evan

First some background: Mom is currently driving her second Volvo, a 1986 240GL wagon with about 185K miles on it. Its rusty and the instrument cluster is mostly broken, so its time for Mom to get a new ride. She is keen on getting another Volvo.

As you might have guessed from the above, Mom also doesn't have a big budget for this purchase for reasons I won't go into. But at the same time, she needs her next car to be solid for a good ten years. Maybe $10K-20K will be the price range. My suggestion was a small Volvo, like the S40 or similar, which I believe can be had as a 2000 model year on. If she got an almost new one with say, 15K miles on it, she could save some bucks but get a car that might as well be new.

Opinions or suggestions from you family-car types out there? TIA.

TTschwing

While Volvos of days gone by may have been tanks, their repair record today is not quite so good. If you want something she can drive for the next 10 years with virtually no worries, it's tough to beat the Honda Accord, or Toyota Camry.

Bracketracer

Second that

Bluto

How bout a Subaru?

TTapsale

15K she'd have a brand new car.Moms can be a pain in the a$$.If she's really set on a Volvo it will be hard to talk her out of it.

Larrytt

My sister got a Volvo Wagon within months of my parents getting a Camry. While neither has had any major problems the build quality of the Volvo is light years ahead of the Camry. To me the Camry is still a cheap Japanese car of old. I don't see much of an improvement as far as quality of components over an old Mazda we had in the 1980's! Same tinny doors, same creaks and rattles.

Both cars were bought off lease in 1999 as 1996 models. I have goen with my Mom to look at a 2001/02 Camry and don't see any improvements in quality.

If you want a solidly built car stick with the Volvo. Also if you were to get into an accident I would much rather be in the Volvo.

The Accord my girlfriend has is also built better than the Camry and it is a 1992 I believe. Seems much more solid as well.

evan

I couldn't have put that any better... that about sums it up!

?lueshirt

wow, a promotion from "buddy"

nansaidh

change the oil and those engines will run long after the car rusts out (all my Hondas were "raised" in the Adirondacks of NY).

1980 civic hatchback : 99,000 miles in 7 years
1987 civic sedan : 72,000 miles in 3 years
1990 civic sedan : 199,900 miles (when sold for my TT) in 11 years and still running

FWIW!

?lueshirt

I still see it around town so I know it's still alive.