Date: Sat, 02 Nov 2002 23:01:25 -0500 From: Four Weis <mweinopsamcom> Subject: Re: Saab or Volvo?
Tim S Kemp wrote: > > The one complaint about the front wheel drive Volvos in general was the > > philosophy of making them disposable cars by designing them to be > expensive > > to repair. One example is the power window switch design. The fwd Volvos > > have a one piece design, if one contact goes bad, you replace the whole > > unit, even though the other three switches work just fine. In the rwd > > Volvo you can replace the switches individually. It is these little > things > > that will quickly add up, making it really easy to think about selling the > > car because it rapidly becomes too expensive to maintain. > > Power window switch on my Zafira has four switches in one unit, didn't put > me off buying another one though. How anyone can use repair costs as a > reason to buy Saab over Volvo is beyond belief! I still own both a Saab and a Volvo. I have owned the Volvo since 1982 and a Saab since 1985. I am familiar with the cost of parts for both cars. The cost of repairs of the rwd Volvos versus the 'new' 850 and other front wheel drive Volvos is much less, due to changes in the design of the car and not just the drive train. The electrical components were changed, with the power window switch repair as an example. The cost difference was not trivial, it was hundreds of dollars. That was the point of my comment. My experience with Saabs has been good, with the maintenance cost being comparable to the rwd Volvos. I have used independent repair shops, so that might be the difference. Perhaps you have had a difference experience with your Saabs. How long have you owned Saabs and Volvos? Perhaps you are comparing repair costs of the newer 9-3 and 9-5 to the V70 and S80s, in which you would be right. > Saab dealers are dear, parts are horrendous. Just like Volvo ones. > > Volvo cars are not built on recycled GM platforms, that makes them more > expensive but also more unique. They may in future be built on recycled Ford > platforms but that's irrelevant in the light of an 850 vs 9000 choice. > > The 9000 was based on a shared Fiat platform, not a bad car but certainly no > better to drive or handle than the 850, in fact AWD 850s are much much > better. I drove the 850s, V70s, S40s, S60s, S70s and S80s and they did not impress me, but I was comparing them to a classic Saab and a rwd Volvo. I will rate them as having more electrical gadgets and luxury items. Volvo went from a durable, functional car to a luxury car, which if it was their purpose, they succeeded. The newer Saabs also are in this category as well, they are loaded with luxury features and marketed as a luxury car.
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