Greetings InF.anime,
I'm Ken and currently owning a used Volvo S40 2.0T end '02 model.I got this car back in 2006 ( 3 years old car that time) and trust me with 3K income you cant really survive after buying that car.You only have 2.5k left per month EXCLUDING petrol,car park,MAINTENANCE.What about your daily expenses such as food etc?
I'm not discouraging you from buying this model but to be honest..the maintenance is a problem as for a conti car.Bear in mind, the older model you get..the more $$ the maintenance is.I bought mine from Federal Auto with 80k mileage and let me tell you the history of my maintenance and costs.The car itself is maintained by FA before my ownership.
1st year of ownership ( 2006 onwards - I got the car the moment our PM announced the petrol hike)
1) Not much of an issue, just service the car at FA.Costs me around RM300
Total RM300
2nd year of ownership ( 2007 onwards)
1) Engine cooling fan broke down in Federal Highway during heavy rain - RM550 fixed at FA
2) Normal service at FA - around RM 300- RM400
3) Interior door panels were loosing and needs to be secured again.RM200 to fix back all 4 panels with clips etc
Total RM 1100
3rd year of ownership ( 2008 onwards)
1) Interior roof padding ( the entire roof padding above you) - continued to drop and eventually had to get it done outside (replaced outside) - RM 500
2) A/C switch ( to control the a/c fan speed) - failed while coming back from SG. RM 450 fixed at FA
3) Shock absorbers giving way - Spent RM1.5K for all 4 ( recond sets from 2nd hand dealer) replaced outside
4) Normal service @ RM 250 (no longer in FA as their service is $$ and their service advisers are not friendly - I had a row with one idiot there..didn't even wish me or say anything when I brought in my car..silly isnt it? Servicing a Volvo man not a BMX!
5) Repainted all the black trims around the car body - due to normal wear and tear and is fading - RM200
6) Drive shaft was rattling.Got it fixed ( not replaced) at my normal mechanic specializing in Volvo at Glenmarie and also changed all 4 engine mounting - A whopping RM3K including labor.Suspect this is due to going through some potholes and I didn't even notice them..Hmm Volvo cars are safe but are they tough??
7) Changed all 4 brake pads and brake calipers. RM 1.5K ( recond mint condition sets from 2nd hand dealer )
Total RM4650
4th year of ownership ( 2009 onwards)
1) Just yesterday - Water tank hose burst, car nearly overheat.Luckily gasket didn't burn.. - I am collecting my car later.I dont know how much will it cost - estimated around RM200 or so.. ( if I am lucky) My car spent the night at Tesco Shah Alam car park.Luckily no thieves
2) My car steering is now making noises whenever I turn left or right.This will be fixed by my mechanic during the next service interval which is round the corner.Price estimation? TBA
Total ??
Bear in mind InF.anime, I'm a careful driver and my mileage is only 12k per year.Car is 'on display in my garage' on weekends.It is not used.Whatever changes needed, I will get it fixed and just look at the car maintenance over 4 years and I have the full service history record including the previous owner.So far my car has only done an extra 35k mileage since I bought it till now.
This does not include your daily maintenance like petrol, car park,tyres,battery etc.Dont forget ROAD TAX & INSURANCE
I am currently using maintenance free battery and costs RM300 per piece.Tyre comes to about RM700 for 4 (Goodyear) You also need to maintain the leather interior of the car ( full leather) else the leather will lose it's quality and will tear.
Suggest that you look at a normal Jap or local car (MyVi) since you are a fresh graduate and just started work
You can think of Volvo once you have a higher income.
No doubt Volvo is a good safe car to drive but you need to really maintain it. Trust me and remember, the older the S40 you get, the more worries you have to look at.Mind you, phase 1 models have much more problem compared to mine which is Phase 2 model ( '01 onwards)