Which station wagon?

Status
Not open for further replies.
not on your list:
-mazda 5 (2004-2007;2008-2012;2013-2015); can be had with stickshift/standard/manual
-ford focus wagon ('99-2004; 2005-2007)
-ford taurus wagon (90's-2004)(/mercury sable)
 
Originally Posted By: Astro14
More discussion on the peculiarities of Volvo wagons here: http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?27070-So-you-want-to-buy-a-used-P2-XC70-(01-07)-Some-tips

"They're not a Toyota. They're not a Honda. It's not a Lexus"

Good one!

P.S. you forgot that one where FWD Volvo with winter tires bested AWD all-seasons subarus on a hill.....
 
Originally Posted By: pandus13
Originally Posted By: Astro14
More discussion on the peculiarities of Volvo wagons here: http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?27070-So-you-want-to-buy-a-used-P2-XC70-(01-07)-Some-tips

"They're not a Toyota. They're not a Honda. It's not a Lexus"

Good one!

P.S. you forgot that one where FWD Volvo with winter tires bested AWD all-seasons subarus on a hill.....


If you're talking about my experience in Vermont, it was a RWD Volvo wagon in the snow...

But the point there is: a 2WD car with 4 snow tires beat AWD w/all season tires.

I know that I'm a Volvo fan. But consider the $$...I bought a car with all the luxury (sunroof, leather, heated seats, etc.) for $12,000. And ten years later, I'm still driving that same car. For ease of arithmetic, let's call it a $2,000 car. That's $1,000/year in depreciation for a nicely appointed, practical car.

Hard to beat the combination of low depreciation, utility, and durability.
 


The T5 wagon. Picture taken in January, 10 years and 120,000 miles after I bought it. 190,000 miles total.

You could do a lot worse...
 
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Well, I'm going to throw this out there. It's sorta' "station wagon, sorta' "SUV/CUV...TOYOTA VENZA!
Toyota made them for a number of years and the PRESS never seemed to be able categorize it nor did they fall in love with it. However, I personally know at least 7 people/family's that own VENZA's and just love'em. Very reliable even if they're not up to typical TOYOTA quality.


An interesting choice. Apparently it's based on the Camry platform.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Venza
 
Yes, volvo looks sharper than any other wagon on the market.

What about Volvo XC70? I see a lot of them on CL, needing a transmission, so that has to be the weak spot.
 
Originally Posted By: pacem
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Well, I'm going to throw this out there. It's sorta' "station wagon, sorta' "SUV/CUV...TOYOTA VENZA!
Toyota made them for a number of years and the PRESS never seemed to be able categorize it nor did they fall in love with it. However, I personally know at least 7 people/family's that own VENZA's and just love'em. Very reliable even if they're not up to typical TOYOTA quality.


An interesting choice. Apparently it's based on the Camry platform.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Venza

My cousin has a Venza, she uses it for soccer and shopping duties - she liked it, I feel it's closer to the RX/Highlander than Camry, even though they are built off the same platform but it never really fit as an SUV or CUV.
 
Originally Posted By: pacem
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Well, I'm going to throw this out there. It's sorta' "station wagon, sorta' "SUV/CUV...TOYOTA VENZA!
Toyota made them for a number of years and the PRESS never seemed to be able categorize it nor did they fall in love with it. However, I personally know at least 7 people/family's that own VENZA's and just love'em. Very reliable even if they're not up to typical TOYOTA quality.


An interesting choice. Apparently it's based on the Camry platform.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Venza
Originally Posted By: nthach
Originally Posted By: pacem
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Well, I'm going to throw this out there. It's sorta' "station wagon, sorta' "SUV/CUV...TOYOTA VENZA!
Toyota made them for a number of years and the PRESS never seemed to be able categorize it nor did they fall in love with it. However, I personally know at least 7 people/family's that own VENZA's and just love'em. Very reliable even if they're not up to typical TOYOTA quality.


An interesting choice. Apparently it's based on the Camry platform.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Venza

My cousin has a Venza, she uses it for soccer and shopping duties - she liked it, I feel it's closer to the RX/Highlander than Camry, even though they are built off the same platform but it never really fit as an SUV or CUV.


smile.gif
Yes, the Camry is a great chassis(platform) by the way. Even those generation Toyota Avalon/Lexus ES & Sienna minivans as well as the Toyota Highlander/Venza & Lexus RX300/330/350 are on this platform. They're heavily strengthened platform, not just a standard Camry platform.
I have always said:
One of the many reasons that the Camry is such a good car(IMHO) is because, everything else built on this platform had to be good/great also. Take a look at their reputation. This isn't me saying this, it's the statistics.
wink.gif


The Venza itself may not be the best example of this but, it's still a sound, reliable Toyota. Some years offered a 2.7L 4 cyl in FWD or the optional V6 AWD. Something to consider!
 
Last edited:
The Buick Regal wagon is supposed to be unveiled on April 4th. If it looks anything like its Opel Insignia brother, I'll be very impressed. Rumored to be AWD only.

 
Originally Posted By: pacem
Yes, volvo looks sharper than any other wagon on the market.

What about Volvo XC70? I see a lot of them on CL, needing a transmission, so that has to be the weak spot.



The XC70 is unique. It's a great car if you desire AWD while still maintaining car handling, car ride/MPG, with European luxury and exceptional longevity (sorry, Subie lovers, they're not even comparable cars). You see 15 year old Volvos all the time in the rust belt and they look great. You don't see many 15 year old Subies in the rust belt, they're all junked, or should be.

