144,000 mileage on a volvo - is it too high?

[Rob_H]

Not being an expert on cars, I really need an estate car. I have a BMW 318 54 plate with low mileage. I can't be bothered with selling privately and was considering trading in for a volvo estate as I need to move antiques around for my business as couriers are getting too expensive. I've been told the trade in for mine is about 4,000 and I was looking at an 02 volvo which was 4,000. Rather than messing around I spoke to the garage and was looking at doing a straight swap. I know I'm losing out a bit but it saves a lot of hassle. However, I'm worried that the mileage at 144,000 is a little high even though its a diesel. Any views?

 

[big soft moose]

In a word yes - My deisel focus is approaching 90 thou and begining to have faults - the engine is fine, and probably will be at 150 thou, but its other bits like suspension bushes, timing belts , brake discs etc

4k for a 8 year old car with nearly 150 thou is taking the pis

also wouldnt you be better off with a van ?

 

[Paul Chapman]

However, I'm worried that the mileage at 144,000 is a little high even though its a diesel. Any views?

Irrespective of the engine type, everything else on the car has done 144,000 miles as well. It's knackered. Stay away from it.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Dibs-h]

In a word yes - My deisel focus is approaching 90 thou and begining to have faults - the engine is fine, and probably will be at 150 thou, but its other bits like suspension bushes, timing belts , brake discs etc

4k for a 8 year old car with nearly 150 thou is taking the pis

also wouldnt you be better off with a van ?

It's like comparing apples and oranges i.e comparing German\Swedish cars with a Fix Or Repair Daily. I sold my Audi 80 Tdi last year - for almost what it cost me to buy 7 yrs earlier. It had almost 250k on it, about half that I had done.

I'd take a 8 yr old, 150K German\Swedish diesel any day over a 3yr old < 100k Ford\Vauxhall. Timing belt and brake discs are consumables - just like fuel.

Rob - Volvo's are known to have potentially higher servicing\parts costs. My advice would be to look at the Volkswagen\Audi Group cars. Audi- VW- Skoda. You will easily be able to get an A4\Passat\Octavia estate for that sort of money, probably with a little less mileage, but capable of taking starship mileages and alot cheaper to run.

What model Volvo is it.

Dibs

 

[Paulg]

Personally, I wouldn't touch a Volvo with a barge pole. I had an 02 plate S60 diesel with approx 80K on the clock that was a complete nightmare. The final service I had done before I got rid of it came back with a list of over £1200 worth of work that needed doing. Unfortunately I didn't trade it in before it broke down on me (again) a week or so after and I had to spend another £300 just to get rid.

That was 3 years ago, so only 5 years old at that point.

Volvo was taken over by Ford in 1999. Older cars were pretty bullet proof, but that reputation is now gone.

My in-laws used to swear by Volvos. That was up to the day when the Volvo estate they were driving decided to catch fire underneath the drivers seat - some problem with the heating element. They just got out in time to avoid serious injury. Now they will only have Honda's.

 

[Blister]

Not being an expert on cars, I really need an estate car. I have a BMW 318 54 plate with low mileage. I can't be bothered with selling privately and was considering trading in for a volvo estate as I need to move antiques around for my business as couriers are getting too expensive. I've been told the trade in for mine is about 4,000 and I was looking at an 02 volvo which was 4,000. Rather than messing around I spoke to the garage and was looking at doing a straight swap. I know I'm losing out a bit but it saves a lot of hassle. However, I'm worried that the mileage at 144,000 is a little high even though its a diesel. Any views?

Rob , it depends on it HISTORY ?

If its FULL main dealer history and not joe bloggs history and say 1 company owner , motorway miles with all the stamps and print out history I would not be to worried , I would however want to see it start from cold to see if it chuffs out blue smoke ( burning oil ) and get them to drive it and you follow to see if it smokes when driving
Check all the body lines , are the bonnet shuts gaps the same each side , same with the door gaps they should all be roughly the same ( Accident damage ) Have a HPI check done as well if you are going to do a deal

I think you can now check with DVLA re miles from MOT information to see if its genuine

But as always its " Buyer Beware "

:wink:

 

[Mcluma]

If I was YOU

I would go for a double cab van LWB

Vivaro/Renault/Nissan

It will serve perfect as a normal car, and you have all the space you want

 

[Paul Chapman]

it depends on it HISTORY

Whatever its history, it's still a knackered old car that's done 144,000 miles.........

Don't do it.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[dickm]

Now, if you were talking about a PROPER Volvo (120, 144 or early 240), then that would be different

I've gone with with VW since finally abandoning my 30 year old 120 estate, and have only regretted one of them (a Mk 2 diesel Golf). All have done well over the 120k miles before moving on. So my vote would be a middle-age Passat TDi, ideally with the later (post 2001) PD engine.

 

[Titus A Duxass]

it depends on it HISTORY

Whatever its history, it's still a knackered old car that's done 144,000 miles.........

