Used Car Face-Off: Northern European Speed Wagons Edition

"Amoore100" (amoore100) 09/25/2015 at 20:44 • Filed to: Used Car Face-Off, Saab, 9-5, Volvo, V70R, Volkswagen, Passat W8

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Euro Used Car Face-Off this week is a contest of wagons, yet again, but today, we have three more esoteric wagons from 2004, two Swede and one German, all oriented towards performance more than practicality. Will the perfect one for you come with four, five, or eight cylinders? Here are the options:

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This quite pristine rare Glacier Blue Metallic 9-5 wagon comes with only 101k miles, a manual transmission, and a 250 horsepower turbo 4...however, does its FWD driving habits and somewhat high price drive you away?

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Here we have a similarly nice Volvo V70R, the epitome of fast Euro wagons...this one is an automagic with the optional third row seat for smashing children into the tailgate under acceleration...it has obviously been owned by a Volvo guy because of the Euro front plate and moose sticker, but does its slushbox and 161K miles make it less nice than the other Swede?

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Well, here’s everyone’s favorite rare bird...the VW W8 Passat wagon...designed to fill the gap between the regular Passat and the Phaeton, the W8 Passats ended up being a sales failure due to its notorious service costs...however, this one is the cheapest of the three at $5K and its 120K miles is still relatively low...is it nice enough to beat the two Swedes though?

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CB > Amoore100 09/25/2015 at 20:50

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W8 means I can’t drive it.

No spaceball means no go.

Which really only leaves one option: bring on the torque steer!

M54B30 > Amoore100 09/25/2015 at 20:51

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Volvo because the front plate is from my grandparents town

dogisbadob > Amoore100 09/25/2015 at 20:51

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I love this color!!!! More cars need to be available in seafoam green!

dogisbadob > Amoore100 09/25/2015 at 20:52

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yay a third seat

dogisbadob > Amoore100 09/25/2015 at 20:52

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I voted the Saab

Amoore100 > CB 09/25/2015 at 21:02

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That’s what I figured...although perhaps the torque steer might be a bigger turn off than no spaceball...

Amoore100 > M54B30 09/25/2015 at 21:02

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Cool! Where would that be?

Amoore100 > dogisbadob 09/25/2015 at 21:02

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Totally agree. Beautiful on this Saab as well...

Amoore100 > dogisbadob 09/25/2015 at 21:02

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yay no leg room

Amoore100 > dogisbadob 09/25/2015 at 21:02

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Me too.

CB > Amoore100 09/25/2015 at 21:03

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Lies. If you’re getting a V70R, go all the way and get one with the spaceball.

Alex B > Amoore100 09/25/2015 at 21:03

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I like the Saab the best. Volvo is too common, VW doesn’t look too well maintained.

The Saab has this weird appeal.

dogisbadob > Amoore100 09/25/2015 at 21:03

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Yup! You can’t beat that seafoam green and manual transmission :)

dogisbadob > Amoore100 09/25/2015 at 21:04

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It’s good enough for kids tho

BaconSandwich is tasty. > dogisbadob 09/25/2015 at 21:12

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That’s one reason I love the Tesla Model S - optional jump seats in the back.

dogisbadob > BaconSandwich is tasty. 09/25/2015 at 21:13

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Yup! I wish more new cars had them. For now, it’s only the Model S and the E-class wagon.

Amoore100 > Alex B 09/25/2015 at 21:13

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Totally. The W8 will never get you anywhere, the V70R is super well maintained but kinda boring, and the Saab is a pristine and unique speed wagon...slap a new badge onto the peeling front one and I’d DD it for many years...

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Amoore100 09/25/2015 at 21:14

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None...

I’d rather an E46 Touring. Even if it isn't as fast as any of these.

Amoore100 > dogisbadob 09/25/2015 at 21:14

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Short ones.

Amoore100 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 09/25/2015 at 21:15

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Party pooper. ;)

BaconSandwich is tasty. > dogisbadob 09/25/2015 at 21:15

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Huh. I never knew the e-class wagon had them. Growing up my parents had a Buick LeSabre wagon. It was often a battle among siblings to sit in the back.

whoarder is tellurium > Amoore100 09/25/2015 at 21:16

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Lol “Egg”. The best thing is that since this is MN, that plate will stay with the car forever.

Also, W8 Passat 4Motion wagon makes me weak at the knees.

Amoore100 > whoarder is tellurium 09/25/2015 at 21:17

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Why are MN plates forever? Is it not the case in other states? And the W8 will probably make you weak in the wallet as well as the knees...

dogisbadob > BaconSandwich is tasty. 09/25/2015 at 21:19

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Yup! And Audi and Volvo only discontined them quite recently, no more than 5-10 years ago.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Amoore100 09/25/2015 at 21:19

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Maybe, maybe, if the Saab wasn’t teal over grey I’d pick it.

Gun to head have to pick one? The silver moose.

dogisbadob > Amoore100 09/25/2015 at 21:20

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Maybem but by the time they outgrow the third seat, you’ve outgrown the car and need a minivan anyway.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Amoore100 09/25/2015 at 21:24

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I hate to say it but the Passat looks the best to me inside and out. The W8 should deter me, but it only makes it more interesting.

M54B30 > Amoore100 09/25/2015 at 21:27

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Weiden, in a part of Germany known as the Oberpfalz. Roughly located 30 miles from where the Czech Republic cuts into Germany the most. Very rural

Alex B > Amoore100 09/25/2015 at 21:28

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Plus my Grandparents used to have a Saab 9-5 and I liked that so this appeals to me more.

whoarder is tellurium > Amoore100 09/25/2015 at 21:31

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In MN, the plates stay with the car till its off the road. Some other states are different.

Like FL, if you’re selling your own car, you can remove your plate at time of sale and transfer it (still under your name) to the next car you buy. Otherwise, if you don’t save the plate or have one in possession, you pay out the ass for a new one when you register. (ask me how I know)

Amoore100 > M54B30 09/26/2015 at 00:48

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Cool! I wonder if the seller has a similar backstory or if it’s just an Ebay trinket...

Amoore100 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 09/26/2015 at 00:49

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Then you’d better keep your Toyota truck if you want something you can actually drive :)

Amoore100 > dogisbadob 09/26/2015 at 00:50

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We have both a minivan and a V70 T5...

Amoore100 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 09/26/2015 at 00:50

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Just don’t touch the Passat.

dogisbadob > Amoore100 09/26/2015 at 10:43

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Cool! What kind of minivan?

Amoore100 > dogisbadob 09/26/2015 at 23:01

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The third generation Odyssey, possibly the best of the modern minivans...smooth, pretty good handling, nice interior, reliable, and quick (for a van...) Makes good VTEC noises as well because sometimes you really have to rev it up to get power (cue the Honda engine jokes...)

dogisbadob > Amoore100 09/26/2015 at 23:11

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Well yeah, VTEC is the reason you buy a Honda ;)

How has the transmission held up?

Amoore100 > dogisbadob 09/26/2015 at 23:34

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Not bad, surprisingly, after ten years and 140K miles...shifts can be a bit clunky when the car is cold, but it gets smoother after that and we have never had any transmission issues...we did once destroy an engine by putting too little oil in it but that was user error...