Reliability of 4/5 year old car?

mikeoc85

Hi all,

Apologies for the long post

My wife and I are about to have 3 young children in car seats. We now need a larger car and have been sopping the market for the past 2 months. We had narrowed our search down to X5, VW All Space, Santa Fe or XC90 of the of cars we liked within our budget.

We wanted all 3 baby seats to fit across the middle row and it turns out surprisingly that the X5 and VW All Space couldn't accommodate that. That leaves the XC90 and Santa Fe

Within our budget there are 2018 and 2019 XC90s with roughly 110,000 miles on the clock or Santa Fe's with 60,000 miles on the clock. Both would be Diesel and would be purchased through dealers with full service history and 1 year warranty's.

From a practicality standpoint the XC90 still probably leads it as it has the option of the 7 seats and has a lot more boot space than the Santa Fe or Sorento but again it's just the reliability question.

So I suppose my question is, from peoples experience, will a premium diesel 2019 Volvo at 110,000 miles be as reliable as a 2020 Santa Fe that have 60,000 miles? Any advice or experience would be really appreciated?

Pauljmeh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058360095/reliability-of-4-5-year-old-car

How many older hyundais do you see on the road? There is a reason for this

If you want reliability then Toyota, Lexus, VW, Mercedes or BMW

frank730

owner of 2014 santa fe with 280000km, no problem at all, never had to spend money on anything outside routine maintenance. more reliable then germans and cheaper to maintain.

Pauljmeh

I was researching also and this will give you an idea OP

https://www.whatcar.com/news/reliability-survey-most-reliable-7-seaters/n26157

DoctorEdgeWild

Maintenance matters more than the badge on the front, the mileage or just about anything else. Maintenance above all else! A well maintained car (good mechanic, good owner, preferably both) will last a lifetime. Don't focus too much on things like stamps in books, dealer history etc. Although those things are definitely nice, they are just stamps in a booklet. If the previous owner has kept receipts for all work done, services that occur at regular intervals, it's a massive green flag.

Congratulations on the upcoming new arrival (the baby, not the car).

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122391769#Comment_122391769

Mercedes or BMW😂😂😂

Pauljmeh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122392136#Comment_122392136

Well they pass the eye test, I see a lot more 2010 BMWs on the road than I do KIAs or Hyundais

geotrig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122392198#Comment_122392198

doesnt mean they are any more reliable just maybe more sold !, for what its worth i see plenty of kia's hyundai's around that are circa 10-12 years old

Soc_Alt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122392198#Comment_122392198

Youare paying extortionate prices for parts on both BMW and Mercedes.

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122392129#Comment_122392129

Yes but there’s an “and also” to add- as the thread title is about 4/5 year old cars, certainly a full service history is an excellent start- however in my experience, it’s around this time (4-5 years) that other parts of the car start to wear or problems start to emerge on an otherwise trouble free history.

Whether it’s suspension issues, turbo issues air conditioning etc you can go through a few years - around years 5-7 in particular- where every year there’s yet another set of things to replace or things go wrong for the first time.

goochy

I just don't see how someone can be deciding between a santa fe and xc90 . Apples and oranges really

DonalB1

Have a friend good who is a mechanic and he swears against Volvo XC90s and reckons they're as bad as the Range Rovers for problems. Break pads close to 2k and constant electrical issues. Happy to hear input from anyone with one or mechanics who have knowledge as they're a fine looking vehicle

Raichų

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122392136#Comment_122392136

I was about to say what are they dreaming?

And with a new baby it’s definitely a super smart move to buy a car with premium parts 🤣 nearly bought a jaguar until my neighbour told me he broke a taillight with a €2.5k repair bill.

