nc211 Posted December 29, 2011 Author Posted December 29, 2011 Well, the two of you jokers, I'd just blackmail! Especially you, SW03ES! Or, is it SWG35??? ;-) I'm republican boys. I play dirty, can't recall, and will see and raise your photographic proof with baseless and false accusations that will taint the jury just enough, to let me go free!
ArmyofOne Posted December 29, 2011 Posted December 29, 2011 Well, the two of you jokers, I'd just blackmail! Especially you, SW03ES! Or, is it SWG35??? ;-) I'm republican boys. I play dirty, can't recall, and will see and raise your photographic proof with baseless and false accusations that will taint the jury just enough, to let me go free! Heh...Rob...I just have one thing to say... November-Oscar...Bravo Alpha-Lima-Lima-Sierra... Over.
denslexusgx470 Posted January 12, 2012 Posted January 12, 2012 Volvo's lookin good! These 4Runners really hold value. I remember my pops telling me the other night that he saw an 06 LTD 4Runner at carmax (he was bored and was checking out the cars on the lot) with 99k miles going for $18k still! I'm thinking to myself, I could still get a good $20k for mine still considering I have much less miles than that and my cars are IMMACULATELY clean lol. I know what you're talking about when coming from the 4Runner to a car based SUV. Going back and forth between my 4Runner and RX, I can definitely tell the difference in every drive lol.
nc211 Posted January 13, 2012 Author Posted January 13, 2012 Thanks Dens, we really like this car. I took it to Loews a couple weeks ago and found it to be the Swiss army knife of hauling nearly $800 worth of garage organizing stuff. Sadly however, the dealer has had it for the past week, doing the reconditioning. I get it back tomorrow, which means I get my little turbo bunny GTI back from my wife. I've been driving one of their loaners this week, a new S60. Nice, but has a funky transmission that hunts around way too much. Cruises though like a champ! I got a glimpse of the XC today, it looks great. I'll post up more photos once I get it back, before it gets covered in Cheerios and chicken nugget crumbs. The 4runner is still listed on their site for $15,500, which I think is too high. Hasn't sold yet. I say, given the rusting rims and rusty underside, it clears the market for around $12k. They made their money on the Volvo, with a "tip" on the 4Runner probably. Either way, works for me, I'm happy. Quite honestly, I'm in a weird place with my car lineup. I'm perfectly content with no real desire to replace anything. It's an odd feeling for a car guy to have!!
denslexusgx470 Posted January 14, 2012 Posted January 14, 2012 Thanks Dens, we really like this car. I took it to Loews a couple weeks ago and found it to be the Swiss army knife of hauling nearly $800 worth of garage organizing stuff. Sadly however, the dealer has had it for the past week, doing the reconditioning. I get it back tomorrow, which means I get my little turbo bunny GTI back from my wife. I've been driving one of their loaners this week, a new S60. Nice, but has a funky transmission that hunts around way too much. Cruises though like a champ! I got a glimpse of the XC today, it looks great. I'll post up more photos once I get it back, before it gets covered in Cheerios and chicken nugget crumbs. The 4runner is still listed on their site for $15,500, which I think is too high. Hasn't sold yet. I say, given the rusting rims and rusty underside, it clears the market for around $12k. They made their money on the Volvo, with a "tip" on the 4Runner probably. Either way, works for me, I'm happy. Quite honestly, I'm in a weird place with my car lineup. I'm perfectly content with no real desire to replace anything. It's an odd feeling for a car guy to have!! Cars like these require no modifications as the car itself already has a lot of standard gizmos and gadgets. Also just FYI, cars like these are really picky if you decide to make modifications (like changing plate light bulbs to LED, etc), you can't just purchase any bulb or kit out there as you need the kits with the error canceling feature. I'm sure the guys at the Volvo forums can provide some links to the right items/accessories that you may be interested in for your XC. Unlike with Lexus and other Japanese cars (4Runner especially lol), it's easy to make any modification on Japanese cars.
