If the car is basically solid when you buy it I don’t see a problem; especially considering that you can do most or all maintenance and repairs yourself.
Most of your everyday maintenance and wear items can be bought at any parts house and prices are comparable to lesser makes of cars.
Any odd item not available in the aftermarket can usually be found on eBay, the seller’s section of some Volvo forums, etc.
That being said, my preference would be for the Crown Vic. I think the Vics are pretty nice looking cars with the right color and wheel combination. They’re reliable, run good, and get great gas mileage.
While they’re not for everyone I suppose, a Mark VIII like I have is an absolute blast as to reliability, ride, and power. Think of it as a 2 DR Vic on steroids.
You can often find one with low miles for a reasonable price. The one downside is that they’re mechanically and electrically complicated. Very.
My only regret is that I don’t own a fleet of them, one for each day of the month.
I have seen many situations where the husband went along with such a wrong purchase, and when it item turned out to be a dog, the wife ended up ACCUSING the husband of misleading her!!! After all, he was the smarter one “and should have stopped her”!!
Don’t do it; the peace you save now will come back as the major source of expense and agony later!
Agree that Volvos are a state of mind rather than transportation. A few years ago on my way to Atlanta I sat beside a well groomed, but plain lady and we discussed the environment, etc. I noticed she wore natural fibres (no sheep were hurt in the wool shearing, and the cotton was no doubt “organic”) and when the subject came to cars ( I was driving a Chevy Caprice V8 at that time) I asked her out of the blue: “How do you like your Volvo?”. Without realizing she had not yet told me what she owned, she said “We love both of them” and went on to extol the “virtues” of these cars.
I know similar devotees who buy REAL Rolex watched for $3000+, which keep time less accurately than a $65 Seiko or Timex. I also have a “Rolex” bought in the Bankok, Thailand, night market for $20 US. It even has a “certificate” with it! Almost no one can tell the difference, except the Swiss ambassador at a cocktail party, who spotted it immediately and call it a “LOLEX”
The Chrysler 300 in black is immensely popular in England. When going by quickly it resembles a Bently at 1/5 the price and is probably more reliable. One must keep up appearances, must’nt one??
Volvos are more than a make of car…They are a state of mind…If you drive one, you become one.
I am not sure that is the case anymore. It used to be that those who drove Volvos drove the speed limit, or slower, holding up traffic. Now I see people driving new Volvos as if they were BMWs. They drive fast, and aggressively. The old “Volvo driver” stereotype is becoming a thing of the past. People used to buy them for a sense of safety. Now some people are buying them so they can drive like idiots and believe they can survive the experience.
My younger brother WAS a college professor, but is now an organizational consultant to the government on Health Care. He has batchelor (BSW) and SIX Master’s degrees ( Social work MSW, business admin MBA, public administration MPA, law LLM, orgnizational managemnt MM, and medical management) and a PHd in Criminology.
His curent car is a 1987 Accord which he will soon “trade” in for a Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, or Mazda 3.
The people he works for would be appalled if he showed up in a Jaguar or Mercedes. He’s dealing with public money and he has no need to try to impress lawyers, politicians, and judges with his CARS!
You can snoop around for info on the S40 and S80, or the coupes if you (she) prefers. My Father in Law wanted a Volvo, and bought one. In his case, owning it cured him of wanting one again. But his was a 1980s model.
How about a compromise? You get her the Volvo, but she has to have the maintenance/repairs done by someone other than you. I bet after a few repairs, she doesn’t want a Volvo anymore.
