Okay, so this could be *marginally *on topic if you really stretch it because I’m looking for a tri-friendly vehicle.
I need options on how to assess fair value for a used vehicle. I’ve got numbers from Edmunds as well as the Kelly Blue Book (and they’re about 6k apart), but am curious to see if there are any other sites/systems to go by. I’m also wondering if CarFax is worth it? The seller is a coworker of a good friend, and is reputedly a trustworthy individual.
I plan on taking the car to a garage for inspection, as you can’t see jack on these new cars anymore - one needs a damn computer nowadays…
FYI, the car in question (today) is an '04 Volvo V70 2.5T AWD Wagon. ~20k mi. If anyone knows about this particular year/model, I’d be glad to hear it as well.
The seller will always quote Kelly b/c it is high. Edmunds is a lot closer to market value. I am not big on used BMWs, Saabs or Volvos without an extended warranty. The spousal unit and I were out walking the Bassets tonight and a 5 year old BMW went around the corner making a really weird front suspension noise and she said “what’s that?” I answered -" A 5 year old Beemer without a warranty."
Can you even get a bike in the back of a Volvo wagon without taking it apart? Consider a Ford Explorer. They are giving them away, you can chuck the bike in the back (inside) without taking it apart and they are a pretty good truck
Checked consumerreports.org for you (you have to be a member for most of it - its worth it). V70 '04 is rated overall good/above average (but not excellent) for problems, compared with other cars in that same model year. Its only “below average” rating was for suspension.
Consumer reports is excellent, and not ad revenue driven, so fairly indep and objective. They have overall recommendations for used cars, and, as you might expect, the japanese nameplates get the most thumbs up - most honda’s, toyota’s, and subaru’s are recommended. None of the volvo’s got a used car recommendation.
Most banks will still use the NADA book to determine loan value. If you are getting a loan that is. I think my account with Carfax is still active, if you PM me the vin # I can run it for you.
Can you even get a bike in the back of a Volvo wagon without taking it apart? Consider a Ford Explorer.
FWIW, an '04 V70 is only a few cubes short of an '07 Explorer on cargo space, and actually has more passenger space in a few dimensions (front shoulder and rear leg room). Also, while the 6-cylinder XLT AWD Explorer gets 15/20 for mileage (ouch!) the Volvo gets 20/27. The Volvo is 2 hp short, but weighs 1,000 lbs less and is obviously a much more sporty drive. It’s also arguably a much better appointed interior.
Of course, Ford bought Volvo in 2004, so I suppose either way you’re getting a Ford product!
To the OP - I’d suggest asking on an enthusiast message board. V70’s are awesome cars, but like anything, there are some potential issues you’ll want to look for. Ask on the forums on the following sites:
Of course you’ll get some bias as far as love of the vehicle, but you’ll also find great info on potential pitfalls and values. Most of those forums have classifieds, search for similar vehicles to get pricing estimates. Also, search ebay motors for closed auctions on similar vehicles to get an idea.
Volvo’s new car warranty is 4/50, so the car in question is probably covered by the original warranty for another year or so. Try to find out when the car was put in service to get an idea of that.
A lot of this will depend on where you live. Kelly is more readily used by Auto dealers on in the west, Edmunds tends to have more data for the east coast and a different way of assessing value. That being said, the only way to make sure you are getting a good deal is to do some research as to what vehicles are being sold at in your area. Atuotrader.com, cars.com, etc, are all good sources to look for vehicles. Automax is a pretty good place to look as well, not sure if you are close to one , but they do a good job of knowing the market.
I suggest if you can swing it, getting something certified by a manufacturer, not that these cars are going to be any better, but they usually come with a pretty strong warranty from the manufacturer. Depending on the Make the warranties can go all the way up to 105,000 miles.
If you would like any help, let me know. I have just left the Automobile business after eighteen years and would be happy to help you.
Just read the rest of your post. Carfax would only be worth it if your co-worker was the second or third owner. Is this the case? Carfax does not always inform you of accidents either, if it was not reported to an insurance company or law enforcement agency, it won’t tell you if the car has had bod ywork. But, you can have the shop look at it and any good auto tech can tell you if something has been painted, or if the frame has been damaged. Depending on what state you live if the car has a past, i.e., salvage, gross polluter, lemon law buy back, it will be listed on the registration and the title.
I love the V70, great car. Probably one of the best Volvo’s on the road. Great seats, pretty decent reliability. This one has low miles on it as well. Good luck.
Having recently sold 2 cars, I would say Edmunds and KBB are both optimistic. If it is sold by the individual, they may do a little better than Edmunds “trade-in” value. If you take it to a dealer to actually trade-in, you will most likely be offered less than Edmunds trade-in no matter what the condition is. You really can’t go by what you see on autotrader or Ebay because you don’t know the true conditions of the car and you don’t know what has sold (most don’t). One thing you could do is take it to a couple of dealers and act like you are interested in a car and see what they offer for trade in…you’ll get a “quicky” inspection and appraisal, and it won’t cost you a dime.
Definitely have it inspected before you buy. You don’t want to have a problem in 2 months and then wonder whether you were cheated or not. And be careful where you have it inspected and what they look for. The Porsche I sold was taken to a dealer for inspection…they spent 2 hours going over it…and then never reported that it had front end bodywork (prior to my owning it). Every place I took it to trade in figure that out in like 2 minutes.