nc211 Posted January 25, 2012 Author Posted January 25, 2012 Ahh... the memories.. She was a great vehice to us, got us through a lot of bad weather. Have a lot of good family memories with this car too, with all of those 900 mile drives with the kids in the back from IL to NC. She brought home both of our kids from the hospital too. Never a problem other than those caused by the elements, not manufacturer error. They did a fantastic job cleaning her up too! I did a full claybar and wax/polish detail in November of 2008, before we moved to Chicago. That was the last time it had seen a coat of wax!! The engine bay looks a billion times better too! If you were looking straight down though, you'd see the effects of the road salt down in the belly of the engine bay.. She will be missed, and remembered fondly.. http://fallschurch.d...005-15118V.html
nc211 Posted January 25, 2012 Author Posted January 25, 2012 But now, the new suburbanite Clark Griswald Hotness Hoopty Ride... Pre-dealer reconditioning (don't have any of those photos available). Basically, the leather seats were either treated back to new, or replaced altogether with new leather surfaces. Dings and scrapes were removed from the exterior, transmission fluid flushed, and detailed. Plus, a couple of the GTI (one dirty bird these days, needs a complete cleaning.) Hasn't seen a real bath since last summer... Just been too darn busy and/or too cold and/or haven't found a place beyond the brushless sprayer at the gas stations...
pj8708 Posted January 25, 2012 Posted January 25, 2012 Ahh... the memories.. She was a great vehice to us, got us through a lot of bad weather. Have a lot of good family memories with this car too, with all of those 900 mile drives with the kids in the back from IL to NC. She brought home both of our kids from the hospital too. Never a problem other than those caused by the elements, not manufacturer error. They did a fantastic job cleaning her up too! I did a full claybar and wax/polish detail in November of 2008, before we moved to Chicago. That was the last time it had seen a coat of wax!! The engine bay looks a billion times better too! If you were looking straight down though, you'd see the effects of the road salt down in the belly of the engine bay.. She will be missed, and remembered fondly.. http://fallschurch.d...005-15118V.html That is one good look'in 4 Runner. Looks like you only drove it on Sundays! I would think at that price, even with the miles, and being so clean it should move right away. I have no idea what you paid for the Toyota new, but I wonder how the depreciation on the Volvo wil compare with your experience with the Toyota. We purchased my wife's 07', S80 as a CPO with 59,000 on it in late 2009 for $24. It now has 69,000 on it and is worth about $18,500. The new price was about $46,000. I'm not to impressed with their ability to hold value. But, I still like the car and she loves it. She feels safe in it. To me, that's what counts.
nc211 Posted January 25, 2012 Author Posted January 25, 2012 I really have to credit the claybar detail from years ago for the way it looks now. Learning that trick on here, has made me a believer that it's a real game changer for car ownership. Do it once, and the benefits last a long time! We paid around $18,500 for the 4runner used in 07', with 53k miles on it already. For it to be listed in the mid-teens in price nearly 5 years later, with twice the miles, is just amazing to me. That car was put through the paces big time with Chicago's rough roads and even rougher winters. Not a rattle in it when I traded it in, other than a missing brake pad clip from a botched repair at the Toyota dealer here in VA when we were with SWO looking for a house in September... Great vehicle! Only complaint, beyond the lack of confidence behind the wheel at highway speeds in the rain, would be brake rotors too small for the weight of the vehicle. Never could keep them from warping... I doubt the Volvo will hold it's value nearly as well. Paid around $28k for it with 31k mile. But we plan on keeping it for at least 5 years as well, so I'm not really worried about what it's value might be tomorrow. Love the V8 in it too. Not quite as torquey as the 4runner's, but not meant to be a "truck" with a camper-shell on the bed either, like the 4runner's basically are. Paid for a "truck-tough" 4runner, that never saw a real mud hole during my years of ownership.
UCF3 Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 I really have to credit the claybar detail from years ago for the way it looks now. Learning that trick on here, has made me a believer that it's a real game changer for car ownership. Do it once, and the benefits last a long time! We paid around $18,500 for the 4runner used in 07', with 53k miles on it already. For it to be listed in the mid-teens in price nearly 5 years later, with twice the miles, is just amazing to me. That car was put through the paces big time with Chicago's rough roads and even rougher winters. Not a rattle in it when I traded it in, other than a missing brake pad clip from a botched repair at the Toyota dealer here in VA when we were with SWO looking for a house in September... Great vehicle! Only complaint, beyond the lack of confidence behind the wheel at highway speeds in the rain, would be brake rotors too small for the weight of the vehicle. Never could keep them from warping... I doubt the Volvo will hold it's value nearly as well. Paid around $28k for it with 31k mile. But we plan on keeping it for at least 5 years as well, so I'm not really worried about what it's value might be tomorrow. Love the V8 in it too. Not quite as torquey as the 4runner's, but not meant to be a "truck" with a camper-shell on the bed either, like the 4runner's basically are. Paid for a "truck-tough" 4runner, that never saw a real mud hole during my years of ownership. Wow. Too bad you weren't selling the truck back in October. I might have made you an offer before buying the Subi if the rust wasn't as bad. Do you mind if i ask how much Don Beyers gave you for the Toyota?