My last work the manager has a BMW, I believe she said a new headlamp for the NCT skinned her some €500.. 🤣

mikeoc85

We currently have a BMW and have had ones previously and parts are a bit more expensive but I've never felt they're over the top tbh.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122392129#Comment_122392129

Thank you for this, very insightful and appreciate the well wishes :)

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122392930#Comment_122392930

Reason for this is they're the only two we can see really that fit 3 baby seats across, except for the likes of the Smax etc which I really don't like.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122393375#Comment_122393375

This is very worrying and something we heard too regarding Volvos, was hoping XC90 would be different

Dirty Nails

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122392930#Comment_122392930

One having twice the mileage of the other makes the two of them either apples or oranges I;d say.

Or maybe even lemons :)

ednwireland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122392198#Comment_122392198

Try driving one , I see loads, last service just needed fluids and filters ,10 year old ceed. Had everything done when needed which hasn't been much.

My old Skoda always needed something.

Buddy Bubs

Wouldnt a Hyundai be well under manufacturers warranty still and be the more sensible choice if it suits the lifestyle ok?

9935452

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122393383#Comment_122393383

A friend had a 2012 avensis. Led drl went in it 380 for a new headlight

mikeoc85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122393550#Comment_122393550

This has been my experience also, I've had high spec BMWs for close to a decade and never given any trouble and when something does need replacing it's roughly 20% more than a Toyota, Nissan …but that's the price you'd expect for a premium car

raxy

Have you considered picking your favourite kids & just leaving the third with someone? Might solve the problem 😉

Some other options according to this https://www.carzone.ie/motoring-advice/cars-that-can-take-three-child-seats/2085

Raichų

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122393550#Comment_122393550

yeah and as I say if your jaguar loses a taillight you’re gonna pay €2,500. €380 doesn’t seem too bad.

Also an LED light cant have bulbs changed you replace the whole unit. Thats obviously more expensive than replacing a bulb.

mikeoc85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122393573#Comment_122393573

You'd be surprised how much we've joked about that ….'joked'🤪

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122391769#Comment_122391769

A strange list, and an inaccurate one.

Toyota and Lexus, yes, fine.

VWs are in general not high in reliability surveys, but the Škoda brand from the stable is.

Mercedes and BMW are middling in their reliability record. If you follow the maintenance schedule to the letter and with high quality consumables, they will serve you pretty well. But when things do begin to go wrong, it tends to be big and it tends to be very expensive. That goes for Volvo too.

Hyundai and Kia are very good cars, and higher than average in reliability.

dmcdona

Bought a 2019 30K mile XC90 a few months back (petrol hybrid). Took it to Volvo for a full inspection (it had been serviced last September). They were at it for at least 2 hours so it was very thorough. There was nothing needed doing apart from tyres are on the way out (which I knew). They were able to tell me that the last time the brake fluid was changed was over their 2 year recommended interval (that's booked in for the next service now). The point being that if you go to an authorised Volvo service centre, they know everything about the car. I've not had one single issue with the car so far.

As a slight aside, but something you should consider with 3 kids would be safety. I'd put that just above reliability to be honest if it were me. I can't imagine any typical accident where I wouldn't just walk away. Its built like a tank. I have the all various software safety features and it has already proved its worth in the supermarket car park where some eejit was booting up the road as I was reversing out of my parking space - my car automatically braked.

I've also had dealings with Volvo UK on software issues (its an import) and they've bent over backwards to help solve the problem - FOC.

I do get that repairs/servicing etc. may not be cheap with the Volvo, but you get what you pay for. Buy cheap, buy twice.

Space, comfort, driveability - absolutely no complaints, both local trips and long trips (500km in a day).

Not sure how the interior would fare with ice-cream and a load of Tayto though.

mikeoc85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122393858#Comment_122393858

thanks for this it’s very helpful

my main concern is the reliability with 110km on the clock

do you mind me asking, and feel free to ignore if this is too personal, but how much did you pay or what savings were made from importing from uk?

we looked into it but from my calculations it seemed to work out more expensive unless it had been in Northern Ireland privately for 3 months?