Don't do it.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

It still depends on its history, my old VW is 21 year old and has done 290,000 km - still going strong.

 

[Gary]

It's like comparing apples and oranges i.e comparing German\Swedish cars with a Fix Or Repair Daily.

Dibs, as Paul said Volvo are owned by Ford so in effect that's what Rob would be buying.

I have to say the current Volvo's are ok but wear like Ford's, I doubt we will see many '60' plate ones running in 20 years time.

Have a look at the V50 and compare it to a new Focus estate, they look similar because the both come out of the same factory in Belgium. Your Swedish car is American owned and built in Belgium same as a Ford but with a premium cost.

Rob, sorry I can't advise you on the diesel engine as I've only driven the petrol version, in both a Volvo and Ford Focus.

 

[matt]

Have you considered a box trailer or even a Brenderup trailer with the raised sides and soft cover?

My parents used a box trailer for several years for their antique furniture business after getting rid of a van.

FWIW - My BMW is getting on for 130k and is still nicer to drive than the Toyota Verso with 60k that I was using last week and the Astra with 50k I was using not long before that. It's the main reason why I've still got it at 130k - go car shopping and never find anything as nice to drive so I just end up keeping it.

 

[brianhabby]

There's few negative comments about Volvos above, but for what it's worth, here's my two pennies worth:

My first Volvo was an old 240 estate which when I sold it in Jan this year had over 250,000 miles on the clock, and the odometer stopped working about 3 years ago!

In the years I had it, it never let me down once, and sailed through MOTs with very little required each year. The new owner was very happy with it and I'm confident that he will get many more years out of it before it gives up.

I only changed it because I was offered a later model (850) and I am just as pleased with this one.

I was recently looking to get some rood bars for it and, not being able to afford new ones, tried the local scrap yard. His response when I asked if he had anything to fit my Volvo estate car was "I can't remember when I last had one of those in".

They just keep going and I for one wouldn't hesitate in buying the same again.

regards

Brian

 

[matt]

It's like comparing apples and oranges i.e comparing German\Swedish cars with a Fix Or Repair Daily.

Dibs, as Paul said Volvo are owned by Ford so in effect that's what Rob would be buying.

I have to say the current Volvo's are ok but wear like Ford's, I doubt we will see many '60' plate ones running in 20 years time.

Many of the traditional "Antique dealers" Volvos ran on Renault engines so I don't agree it has much to do with ownership of the brand.

 

[Dodge]

Whats wrong with having over 100k on the clock :shock: :shock:

My 1988 F plate Land Rover 90 has got 229,000 on the clock and still starts first time, pulls like a train in in excellent mechanical order.

Its just like the famous broom that Trigger had in "Only Fools and Horses" - Remember he had ben using the same broom for twenty years albeit it had had ten new heads and twenty new handles.

My Landrover is totally original, its had two new engines, a new axle and gearbox, etc etc but its still the same vehicle!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

As for a volvo - I wouldnt go there - buy a land rover 110 hard top! 8) 8)

Rog

 

[Gary]

Many of the traditional "Antique dealers" Volvos ran on Renault engines so I don't agree it has much to do with ownership of the brand.

Renault built a decent engine when the 240 was about.

 

[Gary]

As for a volvo - I wouldnt go there - buy a land rover 110 hard top! 8) 8)

Maybe Rod doesn't need a Land Rover, because people don't block access to his workshop. :lol:

That one's still got me smiling.

 

[samharber]

I've got a 9 year old Skoda Octavia Estate (1.9TDi) and it's done about 180,000 miles. The engine is fine, nigh on indestructible, but the rest of the car is starting to fall apart in expensive ways. Then again, I don't exactly give it an easy ride (bar giving it a full service every 6 months).

So anyway - Skodas get my vote if they have less than 100k on them.

 

[big soft moose]

Whats wrong with having over 100k on the clock :shock: :shock:

My 1988 F plate Land Rover 90 has got 229,000 on the clock and still starts first time, pulls like a train in in excellent mechanical order.

Its just like the famous broom that Trigger had in "Only Fools and Horses" - Remember he had ben using the same broom for twenty years albeit it had had ten new heads and twenty new handles.

My Landrover is totally original, its had two new engines, a new axle and gearbox, etc etc but its still the same vehicle!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

As for a volvo - I wouldnt go there - buy a land rover 110 hard top! 8) 8)

Rog

nothing wrong with having a 100k on the clock - whats wrong is charging £4k for for a motor with 100k on the clock.

and on the issue of swedish/german cars going on for ever a) its myth, everything breaks eventually, and b) when swedish/german cars do break the parts cost about 4 or 5 times as much as a comparable ford part.

 

[squib]

Old volvos will do over 300k but the later ones don't last nearly as long but use a lot less fuel, but i agree 4k for a car with those miles is a no go.
Has it got a bidet?





(rear wash and wipe!)

coat hat etc etc