nc211 Posted January 27, 2012 Author Posted January 27, 2012 They gave me $12k for it, which I thought was pretty fair given the pricing on the Volvo. The next nearest price point in the market for a V8 XC90 at that time was about $4k higher, with 15k more miles. They've taken great care of me with the reconditioning of the Volvo too. Instead of just hitting the paint nicks from door dings (on the door ding rubber piece) with a touch-up pin, they are actually going to put it into their body shop and do it all correctly. They tried the touch up approach last week, and quite honestly, it looks great us as is, but not to them. They want it back next week for a couple of days. I told them "its a used car guys, you don't have to do that", but they want to...for free. So who am I to argue! The 4runner will easily go another 100k with minimal, if any, real problems. I took great care of the mechanicals, with synth diff fluid every 30k miles in both diffs and transfer case. Synth oil only, new oem plugs, air filter every 10k miles. It was driven 90% of the time by my wife to/from the store. Rest of the miles were almost all highway, including what I suspect were the first 50k from the first owner, which clocked up that mileage in about 18 months of ownership. Other than the rims starting to show rust bubbles, and some marginal flash rust on the steel frame "I'd say on a scale of 1-10 in terms of rust 5 being normal, it was a 6.5", the car is perfect. I got rid of it almost exclusively due to a safety concern if it ever rolled over (no side curtain airbags). It also needs the timing belt / water pump service, and I would strongly suggest the trans fluid flushed, which isn't cheap! It's got that sealed transmission, with the lifetime fluid. But... We all know that lifetime fluid isn't really lifetime. Still shifted great, but 105k on the same fluid was bugging me. $400 service alone at the dealer... New rims (cosmetic need only), new rotors, and proper service, and it'd be just like new. Still even smelled newish, thanks to the little green machine steam cleaner I've got. Previous owner was a smoker, and I pulled out all of that residue with the bissell when we got it. Cleaned it a couple of more times with it over the years as well.
SW03ES Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 Its always kind of surreal to see your old car up for sale at the dealer... I see they got the playground in across from you! No more pile of dirt!
denslexusgx470 Posted February 2, 2012 Posted February 2, 2012 I got rid of it almost exclusively due to a safety concern if it ever rolled over (no side curtain airbags) Ah yes. Safety is always an important reason to change. I didn't like how some 4Runner have the curtain airbags and some don't. BUT I believe in around 07 they made it standard in ALL new Toyotas that rolled out of the factory (Curtain airbags are part of the "STAR Safety System") even if you were buying the cheapest $14000 Yaris. Still loving mine even though no one in our household wants to drive it anymore lol. Mine looks just as sparkingly clean as any brand new car at my local Toyota dealership :)
nc211 Posted November 23, 2012 Author Posted November 23, 2012 Well, thought I'd update this one too, since its about the Volvo. Bought a CPO XC90 V8 about a year ago with 32k miles. Today, we're at 50k miles. Verdict? It sucks! Drive it to NC yesterday for Thanksgiving. Man, this thing has more plastic rattles in it than Pam Anderson. There is no argument that its safe, which is why I bought it. It was a bit of a knee-jerk reaction after a family car accident last Christmas of a family member. No mistake made on the safety front, although have come to learn that all cars of this size have gotten much better. When you close the doors on the XC90, it truly is like closing a bank vault door. They're super heavy, and "thud" into place without question. The frame is also clearly solid as a boulder, with the roof being made of Barron steel, supposedly so tough that you can barely drill through it in general with the above average tools. It is truly a solid vehicle in this regard. I'd feel perfectly safe hitting a friggin Boeing 747 in this thing, no question about it. Everything else though attached to it, is not very impressive, and isn't holding up very well. The seats are horrible. The leather needs to be replaced all around. My neighbor has a 2012 model with only 10k miles on it, drivers seat is already splitting. We've got two broken window switches that just came off in our hands. Nobody seems to know how to turn off the oil change reminder light. The rear wiper is sagging. The headlights are pathetically dim. The stereo amp is going out. The center arm rest creaks and squeaks so badly that its basically useless. Overall, the interior quality of this car is just not up to par for a car this expensive. Mechanically, brakes won't stop squealing, and the brake dust on the fronts is absolutely horrible. You need a 2400psi pressure washer to clean them on a weekly basis. When I do it, I'm amazed at all the black water that comes flowing out of the caliper housing. It's nasty. But, they do work like a champ, as I found out yesterday on I95 with an emergency stop from 80mph. The V8 engine is built by Yamaha. It has 300hp