What to select from thes 'exotic' cars?

[tylerdude]

im buying a 2nd hand car soon and i only have a budget of around 300k. i have owned a toyota corolla and a honda civic in the past and both are great and reliable cars but i've grown tired of both since they are just too common. nothing wrong with being too common but im just looking at getting a more 'exotic' car.

here are my choices:

1. opel astra wagon 2001

pros: i've always loved a wagon and it's a very practical car especially for a family man like me. seems very solid and reliable.

cons: expensive to maintain and parts may be difficult to obtain plus opel brand seems to be synonymous to 'lemon'

2. nissan verita 2001

pros: cute looking car and parts are easy to get and quite cheap since it's nissan. 1.3 liter means very good in fuel consumption

cons: small interior and trunk space. can only be driven in the city.

3. volvo wagon 1997-1998

pros: it's a wagon and it's a volvo! what else can i say?

cons: parts are expensive and older model might give me headaches in the future

4. mb 124 wagon 1987 up

pros: its' a wagon and it's a benz!

cons: im looking for a diesel but it's still quite expensive for a 20 year old car. if it's gas, it would be a gas guzzler. and again, it's a very old car. i hate going to the repair shop all the time.

[boyscout]

assuming pare pareho lang ang condition. yung astra or the verita. at least its newer less headaches for you. a car was meant to be driven pag old car na kasi binili mo you will spend almost more then half of the rest of the cars life sa loob ng pagawaan.

[OTEP]

We have a '97 850 wagon (plain jane 2.5 GLE flavor) and it rocks. Very versatile. We are currently hauling a lot of stuff (furniture) and it's the vehicle of choice over my Pajero and my dad's Expedition.

A cargo barrier is standard (cargo stays in the cargo compartment), numerous lashing hooks on the floor. The rear seat folds (yeah, everyone does that trick) but on the Volvo, you also have option of folding the front passenger seat down so you can carry very long cargo (e.g. grandfather clock). And should the luggage fail to fit inside, higher end models are equipped with a functional roof rail. There's also a tow hitch standard on most models (like ours).

There are other neat touches like underfloor storage areas. Standard first aid kit and EWD, side impact airbags, and side impact protection system among others.

Some cars have adjustable seatbelt height, the Volvo one ups this by having AUTOMATIC seatbelt adjustment height. Add to that a headrest system that is always correctly positioned no matter what height you are (except for the rear center seat which is manually adjustable) and you've got a very safe car. Daytime running lamps can also be set simply by using a small screwdriver. Headlamp wipers, rear wash/wipe, rear foglamp, ABS complete the safety front. About the only thing missing is the passenger side SRS (apparently this only comes standard on higher end models).

Leather upholstery is standard.

The only things we have broken so far are the steering rack (nag-leak), replaced tailgate struts (can't lift tailgate anymore), and DIY repaired the tailgate lock. It's bone stock except for the Autopage anti-theft system. One weakness known to Volvos is the tendency for the odometer gear to break. Ours has broken. Actual mileage can still be checked via the onboard computer. We also have a faulty rear ABS sensor but it does not affect the standard operation of the brakes.

And because there are not that many Volvos on the road, most people really don't have an idea of how old it is. It still looks like a million bucks when parked next to the Picanto even though the Picanto actually cost more to purchase (brand new kasi).

www.volvospeed.com is a good Volvo 850 resource. Lots of DIY tips and online parts centers in their forums.

HABREC of Gruppo Talyer is the third-party (non-casa) outfit that services the unit.

[tylerdude]

what is your fuel consumption considering it's a 2.5 liter?

[OTEP]

Pasensya na po, hindi po macompute gawa nga ng basag yung odo gear. Try niyo na lang po ask sa Volvo forums.

[Horsepower]

why not replace the broken gear po doc?

[Mguy]

For practical reasons, I would go for the Volvo wagon.

But if you are just looking for a car that will take you from point A to B with no hassles, I would take the Verita. Lakas pa aircon coz its a Nissan.

[OTEP]

why not replace the broken gear po doc?

Some reasons why I've not gotten around to doing the fix:

1) Because Volvo will not acknowledge that the odometer is repairable. They insist that it is not and that the whole gauge cluster should be replaced. As typical with most casas, they only know how to replace, they have no idea how to repair.

2) The repair kit is sold online and I'm not very good at this online shopping thingie. It comes with the necessary gears and an instructional DVD.

3) I'm still mustering enough courage to break open the instrument cluster. I'm not used to hacking up Volvos. I do have a service manual. But the chapter relating to disassembling the instrument cluster is a bit vague.

[squala]

For practical reasons, I would go for the Volvo wagon.

But if you are just looking for a car that will take you from point A to B with no hassles, I would take the Verita. Lakas pa aircon coz its a Nissan.

The Volvo 850 wagon is nothing more than an armored family hauler. It's capital uncool, with a shape made with rulers and t-squares. Its engine is buzzy and needs bottomless fuel, yet you don't get to drive really fast (unless it's the high-pressure turbo models). The warning lights go on even if there are no problems with the concerned components. Finally, it's a complete bore to drive.

The Verita is ok but there are safety issues, which is also why it never made it to the U.S.

[OTEP]

The Volvo 850 wagon is nothing more than an armored family hauler. It's capital uncool, with a shape made with rulers and t-squares. Its engine is buzzy and needs bottomless fuel, yet you don't get to drive really fast (unless it's the high-pressure turbo models). The warning lights go on even if there are no problems with the concerned components. Finally, it's a complete bore to drive.

It's utter geekiness is what I find cool about it. No one will think you're some middle aged guy reliving childhood fantasies nor would they think you're some 'import racer' out to play with 'Stangs. It's always prim and proper. It goes about it's job quietly and efficiently.

They're so square, after market wheels are usually referred to by the Volvo guys as 'pegs'

The later incarnation of the 850 (renamed S70) has more rounded curves and a more conventional interior. But you still won't mistake it for anything but a Volvo.

[the josh]

I'll take the Benz bec. it's already a classic

[mbeige]

IMO those are not exotic enough. If you want exotic, get an MG, TVR, Lotus, etc.

To answer you, get the Benz. We have one, and have no regrets. Great car, very practical, very modern even for its model year, and very safe. The 87 300TD is the only diesel w124 that's pre 1990. After that there are the newer ones but they've been said to not be as reliable as the pre 1990 models. The 88 should still look old due to the differences in body cladding and interior trim compared to the later models that have the two tone design instead of the moulding strips that run the car's doors.

A 230TE w124 wagon should be good enough for your use, the 300TE is a bit thirsty on fuel esp with Manila traffic conditions. Goodluck with your choice!

[vinj]

Given your choices i'd definitely go fro the 124 wagon... especially if you can get a 300TE turbo diesel version with your budget.

[swordsman]

Looking at your acquisition budget, and looking at your "Cons" on each model, looks like you're better off with the Nissan Verita, or any other 'unique' Jap cars with plenty of parts and shops to work on them. Euro cars are expensive to maintain(at least here in the Phils), lalo na if something major breaks. Not sure though how much cash ideally you have to have lying around for impromptu repair.

By the way, i think you mean is you need something different, not 'exotic'.

[OTEP]

Orig vs. orig, parts prices between Euro cars and Jap cars are pretty close. The Asians do have the advantage of third party replacement parts. Something not very common on Euro vehicles except for consumables (e.g. replacement filters and suspension components are available.

What's amazing is the expensive labor some shops will charge just for being a Euro car. A good service manual is a good investment and can save you lots of trips to the mechanic. The 850 service manual I have is not exactly brimming with information, but it does cover the basic stuff and the pictures help a lot.