I have no problem buying 5 year old cars plus but for certain brands they would have to be extremely low mileage, I bought my 5 series at 5 years old with 40k km on it and I will be looking to do the same for the next car.

I wouldn't buy a 5 year old BMW/Mercedes/Jag/Audi/Volvo etc with over 100k km on it.

As other have said these cars just have more stuff in them to go wrong.

The premium you pay for an extremely low mileage example will be more than saved in repair bills v higher mileage example if your going to keep for say 5 years.

Japanese I have no problem buying any mileage

baxterooneydoody

If I'm not mistaken the 90 boasts (or used to) a record of never having been in a fatal crash so safety is one of the things I'd be looking at as well op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122394069#Comment_122394069

Is it 110km or miles? Your first post said miles

easygoing39

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122393375#Comment_122393375

Here's a selection of front brake pads for a XC90,don't see any for €2,000!!!

https://www.auto-doc.ie/car-parts/brake-pad-set-10130/volvo/xc-90/xc90-ii/138715-d5-drive-polestar-awd?criteria%5B100%5D%5B%5D=VA

mickdw

I could see discs and pads all round hitting 2k at main dealer prices. But of course, these things can be done an awful lot cheaper while still using quality parts.

fits

do the Hyundai/ Kia not have a 7 year warranty? I’d go for the Santa Fe myself. Or a sorento.

Don’t rule out the likes of a galaxy. Sliding doors are very convenient.

mikeoc85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122394363#Comment_122394363

it’s miles, apologies

Wildly Boaring

I know it's not on your list, but having gone through the same thing three years ago, we ended up with a Honda CRV. Getting three car seats across the back of most cars is impossible. No reliability issues with our car so far anyway

i've had plenty of older premium cars. BMWs can have their issues.

fits

sliding doors are very very convenient as well when you have car seats. Try getting bucket seats out of both sides in many car parks!

OfflerCrocGod

We have a SEAT Alhambra. It's been great, I would have preferred electric but there weren't any 7 seaters available at the time.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122394406#Comment_122394406

I wouldn't touch it man, imo you will just be buying someone elses about to be problem.

My issue would not be with the engine or gearbox, if serviced properly that's no issue. It's all the electrics and other stuff that invariably will start to go wrong over the next 40k miles

geotrig

I will throw another car that I'm fairly sure could take 3 seats in the back … and i quiet like them as well citroen C5 aircross

pgj2015

Are Ford still reliable? I had a 1.6 petrol 2002 focus for 4 years, a ball joint was all I ever had to replace on it, great car.

easygoing39

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122394528#Comment_122394528

2015 Fiesta here on 80,000 Miles,nothing replaced yet outside of oil,filter's,brake pads/disc's.Passed last NCT with no advisor notes.

RINO87

We were in a similar situation this time last year...a 3 year old and newborn twins....

Took a gamble on a 2005 XC90 and it's been fantastic. I had a fair idea of what to look out for on these, but still a near 20 year old car as a daily is always a gamble.

Its been pretty flawless so far, we've out about 20k km on it in the year, serviced it, changed gearbox oil etc myself but that's been about it....touch wood!

They layout of the xc90 is great, the now 4 year old and 1 year old twins fit in the middle row no problem. The boot is HUGE with the back row folded, and can still fit a double buggy with the back seats up. Extra seats handy for cousins and friends (not adults tho!) Middle seat in the middle row has a built in booster too which is handy. You can remove part of the centre console in the front, and slide the middle booster seat all the way forward, so the 4 year old feels like she is up front. Pockets and storage everywhere.

Yes it's sluggish enough, but it's a big safe comfortable tank!!

Tax is it's worst downfall.

Pauljmeh

OP has asked about the reliability of this car?

and people are suggesting this.

I think it's fair to ask, has anyone here got a Volvo XC90 or is anyone here a mechanic, what are the known issues with one of these cars that has a full service history and how reliable are they in comparison to other luxury vehicles like BMW, Mercedes etc?

