Used Car: Volvo S80 vs. Acura TL?

My fiance is looking for a car. We have it down to two and would like
some suggestions/opinions on which one to go with.

2003 Volve S80 - 44,000 miles
2003 Acura TL - 27,000 miles

Price wise, they are going to be very comparable to each other so that
isn't too much of an issue. My main concern is mechanical reliability.
I have a lot of confidence in the Acura but am not sure about the Volvo

(no experience w/ these cars). She LOVES driving the Volvo. Based on
the extensive research (edmunds, msn, etc.) we've done so far when it
comes to reliability and cost to maintain, the Acura gets a slight nod.

I would like to keep this car for 5-10 years as it will be one of our
two primary cars.

Your thoughts?
(We may be making this decision as soon as tomorrow 8/1)

I also posted this in alt.autos and alt.autos.acura.

-diro

 

Acura -- all the way.

JB

 

Unless the year of the Volvo is 199X and before, I do a thumbs down on
newer Volvos.

PS: I also happen to love Acuras. Honda is a GREAT company who seems to
build BETTER cars as time goes by.

;-)

Jamie

 

Unless the year of the Volvo is 199X and before, I do a thumbs down on

Your arguments are superb and very usefull. Keep up the good work.

Niels

 

Am Mon, 31 Jul 2006 17:19:50 +0200 schrieb Niels Bengaard:

I do not see one single argument in this posting. This is not helpful at
all. Where are the facts. ;-(

*ROTFL*

Joerg

 

I would go with the Acura fir the same reasons as above. Additionally,
the six cylinder volvo engines that are spec'd in the s80 seem to be
prone to many more problems than the five cylinders.
-Ed

 

Acura gets my vote. Since the Ford takeover, Volvo has gone WAY down in
quality. Everything seems nice on the outside, but it's just a Ford
underneath.

On the other hand, Acura has taken Honda's legendary quality and
reliablity to the next level. Sorry, but Volvo just can't compare.

 

do you want asian or european style
and function? drive each one for 2 hrs
straight and see what one is more comfy....

 

Am 31 Jul 2006 10:55:40 -0700 schrieb Robert:

Crap! The discussion is S80 vs Acura. The S80 was developed long before
the passenger car division of Volvo was sold to the Ford Group.

There is not one single vital part produced or deliverd by Ford in a
S80. Even the current V70 and S50/V50 are a Volvo-development.

Volvo belongs to the Ford Premier Group which up to now has not very
much to do with the Ford mass products. That may change in the future.

Facts and figures please. No unfounded prejudices!

Jörg

 

The fact is, I can't figure out how to get Volvo back to the way they
used to be...

;-)

 

....that we've decided to go with the 2003 Acura TL. the local dealer
checked out the car and gave it their stamp of approval which is good
enough for me.

 

Not true. The Jaguar X and S types are both derived from English Fords.
The new Volvo S40/V50 are derived from the Ford Focus.

Just look at any of the independent surveys like Consumer Reports or JD
Powers. Modern Volvos are easily bested by modern Acuras.

John

 

i'll take sheedish over asian any day...if you like asian..make
sure to drive and consider the kia...they get goo counsumer
ratings also....i personaly think they suck...but, thats just my
personal opinion.....

 

That would be European over Asian - like Fiat over Honda ;-)

My daughter-in-law has a Kia. It wouldn't be my choice. She reports having
put more money into non-warranty repairs than in car payments (so much for
the 10 year / 100K mile bumper-to-bumper warranty!)

Mike

 

Come on ladies and gents. This was about a 2003 Volvo versus a 2003
Acura. Asian over Swedish is a bit ambiguous.

I love my 1987 Volvo -- matter of fact, I forgot to tell a story:

In 1987 I was a passenger in my best friend's mid 80's 240. We were
driving about 50 miles an hour behind some friends of ours in a
Mercedes sedan. They stopped suddenly to a halt, we weren't looking
ahead and by the time we hit the brakes we slammed them in the rear at
about 45 miles per hour.

That was the first time in my life I didn't wear a seatbelt. I was in
the front passenger seat and was able to protect my face with my arm as
my head and elbow smashed into the windshield.

I cracked the windshield, but did not have a mark on me. The 4 of us
climbed out with his front end smashed in and the trunk smashed on the
Mercedes. We all walked away without the scratch. The Volvo was claimed
a total loss.

No injuries in either car.

That being said, I love my 1987 740. Prior to this car I owned a 2001
Honda Accord EX. To this day that Honda was the finest car I have ever
owned. I sold it to save money to buy a house.

