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Safety is not the feature! (long) (archive)
[ Follow Ups ] [ 5-series (E34) Message Board ] [ Msg. Board FAQ ]
Posted by MichaelH on July 26, 2000 at 10:48:09:

In Reply to: first car posted by nish on July 23, 2000 at 12:03:26:


After living through a very bad wreck in an e28
I can truthfully say that the BMW is a s safe as the VOLVO. That is not the reason for recommending a VOLVO for the first car. It sounds like dadday is willing to caugh up the money for the purchase but who will maintain it? I purchased a 1985 VOLVO 244 GL 5 speed in nearly perfect condition (AC compressor was bad) as my 16 year old's first car 3 years ago. As I figured he had no intentions what so ever of maintaining a car. He just drove it and hauled everyone around in it. I think he saw it as a school bus. The VOLVO will continue to chug around with no maintenance (unlike a Bimmer) Every component of the VOLVO is overbuilt. It just took the beating and kept on ticking. Finally I was able to get my son to see the value in maintaining his car and he learned to change oil, brake pads/rotors, spark plugs. He learned how to purchase tires. At the same time he was learning how to check a car over when he was ready to purchase his own car. I purchased the VOLVO and he purchased his next car. It turned out that he wanted to purchase an e28 535 so he set about looking for just the right car. Because he learned so much about cars he was able to purchase a beautiful 1985 e28 535, everything worked and had new TRX tires.

The point is: The Bimmer is too complicated and requires too much tender loving car for a new driver first car. This Bimmer will stand a higher than typical change of winding up in a salvage yard, or the engine blown, yata, yata, yata.

The VOLVO (240, 740, 960, S90 series) are simple to maintain and are nowhere near as costly to repair. I say this with many years of ownership of VOLVO's and have ownde various BMW's for the past 5 years. These two brands are not directly camparable. They are apples and oranges. Some time an apple is good and some time an orange hits the spot. The more aggressive of the volvoo's mentioned would be the 960 or S90 with a very sweet inline double over head cam rear wheel drive lay out. The VOLVI also costs ;ess to insure.

I purchase BMW's now because there is nothing like a BMW. I perform all the maintenance and enjoy working on the car. Many people just do not want to work on a car. Those people need personal wealth (to have someone else work on it or a VOLVO. Facts are facts.

Michael
89 525ia 175,000
88 VOLVO 210,000
75 VOLVO 245 600,000 plus miles

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