Personally I struggle to understand how a car that has more expensive parts and retails at twice the cost of a Hyundai/Skoda could be less reliable. If they were the pieces of junk that they're made out to be here then why are there so many of them that are 10+ years old on the road?

CMOTDibbler

There was a lot of trouble (electrical I think) with ones around 2016 vintage. But earlier and later ones didn't have this afaik.

I think a lot of the unreliability talk derives from this particular model year.

But best to do a lot of Googling and maybe look at some of the owner's forums.

fits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122395392#Comment_122395392

I suggested this. Drove one a few years ago and I think they are class. I almost bought an xc90 a few years ago too but went with a q5 which ended up needing a new engine so… you win some you lose some. Still have the q5.

Pauljmeh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122395622#Comment_122395622

It wasn't meant as a dig and obviously people are taking their time out trying to be helpful. i personally like the Galaxy but seems like the OP has ruled MPVs out

There seems to be a lot of hate for luxury cars, obviously there's a premium to be paid for parts but if the likes of Volvo and BMW were as unreliable as people say then people wouldn't be spending big money on them.

The Discoverys are case and point, luxury brand but because they're unreliable they're about 30% cheaper for same year, mileage and spec.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122395392#Comment_122395392

If you think that a car will be more reliable just because it is more expensive to buy then you would be mistaken. Generally speaking the more expensive a car is to buy the less reliable its going to be and the more its going to cost to fix. Obviously there are some out liars like Lexus

Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Suzuki, cheap to buy, cheap to fix, and reliable.

BMW, Mercedes, Porshce, Land Rover, expensive to buy, expensive to fix, not very reliable.

And then you have a middle ground like VW, Skoda, Hyundai, Ford, Opel, reasonably affordable and reasonable cheap to fix. Not the most reliable cars on the road but they do good overall

Pauljmeh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122395782#Comment_122395782

But this is my point, basically you're saying that the cheapest cars are the most reliable and the most expensive are least reliable. When you look on our roads, the more expensive cars are the most common in the 10+ years age bracket.

People associate reliability with cost to fix when they're two different things.

Are there any mechanics here who can give first hand experience?

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122396374#Comment_122396374

I’m sorry but claiming the majority of 10+ year old cars on our roads are more expensive brands is completely anecdotal and untrue. I checked Donedeal and there are 2000 Toyotas for sale over 10 years old. 1400 Mercs and 1400 BMW’s. So your theory isn’t stacking up at all.

User1998

And you can’t compare BMW Audi or Merc to the likes of Honda Suzuki or Mazda because they were never sold in big numbers here hence why you wouldn’t see that many older ones on the road

mankteln

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122396436#Comment_122396436

There's surely more Toyotas sold each year though so it's not really comparing like with like. I do think you see more older premium makes still going but a big part of that is definitely perceived value (owning a premium make is achievable after depreciation) and the fact that they're still comfortable places to be even when they're old.

I know NCT pass rates based on age, make and model are available as I remember seeing it before but don't have it to hand (think it was a giant spread sheet of statistics). This website has it until 2017 so not completely recent but if you look at 2000-2017 mercedes has the second highest pass rate behind Kia:

My own anecdotal experience over the last 4 years has been that my 2007 Merc has cost me less in repairs than our Nissan that's 7 years younger.

https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/idiro.analytics/viz/NCT2017Top20Makes/NCT2017-20MostPopularMakes

mankteln

When I say more older premium makes still going I mean as a proportion of the numbers originally sold btw. You'd definitely see more of some of the other brands, Toyota in particular.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122397205#Comment_122397205

In proportion with the numbers sold is fair enough. That being said I would imagine a 20 year old Toyota or Nissan is far more likely to be scrapped and crushed than a 20 year old Merc or BMW since they are worth so much less? Like people would have no problem scraping a €300 Yaris compared to a €1500 Merc or BMW? That might be a contributing factor as to why premium brands are kept on the road