Car dilemmas - what do I do?

[sam1]

Help! I'm being indecisive!

We got a 2012 XC70 a few months ago when we had a little baby girl, aaawwww.

Before baby appearing, I had not long bought a 1991 940 (b230fb & manual for simplicity) as I got fed up with modern cars (this has happened before, but this time a 2005 525d did it), and my mrs had a 2009 bmw 118d.
Now baby is well and truly around, we have 3 cars and we absolutely don't need 3 but I can't decide whether to get rid of the 940 or the 118d.
Here are my points being weighed up in my brain.

Mrs bought her 118d maybe 10 years ago. It has 75k on the clock. In January last year we paid £1k to have the timing chains upgraded as a precautionary measure due to the N47 engine timing chain issues where it randomly grenades the engine (all over the web if you search for it - I was on bmw 1 series groups and there were usually at least 3 people posting pictures of their cars dead at the roadside a week with knackered timing chains). Mechanics informed me the internals were good anyway but changed chains, guides and tensioners anyway to be sound and keep the car a long time as it is simple reliable and does 50mpg all day long.
1 week later.
Mrs goes into the back of someone in the 118d, long story short car is written off by the insurers, they give us market value minus scrap and we get it back from them. We are quids in at this point as I repaired it for 150 of your finest pound sterling pence.
Baby arrives, bigger car required to fit pram and shopping etc, had to meet various criteria, ended up with xc70, very happy.

My 940 is sitting thinking why are you not using me this is making me sad. I am also killing the grass underneath me due to lack of day light and oil drippage.

The 118d does 50mpg. It is manual. It doesnt leak/use any oil. It has new tyres on the front, rears will need doing in 6 months. Changed gearbox oil, diff oil, brake fluid, full service every 12m. Will need replacement driveshafts on the rear in the next year i imagine as the abs reluctor rings are on their way out and this is the only solid fix. The number of computers and electronics scare me (i have a laptop to do diagnostics etc), which is why i bought my 940 as mentioned earlier!

But. Having to get the turbo out on the bmw i sold and bought the 940 to replace, was a ****. And had to do it twice. And change the exhaust manifold. And glow plugs, exhaust flexi, map sensor, swirl blank plugs, gearbox oil, gearbox oil thermostat the list goes on. Whereas I open the bonnet to the 940 and it doesn't have many of those things, and the things it does have i can see and touch without having to dismantle half the engine. I can get the exhaust manifold off without having to use 3 extensions on a spanner!! (assuming the bolts arent rusted in). it even has its own diagnostics led blinker right where you need it!! Sometimes I read the xxxx number of unread posts since you last logged in at the top and read horror stories of tiny electrical problems that make me want to cry, then i realise i have a 940 and life is good again

Its a no brainer that the 940 is easier and simpler to work on. But the 118d is more economical, only 30 quid tax, quieter, has cruise control.... and a/c. Insurance is much the same.
The bmw is in a better state to sell, imagine we would get about 2k probably less for it being a category S write off but in excellent condition.
The 940 is tatty but has a ton of new parts on it (all new tyres, fuel pumps, discs, pads, etc). I think it needs an ignition switch as Dave has stated in another thread but other than that it is OK.

Running costs, I do about 15k a year when I have work but covid is making this intermittent, a fuel comparison would be:
118d - 50.9 mpg average - £1,621.05. 135/mo
940 - 33.5 mpg average - £2,381.61 198/mo
£760 in favour of the BMW. Tax is about £230 cheaper for the bmw...

Financially i guess it makes sense to keep the 118 long term, but its a bit boring, and the ride is very hard, but it is nippy. Can you tell i am being indecisive !



arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

Any advice welcome and appreciated. Maybe you have been in this situation or you have decided to keep your 940 or similar instead of something newer? comedy replies also welcome.
thanks

[mark2410]

sounds like you recognise the bmw is the more sensible option but i get the tone as being you just dont really like it and prefer the 940. I think the question i would ask you is if you have both sitting in front of you which is the one you would rather drive?

[Wagon Sailor]

The XC70 is already a sensible car. Dump the Beemer. You know you want to.

[john.wigley]

Fuel consumption is not everything, Sam. If your annual mileage is small , I would be inclined to keep the 940 for it's simplicity. If it is high, then simple economics might favour retaining the BMW.

Regards, John.

[T5R92011]

The 118d is the missus car right?

I can't see many women prefering to drive a Volvo 940 over a BMW 118d. I feel women tend to prefer a car for how it looks than the substance of it. Not in every case, but in most I've come across.

My ex would be horrified if I suggested selling her C30 in exchange for 940.

[andy_d]

bwm for sale
keep the 2 volvos

why,
Neither have an engine with timing chain grenade engines , so the mrs/baby are not going to be left stuck,
enjoy the 940
fight the mrs for the keys of the xc70

**be prepared to "have" to trade the 940 in for a 2nd XC70 when you cant get the keys back,,,




but seriously , Bin the bmw , you dont Need to be one of THOSE spewing out the noxious fumes diesels do , esp with a baby on board,

[Laird Scooby]

Dump the carcinogen spewing BMW, convert the 940 to LPG and enjoy similar running costs to the diseasel, all problems solved and i know what i'd rather have my missus and new baby in (if i had either) if the worst happened and an accident happened!

Remember that Top Gear episode when Clarkson and Co had to each buy a car for £x and drive it from various locations to do various tests and the last test was driving into a brick wall?

The only car to drive away after demolishing said wall was Clarksons - he had a 760 which is a thinly disguised 940 - need i say more?

[37 RUBY]

Based on your fuel consumption maths, the 940 is £2.13 is dearer to run per week than the BMW.
So one crapucchino from Buckstars or Costafortune coffee.

However, you only need a few components to fail on the BMW and you can quickly wave goodbye to that advantage.

Some cars can make memories to reminisce about. To my mind the BMW 1 series is not one of those vehicles but the Volvo 940 is, a car with longevity in mind but with character that can bring a smile to a strangers face.

They say not to go with your heart with vehicles but just occasionally I think you should.

[paddy74]

If it were me, the decision wouldn't be really hard.

If the 940 has at least a driver airbag and you can surely avoid, that wife and/or kid are using the 940, than keep it and give the BMW away to someone who likes these cars.

For me it is mostly about safety. I wouldn't let wife or kid drive in a car with no window and side airbags. And I wouldn't drive it myself as a daily driver, if it doesn't have at least a driver airbag.

I had a 940 15 years ago and traded it in (together with an old 855) for my first XC90. Looking back once or twice a year, when I see a really great one, but nonetheless for a daily driver, I want at least modern safety.

[volvo always]

Safety for me would be number one for me if I had a family.

The Volvo 940 was great in it's day but safety has come a long way in 20-30 years. I suspect in an offset crash the 940 front pillar would bend and dash move to crush your legs. The one good thing about the 940 is the great visibility, hopefully you'll avoid the accident. Mine has ABS and a 24 year old drivers airbag.

For me, if I had a partner and kids, I would only let her drive my newer 2015 Toyota Auris Estate.

I would sell the BMW, and buy something more reliable.

I have a 1996 Volvo 940 and use it as my works van as self employed in property maintenance.

James.