and around 320 torque. It's decent, but not a powerhouse that you'd expect, especially from what they say on the reviews. The transmission feels like its slipping under moderate to heavy acceleration, even though I had the fluid flushed by the Volvo dealer at time of purchase. The power application is not smooth, but rather it is rhythmic and pulsing. Irritating is the right word. I hear this is normal though. It won't hold an alignment very well, and keeps favoring the left side of the car. Take your hands off the wheel, and you're heading into oncoming traffic. All parts have checked out ok though by Volvo. They just keep realigning the thing. Lasts about 60 days. When searching in the Volvo forums for this issue, I am seeing things that brung back memories of my LS400, like subframe bushings, mounts, etc. not going down this road again, even if under warranty, just don't have the time nor patience to chase it. The ride - has become choppy, and the slightest bump in the road is transmitted through the car like a stabbing effect. It feels like you're driving with 60psi in the tires, is the best way to explain it. The tires were new at purchase, although Hankook brand, which might have something to do with it. The driving position - the center arm rest is too small and too far back to be anything more than a storage compartment. The who cabin area is pushed too far forward. The front doors, if you're not paying attention, can easily rip your face off with the top edges when you open/close the door while standing outside of the car. You MUST pay attention, or you'll take a shot to the head with that corner edge. The cargo area - this, is an area where the car does shine. With the 7 seater seats folded down, it is truly amazing how much you can fit in the back. The center seat of the second row also folds down independently as well, making long items such as wood easy to get to load. The height is perfect to load/unload, and the split rear gate makes for a great seating spot to hang out and watch the kids at the park from. Overall, beyond the exterior looks (which is debatable to personal tastes), and the rear cargo area, I'd have to say this Volvo is my least favorite car I've ever owned, and won't be buying another for a long long time. My wife feels the same way, and rare is it that she actually has any opinion about a car. She feels that it's too expensive for what it is, and is wanting to replace it. She actually misses the 4Runner, and to a degree, so do I. Won't buy one though again due to roll over risk, and we don't need a truck-based SUV. We're thinking about a few different models. The Acura MDX, Mazda CX9, and Audi Q7 (my preference). She, of course loves the Range Rover, but I am resistant to spend that kind of money knowing that it'll get trashed by her and the kids. She won't keep it clean. I'm not talking slob here, but if I had a RR in my driveway, it'd have to be prestine 24/7 to keep my sanity in check. I like the Mazda and Acura for their handling ability, 7 seater in a pinch, and cargo area (although need to look at them again in person). The Hilander just isn't winning us over, although we both know that it should. The X5 is too small, as is the Toureg. We're not talking new here either, CPO if German is required. Depending on how bonus and promotion look in March will dictate if the Q7 is possible. Happy to report, March is shaping up to be one heck of a good month for the ole bank account. We'll see.. But at the end of the day, this experiment with Volvo hasn't turned out very well with us. Live and learn...
pj8708 Posted November 23, 2012 Posted November 23, 2012 Wow Nc! That really sucks. I can't even imagine how frustrated you are when driving something you paid a good chunk for, yet you can't stand. I'd be going down the road as you. If you can get out of it with out taking a bath, I'd say goodbye and good ridance. The odd thing, is that we have had my wife's 2007 - S80 for 73,000 miles and have had little to no mechanical problems. I've done the regular maint. flushed the brake lines, new tires, etc, but no non maint. problems. However, I'm with you regarding the hard ride on rough roads regardless of which ride mode you choose, (comfort, sport, advanced). It has 18" low profile tires and I know that dosen't help the ride, but it dosen't bother my wife so I'm not going to spend the money for new wheels and tires. If it rode better I'd probably consider another one in the future, but I'd have to really think it over. One feature The S80 has I wish the ES350 had is the adjustable steering sensitivity. Works great. If you like you steering quick and effortless, just touch that seeting. Good luck on your next ride. Paul
LEXIRX330 Posted November 24, 2012 Posted November 24, 2012 NC- just get you wife the RRS! You can clean it every weekend. Just don't get the SUPER CHARGED one man I know I am going to be putting tires on this thing in less than a year. And if you don't like brake dust the range rovers brakes remind me of our Mercedes clean the wheels and get home and dirty! Funny we took the GX on the thanksgiving travels and I have to say the first thing I did was clean out the trash and run by a car wash...oh yea put gas in it! :) I don't know NC you think the X5 is to small?
