What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
Volvo 945 ? - volvoman
Hi gang - been toying with the idea of replacing the old Tardis and popped in to the new Volvo dealer nearby. They are waiting for a px'd 945? se turbo estate with fvsh up to Nov. last year (service overdue therefore). Can't find any reference to a 945 model designation anywhere so don't know if this is just a mistake on their paperwork. It's an auto on a 97 P plate with 55k on the clock and apparently in a1 condition but not sure if it's a high or low pressure turbo. They're asking £7495 which sounds like a lot to me - what do you think ? Never bought a car from a dealer before so any advice on doing so gratefully received.
Volvo 945 ? - DavidHM
It's a lot of money but at least it's a main dealer. When you say that it's a p/x, presumably you mean that someone's chopped it in against something and they're going to retail it with full warranty, rather than sell it to you as a 'trade sale'. I'd be more inclined to look for an early V70 at that money, but then you wouldn't get one with that mileage or alleged condition for much less than £9k.

A 945 is just a 940 Estate but, as the 244 and 245 were the saloon and estate, some Volvo dealers are still in the habit of changing the number at the end of the model designation to show the body style, even though the factory stopped doing this 23 years ago.
Volvo 945 ? - Peter D
Totally agree many volvo dealers still use the old Pneumonias and the 5 extension is the estate. The mileage is nothing but the price is more like 6800 7000 so speak with them and have a print out of a range of 945 in your hand. Me I still have a 240 (245) SE one of the last 100 made. The wifes favourite brick. Regards Peter
Volvo 945 ? - volvoman
Cheers David & Peter all is now clearer. Come to think of it I seem to remember reading about the '45 estate designation some time ago somewhere - guess the old brain cells are starting to quit :-(

So the price isn't so bad after all ? Yes, they're taking it in px for a new V70 and they said they'd warranty it for a year. However, I'd be inclined to ask for the missed service to be included in the deal too. Don't have a clue what they're gonna be making on this car so would that be a good move as opposed to seeking £££'s off the price ? I haven't driven a V70 but want a larger luggage area and don't want to lose the fabulous turning circle of the RWD 940 if I can avoid it, it's truly superb !
Volvo 945 ? - No Do$h
Definitely take them for the service. Firstly, it costs the dealership as a whole very little. Secondly, it will pitch the sales manager against the service manager (who will always argue that his chaps' time is better spent on retail jobs for the profit) against each other.

There's nothing better than a sales/service scrap on a Friday afternoon. Speaking from experience!
Volvo 945 ? - DavidHM
I'm not a fan of these, but you obviously are. I'd guess they've paid somewhere in the five thousands for it, so start the bidding at £6k with the service thrown in, and take it from there.

I'm assuming you have no p/ex, and the 940 isn't really where the thrusting young image of Volvo is these days, so I'm sure they'll be keen to sell.

Also, I assume the last service was November 01, not 02?
Volvo 945 ? - volvoman
Thanks David and ND. I'm not really into cars in a big way and am not particularly interested in 'pose factors' or the latest gadgets. I drive only about 4k pa and have been happy with my 91 940. It's well built and plenty big/fast enough for me and has been reliable up until now, however: it has an oil seal leak and will need a cam belt change, new discs/pads, exhaust silencer fairly shortly and probably more. Also the clutch bites now towards the top of the pedal travel which I'm told means it may be needing replacement in the not too distant future. I don't do much riding the clutch however 'cos I don't have to drive at peak/busy times.

I'm in the position of having to consider
spending out more and more £££'s to keep an old car on the road or invest in a newer and hopefully more reliable one which I could keep for years without too many costly problems arising (only owned 5 cars in 20 years of motoring !).

Don't know what I could get for mine given the above problems but I wouldn't be expecting to px it, more likely sell it privately.
Volvo 945 ? - HF
V,

This is purely oneupmanship isn't it? I bet you've been thinking about a new car ever since it was revealed that my beloved Astra is a 92 reg.
HF;) ;)
Volvo 945 ? - volvoman
Hi David - yes the last service was Nov. 2001 so it's a bit overdue already by the look of things. No doubt the owner doesn't want to shell out for a service when he's px'ing the car anyway.

HF - If I was into one upmanship I wouldn't be considering a Volvo 940 would I ? :-)
Volvo 945 ? - volvoman
Well, the car never materialised - the guy sold it privately rather than px'ing it.

Anyway the same dealer now has a 97 (N) 940 GLE (hpt auto) with 69k on the clock at just £5995 which is £1500 less than the P plate se turbo of the same year. Don't know what the difference in spec is but is this a sign of rapidly falling 2nd hand values or something else ?
Volvo 945 ? - Rob the Bus
V - if the N reg car is a saloon, then that still sounds a little high. Volvo estates always command higher prices than saloons. So, even though as saloon looks like better value, bear in mind the dealer will have paid less for it too. The mark up will probably be the same for the dealer regardless of body shape (the car's, not yours!)
Volvo 945 ? - volvoman
Sorry RTB - both cars are estates, as is mine. I should have made that clear. I need an estate and wouldn't buy anything else. The 940 isn't sexy but it's a great workhorse and with the turbo, the performance
isn't too bad either. For such a big car it also 'turns on a sixpence' which is very handy sometimes.

I checked the Parkers guide but am still unclear as to the difference in spec between the SE and GLE models so if anyone can enlighten me I'd be grateful. I've emailed the garage with a view to a test drive.