Keep the Volvo...???

Post by **E170_Driver** » 20 May 2010, 19:53

Try to get some opinion,

my wife and I are thinking about getting a different car for her, which will give me the choice in either keeping my V70 with 147,000 miles on it or keep her 2004 VW Jetta with only 70,000 miles.

Here are the pro and cons...

Jetta:

Pros: Only has 70,000 miles on the vehicle and it is in overall great shape. I have done all the proper maintenance on the vehicle, including tune-ups and replaced the front brakes. It drives great and gets maybe a couple of miles better gas milage than the V70 (I drive 500 miles to/from work every week) and only needs Regular gas. It feels solid and the tires have 75 percent life left on them.

Cons: the transmission on the VW has been a real pain. The dealership replaced the original one at 55,000 miles under warranty when we started having some slippage between 2nd and 3rd gears. Well, the new transmission has 15,000 miles on it (5,000 miles out of warranty) and the new unit is showing the same signs (supposedly it is a real problem with those vehicles). The good thing is that I only need one gear really, since I drive on the interstate going to work.

Volvo:

Pros: I am starting to get to know the vehicle very well since I feel like working on it every week. It drives great and has an overall solid feel to it. It gets great gas milage for the size and my bike fits easily in the back when I am on the road. The transmission feels very solid with the new Toyota Type IV fluid and with the help of this website I feel to have a handle on most problems that come up with this car.
Last but not least, I love driving this CAR.

Cons: The car has 147,000 miles on it and both the ETM and transmission are original (as far as I can tell, but no hickups yet). The passenger side drive shaft is starting to show signs of needing to be replaced and the tires are down to about 20% life. The rear right suspension is making a clunking noise when going across rail road tracks and the sun roof window is showing some signs of coming loose. As mentioned before, it seems that I am spending quite a few hours every month fixing something on the vehicle (it was the MAP sensor this week; another $100) and I do get the occasional CEL for the catalytic converter; I feel like I am putting too much $ into this vehicle, although I love working on it.

I would hate to see the Volvo go, but it is pretty expensive to maintain although it drives great.

What would you do in my situation??

Thanks

Jan

Post by **polskamafia mjl** » 20 May 2010, 20:20

Hmm...if it were me I would keep the Volvo. Aside from the real old classic VW's, my exerience tells me they are kind of crappy cars. However, talking hard figures. A new transmission for the VW will cost more than a new axle and rear suspension for the Volvo. You said you were worried about the ETM and tranny in your Volvo. What year is it? If its a 2001 then perhaps keeping the VW would be a better idea. My post doesn't give a definitve answer as to which to keep but hopefully it helps you out a little.

Post by **confused_al** » 20 May 2010, 20:28

How soon do you need to replace that tranny, and how much would that be?
How much can you get for the VW? I dont think you would get a lot for your 2001 V70 since 2001/2002 models have very bad reputation.
In old days, Volvos usually outlast VW by far, however,the newer ones are really hard to tell. If your V70 is all well and you like the car, why not keep her!

Post by **polskamafia mjl** » 20 May 2010, 22:24

Crap...just realized your v70 is an 01. Not a good year.

Post by **jblackburn** » 20 May 2010, 23:25

That generation of Jettas was not a good one, my friend owns a 2004 too actually, and has already been through 2 transmissions. For a wimpy 115 hp engine, you wouldn't think it'd be so rough on them. The good thing is, though, the Jetta has a relatively good resale value compared to the Volvo.

And the Volvo is getting old too, most likely the pattern of breaking things will continue until you've got most of the "wear" items taken care of, after which it will be good for many more miles.

I don't know, I'd actually be inclined to sell both. For the combined cost, you could pick up a 2006 or 2007 Jetta with the new 5-cylinder or Turbo engines, which have great reliability ratings. I am considering getting a new TDI for my next car.

Post by **polskamafia mjl** » 20 May 2010, 23:26

jablackburn wrote:I am considering getting a new TDI for my next car.

Say it ain't so! lol

Post by **jblackburn** » 20 May 2010, 23:42

Don't worry, I'll still be keeping my Volvo. It's not worth much to sell anymore, and it's been good to me. But considering I've put 11,000 miles in 5 months on it recently...and that rate's not going to slow down anytime soon...something's bound to go wrong soon. I'd like to turn it into more of a "go-fast" project/weekend hauler car.

Plus, 40-50 mpg for a daily driver? Can't beat that...unless I get a hybrid, which I'd rather shoot myself before I do.

jda2000 · Post by **jda2000** » 21 May 2010, 07:09

keep the jetta.

and with the extra free time you'll have (since you will not be fixing the volvo), take the wife out to dinner and a movie.

Post by **E170_Driver** » 21 May 2010, 17:38

Thanks for the replys folks...I am tending more towards keeping the Jetta, since I will literally use only one gear and rest of the car is just perfect. The Volvo is just so expensive to upkeep and thinking about having to get a new catalytic converter and a possible ETM in the long run makes me really think of giving up on my love/hate relationship I have with my 2001 V70.

We shall see folks,

I will keep you updated.

Jan