I'm looking for something with a bit of power at a budget price that i won't loose money on with maybe a £1200 budget.
Now i relise volvo's are viewed as an old mans car by some but in real terms of performance how do they compare with the scoob? Oviously i expect the scoob to handle better but i've never been in a t5 unless it's been the back of a traffic car

 

I wouldn't touch a 1200quid Impreza if you're looking for something to rip around without having to spend any real cash maintaining... it'll tool around happily, but start giving it proper stick and IMO you'll run into big bills before too long.


Cheers,
Grant

 

i wouldnt go for a £1200 scoob neither

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ew6YwIN2IQc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1L-m...eature=related

who says volvo's are and old-mans car

 

V70 T5. Not am old mans car by any stretch. Test drive one and find out. And if there's any chance of a bump, I know which car I would sooner be in. A V70 T5 goes like stink and can be mapped up to the 280 brake touch. The 5 pot engine is virtually bomb proof and only needs cam belt changes every 100k!!!!

 

and the 5pots sound the tits

 

if you can get lucky then a £1200 impreza is possible imo
just catching someone desperate for the cash and there are plenty about and great cars lots of fun to drive.

the volvo is another great car and i would guess you have more chance of finding a well looked after example they are reliable bar the usual electric gremlins and raping front tyres, if i did not commute so much i would be tempted by one myself
my mate rob owned one chipped to 280bhp for years and it was a great car plus had room for the muddy dogs in the back

 

Don't they just bud, especially when the turbo kicks in!

 

like the one on those video links i posted

 

Basically if i got a volvo i would probably go for an estate and manual never owned an automatic i've drove them but never fancied one myself. I put £1200 as that's what i reckon i could pick a volvo up for i could up the budget but i don't have a garage or anything and i've done the debt for a car thing before and if you get to the point of caring for the car or it's really nice then someone either wrecks it or nicks it. If i sold my car before i bought another i could possibly stretch too £2500 but that would leave me living week by week for a bit with no rainy day money but could be an option. Nothing seems to be selling quick at the min so i was gonna try be a little cheeky and set the challenge of one of these cars for £1200 i know i'll get bored as i always do. So if i could pick one up now keep it a year hopefully sell it on for near enough the same price was my thoughts lol

 

I certainly wouldn't put myself in a position of having no financial safety net to drive an Impreza worth £2500... to be honest, as it sounds like you're after a car to smoke around in that's got a decent turn of speed then I'd 100% be looking for a V70 T5 which will tick a lot of boxes and shouldn't lose much/if any value as long as its kept straight and clean.


Cheers,
Grant

 

personally i'd go for a manual 850 T5, i had one before, and would have another. yhe only downside is that they are bad on fuel

 

V70 T5 all the way mate!! or a V70 R, but I don't think you'll find one of those that cheap...

 

v70 is a safe bet, might get a 51 plate for that money

 

Thanks for the replies mate, i don't wanna have one of these cars just too razz from i get in it till i get out i just miss having a turbo'd car and want another but on a relatively small budget it's like am i looking at ownership of one with rose tinted glasses and with fuel prices the way they are if i decide it aint for me i've grew up a bit then it wil be no big drama and also i don't want to get in any debt for a car i have to park on the street

 

What about a forester, similar size to the volvo and can usually find them around your budget.

 

t5 defo

 

I recently bought an 850 T5 Estate... was murder to find a manual one though!

Goes a lot better than I expected and feels really solid and well put together. No engine noises or even interior rattles or anything. Handles well for the size of it... Bit softly sprung, but feels like it would be great with stiffer suspension....

On the other hand Scoobs are chavy as fuck and can be proper money pits.

 

Agree on all points above. Most scoobs (not all) have had loads of owners which sometimes means neglect etc, and most have been thrashed fuckless. You may drop lucky and find a minter with only one or two owners and a FSH.

 

You wont get a decent scoob for 1200. £2k at least

I wanted a standard, un-abused, looked after uk turbo and got it back in march for £2650 (not a private sale). Its been brill so far, *touch wood* totally reliable and i use it as a daily driver.

I would imagine the volvo to be cheaper to buy, run and abuse though!

 

1200 quid scooby,,,,, sounds great but you will be paying FUCKING LOADS on insurance AND running costs,,,,,,, and i recomend getting a nector card too as you will build up them points in no time as i doubt you will get 200 miles to a tank of fuel

oh and just wait for the clutch to need doing,,,,,, as thatswhen you will be selling it on QUICK to someone for,,,,, say 1200 quid and let them pay the bill

i love my impreza and ive been REALLY lucky with mine on running costs but i will still spend 300 quid a month on fuel and i dont even think of the price of tyres and anything else i buy,, just hand over my card number and wait for the parts to arrive as some things in life you dont wanna know about

 

I have worked for Volvo for 13 years and 9 of them a master tech. I did have a short spell at a Subaru garage recently and am now back with Volvo.

Having worked for both brands i would personally go with the T5 all day long as you will be getting a hell of a lot more car for your cash and if its been looked after will run for ever.

 

A work collegue of mine has a 2002 volvo S40 petrol which has got 272k on the clock. Original engine etc.

 

Gutted this wasn't a few weeks ago as my old scoob went for £500,import 240hp turbo estate Sa (lighter) model.it never let me down but was heavy on petrol,no worse than a t5 though,in fact a bit better!!!however,at that money it needed a new heatermatrix and a coolant temp sensor,bit of bodywork to make mint but was a solid useable car with t&t.

Now,the Volvo.IMO a nice motor,quick,smooth very safe/comfy but barge like on the bends.you can get a coupe for that money,a boy I know sold a nice red one for a grand about 4 months ago.apart from a window reg it was all good.

That was manual as well,a lot of the coupes are.there ok to work on as well but parts are scary on them although there's loads out there.

I'd say for the money it's the t5,but you will get fed up of the petrol costs soon enough though but I'm sure you know that already!!

 

Tbh mate i don't use the car that much. So although the consumption would be high i won't be spending silly amounts on fuel, at the moment i have a 318is but although it is a tidy car i'm bored with it. Now i don't know if i'm just fancying the thought of having something turbo'd again hence i'm keeping the budget low and not getting into debt

 

I borrowed a t5 off my mate about a month ago, it was chipped to about 280 bhp and it was total utter shite. As soon as turbo kicks in you loose all traction and they just spin up the front wheels
I also think with the budget you've got you'll just end up with someone elses problems

 

I had an 850 T5 i got for 1500 quid with 160K on the clock, that kept going up to 200k without any work. Once it died I replaced with a V70 T5, 84k, Volvo FSH, full black leather etc for just over 2k. The suspension was much softer than on the 850 but luckily I had removed it all before I scrapped the 850 as it had Nivomat self levelling rear suspension. I fitted that to my V70 which has stiffened it up loads. They will spin up quite easily so it's important to run decent tyres. Most people on the Volvo forums suggest running the front tyres at a higher than recommended pressure, they seem to grip better and tyre life is actually increased.