I too have a V70 T5 but not the AWD. Great gas mileage and its a real sleeper with a 300 hp turbocharged motor : )
Its my 3rd Volvo, best damn car for the money. The only problem I had with my last Volvo is that it lost a smackdown with a redneck truck : (
As far as the value, I’d say go between Edmunds and Kelly’s private seller estimate. Usually this means 10-15% more than what a dealer would give him if he were to trade it in on a new vehicle.
Carfax at that mileage/1 owner isn’t worth it. Take it for an inspection at a Volvo dealership, this way they can plug&play the VADIS diagnostic on it, and the Vin # will show on their database if there’s been any issues,or recalls.
Don’t take it to an Indy, they won’t have the OBDIII reader…even if they say they do.
I belong to a few forums that are helpful with this stuff. Go to www. V70R.com or www.Swedespeed.com. Lots of knowledgeable swede-car geeks on either.
I too have a V70 T5 but not the AWD. Great gas mileage and its a real sleeper with a 300 hp turbocharged motor : )
Not to be picky here, but the only version with the 300hp motor was the AWD V70R, not the FWD V70 T5 (your car, 247hp) or the AWD V70 2.5T (Khai’s potential car, 208 hp.)
Still, all awesome cars though, definitely not slouches.
I am a General Motors dealer for approx 25 years. I have Buick Pon GMC and Cad. We sold the VW franchise awhile back.
NADA is a good source, its what most of us dealers use. Avg trade in is around $19000 on that unit if the miles are avg. Offer a little more(not much) than avg trade and u should be fine.
Run a Carfax report.Take it to a mech.
CARMAX is a great place to SELL your car. A very expensive place to buy one. Many dealers were afraid of these big auto chains when they first started, but the main effect has been that the dealers close by to one of these chain stores saw their gross profits go up on their used cars. The reason being that they ask alot , and dont haggle. They have a selection you cant find at most dealers however. The reason they do is because a small business man will not pay too much for inventory just to have it.
Call me too logical, but beyond basic needs of the right size of vehicle, the only two things I would look at when getting a new or slightly used c car would be reliability(JD Power rankings) and gas mileage and I would get the car with the best combo out of those two. 9 times out of 10, that’s either a Toyota or a Honda. Honda does not have a hatch or a wagon like that unless you put the Element in that class. And the Element is from what I have heard a great vehicle for the active outdoor person - that’s who it was desgined for. However, I have also heard that it has it’s short comings. With Toyota, the most obvious vehicle would be the Matrix. If I was shopping for something new or slightly used at this time I would be trading in my Corolla for a Matrix. Just finished a 6000K road trip with my 8 year old Corolla to Florida and back. Ran like a swiss watch the whole time!
Not sure on your proposed choice, but I’m starting to look as well. My lifted beast of a Jeep is no good for the amount of time I spend on the road now. In looking around, I want to fit 2 bikes and 2 adults, only taking front wheel off the bikes, 60/40 split rear seat so a booster seat for the little wild one can go in, plus fuel economy in the 30-35+ MPG range on the highway. My narrowed down choices are:
Honda Fit
Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe
Chevy Malibu Maxx
Mazda 3 wagon/5 door
Subaru Forester
VW Jetta wagon, if I can find a TDI
Much prefer 1-2 yrs old, drastically lowers price. Test driving will start in a week or 2. Any thoughts from the group?
FWIW, I recently bought a Scion xB. People either love it or hate it - I love it. I can fit my bike in the back with the 60/40 seat down without taking the wheels off, or it’ll fit behind the back seat with both wheels off. If you folded the rear seat, you could easily fit two bikes with the front wheels off, with room for gear or maybe a 3rd bike. It’s absolutely ENORMOUS inside, compared to other vehicles in the class, and I’m averaging 32 mpg.
I’ve gone through 10 or 12 vehicles in the last 6 or 7 years (yes, I’m a car nut - Audis, VWs, Saabs, a Jeep, the odd Japanese car or truck. . .) and honestly, this one wins the prize of best combo of value/space/economy/reliability. luinchbox - I looked at nearly the same list you’ve posted, and the xB was a clear winner for me.
Actually mine’s far from stock. ITs got a RICA ECU upgrade+ 3in. Eurosport downpipe+ IPD/TME 3in. catback exhaust.
ITs actually 315+hp and I’m not done yet., THere are a few t5’s & R’s pushing 450 hp in daily driver form : )
I too have a V70 T5 but not the AWD. Great gas mileage and its a real sleeper with a 300 hp turbocharged motor : )
Not to be picky here, but the only version with the 300hp motor was the AWD V70R, not the FWD V70 T5 (your car, 247hp) or the AWD V70 2.5T (Khai’s potential car, 208 hp.)
Still, all awesome cars though, definitely not slouches.
drive a Forrester, if you put both back seats down you can fit both bikes in one over the other with no need to take the front wheels off and still have lots of room left for gear. we have had three adults and three bikes in there a couple of times with front wheel off. Reliable, at least to date 5years and 100k km, but not as stingy on the gas as other options like the Toyota hybrids. we have the 02 model and light coloured cloth interior, wish I bought the leather instead. Other than that it works just fine.
