What's my 850 2.3 T5 CDI Auto Estate Worth?

[bg1175802]

The upcoming expansion of the ULEZ zone to Greater London is forcing the sale of my beloved Aubergine beast. Auto trader seems to suggest it's worth somewhere between £2k and £6k, but where? Born in 1996, she's done 130,000 miles, and been mine since 2003 (3 owners)
I thought it would be worth posting here to similar Volvo lovers to get a suitably inflated valuation!
Thanks for any advice you can give.
Brian

[ITSv40]

Photos would help. It may be a big old thirsty auto estate and worth three parts of b*gger all or it could be an immaculate very desirable enthusiasts car and be worth a small fortune.

[capt jack]

No seriously, it's really hard to put a value on any older car. If it's showroom immaculate (the real OED definition, not the Ebay one!!) with a full documented history, zero faults or hidden nasties, a full advisory-free MoT then possibly £5k would be achievable.

On the other hand some would say that it's just be a big, old fashioned gas-guzzler that no-one in their right mind would want!

One issue is the ULEZ thing - that immediately cuts out other city dwellers - and not just in London.

It also depends upon where you advertise it - on Gumtree and Ebay people are looking for cheap bargains, whereas a good ad on Car and Classic or Autotrader somehow feels to be a better bet for a higher price.

If it's any indication, our S70 (1998, 235,000 miles, 2.5 auto non-turbo, good but not perfect) has a £5k agreed insurance value, but I don't think anyone would actually pay that much for one. Being realistic I think we'd be lucky to get say £2k were we to advertise it as a private sale. But of course agreed value is all about what it would cost to replace the car from a dealer.

As someone who is thinking that it might be time to move on from my elderly and venerable S90, I think a car like yours would catch my interest up to about £3,000. Much more than that and I'd view it as dealer territory and be expecting a warranty of sorts, rather than a private sale.

Of course that's just my opinion - hopefully others will be along with thoughts, and you'll be able to arrive at your own sensible conclusion.

Cheers

Jack

[bg1175802]

Thanks for the advice guys, as a result of your comments, and because I have already bought a replacement car, I'm now putting it up for sale here for £2900. Unfortunately the pictures I have attached are upside down and I'm at a loss to fix it (they are fine on my PC) maybe you can rotate them. I can always send these and many more via What's App.

First the car negatives:-
The a/c and the cruise control do not work.
The Volvo service history*ended in 2003 when I purchased it and serviced it myself (ex aircraft engineer).*
The glove box cover latch broke so it is fiddly to open.
The bumpers have gone patchy with fading.
The return spring of the storage compartment cover is broken.
The driver's door will not stay latched open.
The passenger sun visor does not spring fully back when in the unused position.
*
On the plus side:-
The bodywork is virtually immaculate, with about 3 very minor blemishes and the remains of a stag decal.
The engine performance is as new. As old school I've never trusted garages to properly drain and flush the engine oil, and I've always used the most expensive oil. I also only fill up with higher octane fuel. I never "floor" it from a standing start or when the*engine is cold.*Timing belt and tensioner, and auxiliary drive belt changed by Volvo garage at 80,000 miles.
These are surely the best colours for this car, inside and out!
This car is garaged day and night, and has been since 2003.
I have kept all the receipts of spares bought and have a detailed*record of the work done.

This car comes with:-
All Leather Upholstery
Alloy Wheels
Animal Guard
Computer (driver information system)
Electric Driver's Seat
Electric Windows (front and rear)
Heated Front seats
In Car Entertainment (radio, cassette and 6 CD player)
Rear Armrest/Child Seat
Snow chains
Sunroof (electric, glass tilt and slide)

Sorry, mileage is 136,000 not 130,000 as mentioned earlier.

I'm just north of Heathrow Airport.

Thanks for reading,*questions welcome and other*pictures available via What'sApp.

Brian
07961808027*

[bg1175802]

More loaded pictures - hopefully the correct way up!

[bg1175802]

Even more pics

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by bg1175802

First the car negatives:-
The a/c and the cruise control do not work.
The Volvo service history*ended in 2003 when I purchased it and serviced it myself (ex aircraft engineer).*
The glove box cover latch broke so it is fiddly to open.
The bumpers have gone patchy with fading.
The return spring of the storage compartment cover is broken.
The driver's door will not stay latched open.
The passenger sun visor does not spring fully back when in the unused position.

I would say from the pictures and description, you describe 7 negatives of which 6 I would say where "titter and sh*t" for a 20+ year old car.

The a/c might just be a re-gas and the cruise control the brake pedal switch...

Interesting the MOT history has no fails or advisory for corrosion related issues. Very interesting - the only car I've ever seen pass but with a "Dangerous" advisory which technically means you can't drive it. I read that as a very fussy tester rather than a serious problem.

On the face of it - sounds a really nice car and sound basis for a modern classic. Good luck with the sale. Personally I would change the fading number plates - they will make the car look much better in the pics.

[Pupbelly]

A very nice honest looking car, colour might not be to everyone's liking but I think its a top car. Agree on the number plates, but keep the original ones just in case someone wants the nostalgia.
Stick firm on the price though, its too nice to just give away to someone who isn't going to cherish it properly.

[Tannaton]

How to sell a car like that, if you're not in a rush, and get the best price.

- Decide what you think it's worth - £2,900 you say.

- Decide what you would knock off, should be less than 10% of the value, lets say £200 in this case.

- Add the above two - £3,100 - advertise the car at that.

- If anyone comes to see it, and want to buy it, if they haggle then knock off the £200 but NO MORE. You don't need to explain anything to them, just simply if you want to buy it today it's £x - take it or leave it.

- If after a week it's not sold, reduce the price by £200 - go to step 2.....

At some point, someone will buy it.... it's worth explaining what you're doing to prospective buyers - they can then decide whether they wait for a lower price at the risk of losing the car.

My guess would be you will get 5 people who just want a cheap estate car to 1 enthusiast who will pay for that car as it's in good nick and there isn't many of them left....

[Ross 63]

Looks like a lovely machine. It has the usual "saggy ar*e" syndrome these all suffer from. I just did the springs and shocks on my 940 at the weekend and it makes the world of difference.

I don't think any of your negative points are even worth bargaining on. It's a 27 year old car after all. All of those points are more common than not.

Just one on the positives: if the timing belt was done at 80k miles, it's at least 17 years old and about 12 years overdue. Still, I think it's worth £2750-£3000 of anybody's money.

Good luck with the sale.