While restoring my Volvo, I am driving a 2000 Hyundai Accent. While
dependable, I would rather have an accident in the Volvo versus the
Accent.

That also being said, my Honda was a car that I drove to 75,000 miles
before I sold it and I never planned on spending a dime on that car
until 100,000 miles.

I'd love an Acura, but I don't want to have a note right now. It would
be great to drive, but my 740 is a dream to work on. I get satisfaction
with its simplicity.

Now, recent Volvos I fear aren't the everyday DIY stuff. I fear in 20
years they won't be the fixer uppers that our 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's
models are.

2 cents.

 

Bah.

Volvo hasn't made a good car since they went FWD with the 850.

I bought an 850 Turbo; it didn't handle well, lots of problems: sold
it, and went back to a 244 Turbo...ahhhhhh.

My wife's 740 just got rearended while stopped by a Mazda MX6.

The jap car peeled open like a grape; minimal damage to the good old
Volvo.

Older Volvos are stoutly built.

roll dem bones

 

"Volvo hasn't made a good car since they went FWD with the 850"

out of all the volvos I have owned...none of them have been "bad"...
the newer ones were just a bit more expensive to maintain...no real
lemons though...I now have a 1993 940t w/250,000 miles on it (btw:
drive a asian car w/250,000 on it some time...if you can find one that
is not a pick up truck)...and a 2000 s80t6 w/150,000 on the clock...

 

You're lucky.

My 1996 850 Turbo TLA was a $37K lemon.

Lots of rattles: drove me crazy.

Lousy handling: it "lost it" at speeds and conditions that a competent
sports sedan ("Hello, BMW") would have mastered.

Sold it to a friend: developed tranny trouble, and at 60K or 70K the
rear main went.

She dumped it: good riddance.

The newer cars may be better, I don't know.

I do know I like the older 240 series the best: strong, easy to work
on, lots of room, and reasonably reliable.

 

i guess....

i hate rattles, they drive me crazy...i would dumap
any car that rattled much...

i dumped my bmw's in 1986 for volvos...i feel the volvos
are much better value for the $$...

thats a drag...esp being a friend...

after buying (brand new...some $38k, or so) a 2001 s80, i was thinking
the same thing...the cost of the new volvo, maint, depreciation, etc
drove me nuts...so i rid myself of it and picked up a 1986 240...nice,
solid, cheap.....but not so roomy, confortable, and safe...after
driving that a year, or so...on two lane highways (up here in n
colorado & wy) passing oncomming 18 wheelers w/each of us going 70...i
got to thinking....the older volvos are not so heavy, stable, and
safe...so i "e bay'ed" the 240 for the 1993 940t i have now, (250,000
miles)...the 940 was a big technological jump in terms of safety, roll
cages, an air bad, abs brakes, etc....i still have it, and it runs
great...i did aprox $5k of performance mods to it, and it is a sweet,
tight, little 4 door sedan...but, i still wanted a nicer, bigger volvo
w/cmfort build it...i ended up getting a 2000 used s80t6 loaded (for
that year, stickered at $42,000) w/142,000 miles on the clock for
around $7k......the s80 is a nice sedan, lots of safety and comfort
features...they are complex cars and i can't work on it much in my
driveway, but...i have a great volvo mechanic (who helped me do all the
940 stuff) and the car has not required any major work...the s80 seems
like a good car for the $$, so far...i tra and take care of my cars
w/regular service, etc...but i do drive them hard...anyway...good luck
w/whatever car you choose!!...there are many good cars out there, it is
a matter of personal comfort, style, and $$...

 

Am 1 Aug 2006 08:13:20 -0700 schrieb :

I had a 1996 850 Turbo as well, was an excellent machine in any
respect. I kept it until 85'000km on the clock in the year 2001.
Superior over any other make indluding Mercedes as fas as security,
performance and quality were concerned.

Think about the fact that cars like Acura/Honda in the class over $
50'000 have only successes in technically less demanding markets like
Northamerica or in the country of origin. Elsewhere they are considered
inferior to European makes.

The only problem I ever had with in totall 5 Volvos since 92 was a
failure of the control of the ABS. Volvo took over 50 % of the cost for
the change.

New Volvos are as solid as the old ones but much more sophisticated
compared to the competition. In my wider family there are several high
end cars of different manufacturers in use: I would never accept the
amount of bugs and problems they have with their cars.

Your choice. By today's standards that is rather a car from the stone
age.

Joerg