Evenin? all.
I?d like to canvass opinions on what options I should consider for changing my car. Since January 2001 I?ve had a 1998 Volvo S40 T4 which has now done 92,000 miles. On the whole I?ve been very pleased with the car.
Pros: Storming performance, well equipped, understated image, more reasonable servicing/maintenance costs than I had expected, and it?s been totally reliable (never broken down or needed remedial work to pass an MOT).
Cons: fuel economy, showing its age, ride on urban roads is utterly abysmal, residual value disappearing fast
Add to the equation the fact that I have recently changed jobs to one which involves using the car for work on a daily basis. My car usage henceforth will be:
9-mile each way commute on urban roads (nearly all stop-start traffic at this time of year)
Frequent, short trips between my office and main work site (up to 5 per day, <1mile)
Less frequent, longer trips a couple of times a week (e.g. today I did a trip of about 25 miles, in addition to the 18-mile commute)
Plus occasional weekend leisure trips.
Annual mileage will probably be about 12000.
Clearly this kind of usage is not going to sit well with a fairly highly-tuned car that?s already done a lot of miles. Also there?s the fuel economy issue - I have averaged 28mpg since starting the new job - not bad for a 200bhp car, and I get a very good rate for mileage, but I can?t help thinking that I would be substantially better off with a more economical car.
So, the options as I see it are as follows:
1. Run the Volvo into the ground.
2. Replace with something newer & more economical
3. Bangernomics?
With regard to option one, I could happily carry on with the car, but some factors are getting to me (poor fuel consumption, the ride quality, dated design, niggly squeaks and rattles, would generally like a more modern car). In some ways I?d be sorry to run it into the ground, I?d almost rather sell it on for someone else to enjoy (the resale value is now firmly in chav territory, and I?ve seen a few T4s with the de rigeur modifications?)
In terms of replacement, I would not want to suffer too much of a drop in performance, or in specification. I?ve been thinking about a high-performance diesel - modern examples would provide similar or better low-end torque (hence similar ?real-world? performance - I rarely if ever use the Volvo?s full potential now), yet would probably offer about 20mpg more than I get now. I?m thinking something like a 2001-2004 Golf TDI PD 130/150 or Seat Leon TDI SX 130. Incidentally, any replacement of this sort would be on finance. Insurance is not an issue, I live in cheap area and have 17 claim-free years. Any other suggestions?
Finally, I could forget either of those and just buy an old clunker, enjoying ultra-cheap motoring for a while.
What does the Back Room think? I really am open to any suggestions. And if you?ve made it this far, congratulations on your persistence and high boredom threshold!!
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What are your priorities?
Option 2 is unlikely to leave you better off. The cost of changing would probably wipe out any gains you made in better fuel economy if you only do 12,000 per year, and I can't see option 3 saving you much money.
If, on the other hand you are bored, and really want something different . . .
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Not sure what your budget is or what size of car you need - for example, do you have fmaily / need to carry stuff with you on your work travels?
Assuming that the S40 is the right size, you could consider:
- another Volvo - the 2.0T would give you nearly as much effective performance on UK roads and probably have a less knobbly ride
- a Focus or Mondeo (one of our resident Mondeo fanatics will be along soon so just for a change I'll get in there first); you probably don't need a diesel for 12,000 a year but if you get a good one at a good price it'll certainly be more economical than your Volvo. The S409 diesel is I believe slow and noisy
- a VW group TDI as you suggest: SEATs and Skodas will be as good as Golfs for a lower price, but test drive first as they are fairly noisy except on motorways.
Have a look at another thread that's going at the moment on V40s - of the above, if you've liked your current Volvo, I'd go for another - S40 or V40 with the 2.0T engine.
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Just a thought - are you not able to walk between the office and the site? If it is in town you may find it is just as quick to walk as it is to get in the car and drive.
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Thanks for the input so far. To answer some of the questions posed:
tyro - yes, I guess I have reached the point where I am bored and fancy a change. The Volvo is getting on a bit anyway and I am worried about a major failure (ECU, gearbox, A/C) which will cost a large amount to repair in relation to the value of the car. I would envisage keeping any replacement for 3-4 years - surely the better economy of a diesel in that timescale would pay off?
Avant - budget would be about £9k. Size-wise, I could get away with slightly smaller than the Volvo - I do need to carry kit around for work but don't have a family to transport.
I'm not sure I have been impressed enough by Volvo to want another one - for my budget I'd be looking at late-ish phase II S40 - basically my existing car tarted up a bit - not sure I'd want to spend money on such an old design.
Ford diesels - tempting, loads around and cheap. But are they comparable performance to VAG diesels?
I am keen on the Golf/Leon thing. Excellent performance and can chip for even more if I *really* miss the Volvo's oomph.
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Ford diesels - yes, they are comparable to VAG provided you go for the 2.0 TDCI rather than the older, much more sluggish TDDI.
That said, my last car was a Golf TDI 115 bhp estate which was excellent, and I got used to the noise. The 130s are even better.
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With regard to the walking suggestion, I can, and do, walk on occasions. A lot of the time though I am delivering or collecting sensitive/bulky equipment, so driving is necessary.
On a separate issue, I use Optimax or Super Unleaded - T4s run a high boost pressure, and the early ones are designed for 98 RON. It will run OK on 95, but prefers 97/98. This adds to the diesel argument in my view, as prices per litre would be comparable.
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PSA diesels, or is anything French out of the question?
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I'd consider Peugeot, but probably not Citroen. I once had a 1991 ZX 1.6i which cost astronomical amounts to service and was unreliable - this has put me off somewhat.
A 307 would probably fit the bill, but I've read/heard a few adverse comments about handling, performance, build quality & reliability.
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Peugeot and Citroen are basically identical cars with identical engines. Choose between either or neither.
Any change of car is going to cost you money. At 12,000miles pa, the fuel saving by getting a 50mpg car will be less than £1,000pa.
IF you want to change - change and to a car that meets all your requirements, but it will NOT save you money, as the first years depreciation will be more than the fuel saving.
The best way to save money is not to change, but to keep running the Volvo until the cost of repairs or keeping it on the road is too high to make it worthwhile.
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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I think any change to a newish car is just going to cost you money in depreciation (and finance costs if you need finance). On that mileage I would be tempted to go for something older and maybe half the budget at max. That would give you a choice of things like golf/a4 tdi or 944/excel depending on your preference for economy vs performance, remember that depreciation is the biggest cost of ownership for most people.
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