what should I buy

Post by **redline** » 04 Feb 2005 10:31 am

No the redline is not up for sale but I think my toyota lucida will be.
so what should I have as my second car (lol ) it has to be a large estate but which large volvo should I go for ? I would love another 960 2.5 24 valve (manual this time though as I dont trust the autobox after my last one ) but quite like the 850 t5 .depending on what the van gos for I will have between £2500 and £4000 to play with and want something N reg or younger . any advice greatfully received , I have been told to stay away from the prv engined models ( is that the 3 litre v6 ? )

Post by **5lab** » 04 Feb 2005 02:47 pm

trouble with 850s is they are not as big as 2/7/900s. they are quite a bit smaller inside. if you wanted a volvo i'd get a LATE 960, with the revised front end. those things are sexy. - see here

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... eName=WDVW

obviously thats a saloon, but you get the idea. the late 900s had chassis revisions that apparently made them a LOT nicer to drive

problem is, it would be THIRSTY. very thirsty. for a laugh, why not hunt out a 960 herse?

Post by **SteveP** » 04 Feb 2005 03:26 pm

The late 960 is a very nice looking car, but you're very limited with engine choices! Fuel economy would be a pain indeed. If you get a fair amount for your Toyota, you may be able to get a V70 with that kind of money. The 850/V70 though is more about decent looks than practicality and driveablility though. How much horsepower through the front wheels?! Yuck.. torque steer.

How bout a late high spec 940 estate? Rear wheel drive fun

Also, far more economical than the 960 and excellent reliability. If you'dve take a ride in Griz's they can be made to handle very nicely

Wouldn't mind a 940 turbo myself actually...

Post by **redline** » 05 Feb 2005 10:26 am

Not being big headed but fuel economy isnt a major concern as its mainly for Julie to use for work (about 6 miles return trip ) and evening /weekend use. I still think its going to be a 960 2.5 24 valve or a 3 litre at that moment, as you both said the 960's got it in the looks department especially when its colour coded

Post by **V6 Man** » 05 Feb 2005 10:44 am

The PRV engined cars are the 260/760, not the 960 so you are ok there.

Your budget should easily get you a 1995> facelift 960/S90/V90 - there are plenty on the Bay of Fleas at the mo.

Given you want a manual you are restricted to the 960 2.5 which gives 170bhp, or the 180bhp version of the 3.0 available in the S/V90. The 3.0 engine came in 180bhp or 204 bhp guises, the difference being the cams. The 204 version was only offered as an auto, but the performance figures for both versions are the same.

If I were you I'd hold out for a 3.0 (180bhp) manual and source a set of 204bhp cams............

Post by **redline** » 05 Feb 2005 11:11 am

now theres a man who knows what hes talking about, thanks for all the info that helps a lot

Post by **SteveP** » 05 Feb 2005 12:26 pm

Think the decision has been made

960s offer a really prestigious look and quality for not alot of cash! The interiors especially look pretty special! The 1995ish facelift made a huge difference to the cars looks too.

Post by **redline** » 05 Feb 2005 06:56 pm

ok i am almost 100% set on a 960 estate like my old one which was in that lovely dark metallic red , either a 2.5 24 valve or a 3 litre preferably cd spec ,but I cant seem to find any with a manual box at the moment , I wonder if I was just unlucky with the autobox on my old one , sometimes the inhibitor switch jammed so you couldnt start it even in neutral or park the other fault was that it would stick in winter mode so was in like third gear all the time and the lights would be flashing between sport , normal and winter setting (very wierd).dos nobody like the 850 t5 estate then ?

Post by **RandomHero** » 05 Feb 2005 07:51 pm

The 960 is really a nice car! I'd buy it if i had the money...

Post by **foggyjames** » 05 Feb 2005 08:03 pm

redline wrote:dos nobody like the 850 t5 estate then ?

Correct

Just kidding - they're fine cars, but command a price premium. Plus they're wrong wheel drive

How about a 940 turbo estate - either LPT (135bhp but pulls like you wouldn't believe) or HPT (175bhp, and more of a conventional turbo kick). They tend to be cheaper than 960s.

cheers

James

Post by **5lab** » 06 Feb 2005 02:43 am

you can get a t5 in AWD, which will probably be a *better* car than the 960, but it is a fair amount smaller inside.

Post by **foggyjames** » 06 Feb 2005 05:01 am

The old AWD system (ie: before the S60 / new V70) was notoriously unreliable, weak, and prone to faults. The 850/V70 doesn't lose as much interior space as you'd think thanks to it being FWD, but I'd still have a 900 given the choice.

cheers

James

Post by **5lab** » 06 Feb 2005 06:13 am

850 was always a chunk smaller than the 900, otherwise they'd never have got away with charging 3 grand more for it