Help us decide what to do with our cars

[greenmom4]

Background:

We have 3 vehicles - all owned outright. A 1998 Volvo station wagon, has 220k miles on it and we just dumped 4k into it in maintenance a month ago, which is more than it's worth. A 2002 Acura sedan - in fabulous shape, but the climate control doesn't work. It takes premium gas. A motorcycle of my dh's - he bought it for 2500 last year and had knee surgery a few months ago so he rarely rides it anymore. We have 3 kids - 6, 4 and 1.

We're at a spot where we can downsize to one vehicle and I just am not sure what to do. I know we don't want a car payment.

[pbjmama]

How hot is it where you live?
How much do you think you could get for each vehicle?

[greenmom4]

It can get freaking hot. My bigger concern, though, is that we HAVE to get that fixed eventually because the defrost doesn't work, either. It's the blower, because the air right by the vents are cool (or warm), but it doesn't blow out.

My guesses for selling prices would be

Volvo: $3000ish
Acura: $9000ish
Motorcycle: $2000ish

I should also add that my husband will drive the car once or twice a week about 45 min each way on the highway to Santa Fe for work. The rest of the time it will just be used around town (5-10 miles a day, if that).

[pbjmama]

Based on that info I would sell the motorcycle and the acura. You could get something nice for that amount and then decide about the volvo. I'm a big fan of volvos personally and your car probably still has alot of life left in it!

[rootzdawta]

I think you should sell all the vehicles. I know a little about Volvos because that was my first car. They are good solid cars but when they get older and need work and parts, they continue to be a huge money suck. The parts are super expensive. Service is also something to worry about. I'm not familiar with Acuras but with the $14,000 you could get from selling all the cars, at least where I am, I think I could get something decent.

[Drummer's Wife]

I think I would sell all 3 and buy something newer than the 02 Acura with the money you make. Then your DH would have a reliable vehicle for the drive to Santa Fe (I have to do this a couple times a week starting next month and am worried about my car that has 220K miles). Then you shouldn't have to be putting any money in for repairs - 4k is a lot to spend on the Volvo - I know they are nice, I had an older one, too - but it seems like once you have to get work done, you are likely to keep having to and it ends up not being worth it.

[greenmom4]

I love the Volvo, but was not impressed when we had to pay that much this summer - it's more in yearly maintenance than the car is worth!

The lure of the minivan is calling to me...

[Ianthe]

I'd sell all 3 and get 2 cheaper, but reliable (maybe an older honda, toyota or subaru), cars.

[Drummer's Wife]

14k would get you a nice, used minivan. I've been looking at them on CL and autotrader recently.

[mnnice]

I'd sell the Acura and the bike and buy a smaller, newer, higher MPG car than anything in your current fleet. Just make certain that it fits three car seats/boosters. Then I would keep your Volvo as your "town car" until it had another costly issue and then get rid of it (obviously it might me worth nearly nothing at that point, but I'd be okay with that). I would also just carry liability insurance on it unless comp and collison was super cheap.

[Selesai]

I would sell the acura and motorcycle then plan your next car purchase while driving the Volvo. Because you just pt $4k into it, if you can make that money "pay off" for a while, then that would be helpful. But, if the car breaks down and you don't want to do anymore repairs, you will need to know at that time what you want so as to avoid being stranded.
I would also check to see whether you should fix the climate control on the acura before selling-- i.e. whether it's worth it financially.

[Logan's Mom]

Originally Posted by Selesai

I would sell the acura and motorcycle then plan your next car purchase while driving the Volvo. Because you just pt $4k into it, if you can make that money "pay off" for a while, then that would be helpful.