nc211 Posted November 24, 2012 Author Posted November 24, 2012 Haha! I give it to June before a new set of tires is on that monster! Is love to have one in the garage, but it would seriously drive me insane to find fruit loops and chicken nuggets in it. It would go against every car guys man code to let it happen to such a nice piece of machinery! Kind've like it is to buy an automatic Porsche! I'm actually really liking the Mazda CX9 again. I think I'll have to reinforce the idea, like I did with that 3gt several years ago, that she ended up loving. The Volvo is such a disappointment for us. If it weren't for all of this plastic rattling around, I think we could really like it. It is quirky, but with a purpose towards the safety aspect, which is really why you buy one in general. I personally think its a timeless design and looks very classy. We have the 18' wheel package on it. The seats aren't necessarily uncomfortable, just not well made. There is enough of that "not well made" here and there to really chip away at your confidence level with the longevity of the car. At the end of the day, I'm at that point where it's time to get my hands dirty and swap out the plugs, the diff fluids, belt, and clean out the intake of carbon. I'm sure if I spent a day or two tinkering with it, and force the certified warranty to replace the seat covers and other items, it would be much better. The CPO doesn't expire until next October. It's just a shock to me as a car guy that any car these days has these kinds of problems with it being only 4 years old, especially one branded as a luxury tag. I could see cracked seats in a Chevy Malibu by now, but in a near $60k European luxury SUV that's branded to compete against the others of its price range? Just doesn't make sense to me. So many people are so loyal to Volvo, that I'm a little surprised that their most expensive model isn't holding up better in the interior cosmetic category.
LEXIRX330 Posted November 24, 2012 Posted November 24, 2012 I hear you NC, I have the seats but the kids rarely ride in my car. The x5 had never even had anyone ride in the back of it when my wife took it over. I cleaned out a few happy meals and a super size fry! The GX will get a few chicken nuggets before long I'm sure.
nc211 Posted November 25, 2012 Author Posted November 25, 2012 Drive back to DC yesterday, couldn't wait to get out of that car! However, not all is lost, as the wife and I have apparently come to an agreement on a car that we both like. Part the heavens, call off the dogs! A Land Cruiser! Not a new one, but an 06' with that stellar 4.7 V8 that we had in our 4Runner. At the end of the day, I made a decision too quickly on the Volvo. When I asked her what car she has really enjoyed over the years, what car she really felt a connection to, it was the 4Runner above all others. We outgrew it however was the main reason we got rid of it. I don't think it was a mistake to replace it, but I do think it was a mistake on my part to jump the gun on this Volvo. It's not a bad car, but just a but too quirky for us to really enjoy. As we were discussing the 4Runner, and all of those 19 hour drives to/from NC/IL together as a family, we realized that we're Toyata fans. Sitting in traffic, next to us, was a green Land Cruiser, looked to be an 06', kids bouncing around in the back, dog, mom and dad, and luggage stacked up in the back. We both looked at eachother like the light bulb turned on. "You like that?" I asked. "No, I LOVE that!". Now my question is this - what's the main difference mechanically between the Land Cruiser and the LX470? I see more used LX's than LC's out there, and not at what I would expect to be a "Lexus" premium over the LC. Is it the air suspension on the LX that appears to be the holdback? Is it a real problem after 120k miles? I figure a LC or LX with 90k on the clock, make the timing belt replacement a requirement of purchase, and then "reset" it to my standards of new top shelf fluids, brakes/tires, and a good claybar detail, and all would be right again with the family buggy. This Volvo has to go!
nc211 Posted November 25, 2012 Author Posted November 25, 2012 Went to lowes today, with one side of the car stuck on max heat, and the other working normally. Came out of lowes with the situation reversed! Stopped by the Honda dealer to look at the Pilot, shut the car off/on, and both sides worked normally again. 3rd time the charm! God, this thing really sucks...
SW03ES Posted November 26, 2012 Posted November 26, 2012 We really liked the CX-9... Land Cruiser or LX would be a tank...
nc211 Posted December 1, 2012 Author Posted December 1, 2012 Well..... I have a feeling someone else is going to be posting on this thread (not me) in about....3.....2....1....
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