I would be very grateful for any help/advice with the following:
My son aged 28 is interested in buying an cheapish old car with low insurance and running costs and high mpg. (He has 2 years NCB). It will be used for trips from Nottingham to Bath (once every 4 weeks) and shorter 60 mile round trips approx 3 times weekly (motorway). It will be parked outside.
We are concerned about the safety aspect and potential running costs of an old banger - he has no knowledge of, or interest in car maintenance.
We have heard from a very reputable garage (that we personally use) of a car as follows:
Volvo 440 1993L 5 door 1.6i with FSH and 55Kmiles previously owned by elderly couple and serviced regularly at said garage. Comes serviced, with 1 yr MOT, 1 yr RAC membership, and 1year full warranty. Price £1995
Does this sound like a good car to buy and is the price reasonable?
What should my son look out for?
Is there anything else that would be more appropriate?
TIA
Linda
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I can't comment on the price etc of the Volvo but I fear such a car would not be cheap to maintain.
Although known for my VW bias, I would go for a Golf Driver (MkII J) - very simple, sturdy and cheap to run.
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Make sure this Volvo has power steering. Not all 440 1.6s did. They are not good cars. Not particularly reliable and not well built. But as long as it has PAS the price of this eight year old is not unduly excessive. Don't buy without a new MOT including a proper MOT emissions test because a cat for a 440 isn't cheap.
HJ
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if you look in autotrader.co.uk, you can find some nice cars, for example... a vw golf 1980 (X) registration, full vw history, all old mots, 1 elderly owner, 36.000 miles, and is going for £495, in the newcastle upon tyne area, i know its quite old but with this mileage should keep going for a while. also its a 1300 engine so its cheap tax as well.
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Linda, I was in, almost, the same postion with offspring about the same age. I looked at many vehicles but turned the Volvo down because of, among other things, the very heavy steering (no power assitance). We finally settled on a 1990, 1300cc Fiat UNO. It was much cheaper than the figure you mention but has many refinements which are not standard on some other cars. I have had to some repairing over the last two years but, overall, it has been a splendid car and it only cost (I think) around £700
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Disagree with you guys on this I'm afraid! The Volvo ain't that bad a car. My friend has a 1.8 version but the same age and has carried 5 of us on two european trips in the past year in comfort. At 28 years old a 20yr Old Vw Golf is not a great alternative for long distance driving and the fuel economy wouldn't be that different (40+mpg on a long 80mph trip). Likewise a Fiat Uno 1.3 is pretty terrible.I know I owned one! If your considering one go for the 1 litre FIRE engine which my family have also owned. Fuel economy nearer 50 and avoids a lot of the electronic problems that the 1.3 sx had!
If you do decide on the Volvo get it checked out before you buy it! Catalytic converters are prone to go at that age with the type of driving it seems to have had and aren't cheap. Also keep clear from Volvo main dealers for the maintainence side of things -independent specialists not bad.
Late Mk2 or early Mk3 Golfs not that bad at all but Volvo provides better motorway driving experience for this kind of money.
Tim Guymer
(Mk3 Golf TDI owner!)
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Linda,
I would be very wary of this car. HJ says it is OK for price but only if you value the low mileage, and that is not always a plus. There will be many tidy 440s of this age flying about between traders for £1000 or so. Yours has a huge premium for the "credibility" of its past. These cars aren't that well thought of and most importanty they are not really cheap to run.
I'm an independent (extremly) small (very) motor engineer looking after cars in the 1990 - 1998 range. I maintain several for "youngsters" on a budget and the Escort or Golf would be my favourite to fit the requirements you gave us if you wanted a petrol car.
But I would advise diesel in these circumstances and look at a Citroen ZX, you would find a nice one for £1750 with loads of life left and nearly 50mpg. They don't rust and have a good ride.
If you are anti diesel or Citroen then I would go with Guy and say look at a VW Golf Driver/Jetta TX. Both are well trimmed with GTi styling features but normal engines and sensible running costs. They also give real ownership pleasure.
The ideal customer for this Volvo is another retired couple who will appreciate the way it has been looked after and have a whack of pension to pay for some of the Volvo only parts at prices that would make you weep.
It's not that the Volvo is a bad car, just not one that would come to mind from the requirements you mention.
Hope you get on OK,
David
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