The transmission issues are mainly in the 2001/2002 models, which had valve body problems. So did Nissans and Saturns of the same year that used the Aisin-Warner AW-55. Caught early, it's fixable. But Volvo people aren't car people, so they tend not to notice "issues". Volvo didn't help the matter by not specifying fluid change intervals. Like most manufacturers these days, they consider the transmission "sealed for life". And they will reach the end of that life, while still sealed, but it's a much shorter life than if they got fresh fluid once in a while.

Both of my 2002 Volvos (the bad years for transmissions) have rebuilt valve bodies. No other work on mine besides fluid changes.

And with 190,000 on the T5, and 218,000 on the XC, both transmissions work perfectly.

The challenge in buying an older Volvo is finding one that's been properly maintained. There aren't a ton of cars that were built. Not like a Camry or Accord, which sold in huge numbers. Those Volvos that are well-maintained, tend to be owned by Volvo fans, and the cars simply aren't for sale. Those cars that are for sale are often cars on which the owner has discovered a problem, and been quoted an expensive fix. It's a tough market.
 
Last edited:
The head gasket "issue" somehow only hit 1 of 10 Subaru's in extended family that went to 200k range. The one that got it 2001 Forester had 215k and sis in law moved on because of that and failed AC in 2012.

I think the issue exists however is bloated in internet world.

Slim pickings for wagons however Subaru was likely top seller with Legacy/Outback for that body style and guessing dominates it now.
 
Saturn Vue

If you get the 2.2L 4cyl, get the stick ONLY. Reliable EcoTec, easy to work on, timing chain.

v6 is 3.5L from Honda. Requires more maintenance (Tbelt) but still reliable and gets nearly the same mileage as the 2.2.

Easy to find for cheap.
Its just a lifted wagon. I replaced my '05 Vue, with my Golf Sportwagen.

My whole ownership: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4090501/BUMP_for_conclusion#Post4090501
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4090563/1
 
Originally Posted By: Astro14
I'll propose/advocate the Volvo wagon. Great combination of utility, luxury, and safety.

My T5 wagon has 247HP, it's quicker than a lot of sports cars, and it corners like a beast with Bilstein shocks, IPD sway bars and a rebuilt suspension. It stops extremely well - 12" slotted rotors, which I've retrofitted to the XC as well. I get 27 MPG Highway. Have heated seats, headlamp washers, and a sunroof. It does well at hauling things from Home Depot and it'll seat 7 if two of them are kids under 45 KG. You can't beat a Volvo wagon. My wife's XC has 218,000 miles on it, and while it has "only" 190 HP, it does have AWD, which is quite useful in some situations. It also has the heated seats,

Now, finding a good example in your price range presents a challenge. The P2 chassis is a good car. 2001-2007 Wagons come in several flavors: Normally aspirated (168HP), 2.4T (low pressure 190 HP turbo) and T5 (high pressure 247 HP turbo) and the AWD XC (with the LPT engine). 2005 saw an update - new trim and slightly more powerful engines: a 2.5T with 208 HP in the 2.5T and AWD XC.

They suffer from neglect. Volvo owners tend not to be car people. So, look for sludge in the engine, oil leaks (caused by a plugged PCV system, which can only be fixed by replacing about $300 in parts, labor extra), a fried angle gear (in the AWD version, caused by neglected fluid), and clunks in the suspension (front LCA bushings go quickly, so do strut mounts).

More discussion on the peculiarities of Volvo wagons here: http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?27070-So-you-want-to-buy-a-used-P2-XC70-(01-07)-Some-tips

But, and I want you to consider this, Volvos don't rust like other cars. I bought our Volvos 10 years ago. For about $12K each. 10 years later, they're still providing reliable daily service, getting good MPG, hauling around hobby supplies, dogs and home repair items and keeping us safe while still providing an enjoyable, in some cases, sporty, ride.


+ 1. Plus, arguably the most comforfortable seats ever designed.
 
Quote:
Those cars that are for sale are often cars on which the owner has discovered a problem, and been quoted an expensive fix. It's a tough market.


that describes half of craigslist it seems..

But I get your point.
 
My wife and I drove a Venza a couple years back when we were considering a new car. It was really nice. We really liked it. Then Toyota pulled the plug on the model in 2015. I don't know your price range, but a clean used Venza would be an excellent choice. More of a tall wagon than CUV...

I've got one other suggestion, and I'll PM you.
 
I've had a 1998 Volvo sedan, don't recall the model but it was full size. It was beat to **** with about 200K miles on it. Lots of cosmetic trim issues.

I know users matter. However, it didn't strike me as anymore reliable than any other brand.

Wasn't Volvo taken over by Ford at some point?
 
Originally Posted By: pacem
Wasn't Volvo taken over by Ford at some point?

Ford acquired Volvo cars around 2000. Then Ford sold it to the Chinese (Geely) in 2010.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

S
2024 Mazda CX5 W/O Cylinder Deactivation
Replies
14
Views
1K
Bladecutter
Delta
Quick Thoughts: 2023 Subaru Outback 2.5 Limited
2 3
Replies
55
Views
4K
SubieRubyRoo
Number_35
Vehicle Sighting - 1990ish Ford Probe
2
Replies
23
Views
1K
bubbanik
A
Thoughts on this high mileage 2020 MAZDA CX-9
2
Replies
39
Views
3K
KEVINK0000
tbm3fan
Had to buy another car #11. Can you blame me?
2
Replies
36
Views
2K
SammyChevelleTypeS3
Back
Top