100k miles you want to see what the long term history will be like.
If you really want AWD and want the best AWD you can get, don't settle. Get a Subaru. Although know their auto trannies sometimes tend to go out, I know my parents had an Outback and it lost its tranny @ 130k. Reading around I see others have the same issue.
I just browsed the Sante Fe's writeups and one thing I noticed is every positive review I clicked on for the most part had only a few years of ownership and a few thousand miles under their belt. When you click on other cars they have much higher mileages. Just something to think about when buying a 7-10 year old car. You don't care about reviews under 100k miles you want to see what the long term history will be like.
If you really want AWD and want the best AWD you can get, don't settle. Get a Subaru. Although know their auto trannies sometimes tend to go out, I know my parents had an Outback and it lost its tranny @ 130k. Reading around I see others have the same issue.
AWD is probably not a necessity. FWD is. Obviously our GT Mustang is awful in the snow. 1/2 inch of slush and I have trouble making it across the bridge near our house, or up our sloped drive for that matter. A few days this past week I had coworkers pick me up for work because I knew I wouldn't be able to get back up the road w/o getting stuck or scraping the bottom of the car all the way out.
MPG doesn't really matter since we only drive about 15 miles total for the week for work. The rest is around town stuff. Looking for more space and better capability in snow (and something I don't mind taking out and getting a little dirty or chipped when the roads are ugly).
The Subaru Outback seems like a good bet along with the Hyundai. Looks like we can knock 20, 30, or 40k miles off the one I mentioned and still be in our $ range.
Any thoughts on any other SUVs or Wagons we might not be considering? There look to be some decent looking Jeeps too. Thanks!
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A few days this past week I had coworkers pick me up for work because I knew I wouldn't be able to get back up the road w/o getting stuck or scraping the bottom of the car all the way out.
