Wow - lots of people seem to hate their Volvos - let me tell you a different story...

I've had 3 Volvos - 2 V70 T5's and a 240. I *love* the V70's and the 240 is 'family'. The first one was a '98 and it had the A/C problem, and the ABS controller. It had about 100k on it when I got rid of it for a truck. A year later, I dumped the truck and got an '01 V70 T5 - with the warranty. The trans went bad at 83k, but according to the dealer, that was the only thing that ever failed on the car since it was new, and they even let me look at the service records. (They sold the car new and had been the only location to ever service it...) Unfortunately, I was the owner that it failed with. Fortunately - the warranty covered it.

I don't know about the Cross Country... Never needed 4-wd in my wagons, so I never gave them a second look.

People seem to forget that these things are MACHINES - and machines WILL FAIL. There is not a car built that won't need some work done. Every single car has an achillies heel or three. Volvo's have some expensive things to watch out for, but they can generally be avoided by taking care of the car to begin with. That means don't hot-rod them out with chips, springs and the like until you are damn willing to replace the parts that WILL fail due to the increased stress. Also - if you buy used - expect a used car. The higher the mileage, the more you should expect. This goes for ANY car. As for the evep/condensor repair? Ask any mechanic worth their salt and they'll tell you the same thing: eventually, EVERY CAR MADE will need this repair. It is the nature of the beast.

Another thing to remember: People come to sites like this to look for resolution to a problem that they are having. How many people cruise the websites looking for enthusiast pages to brag about how wonderful their car is? Looking at sites like this is an invaluable resource when it comes to fixing things, but generally it is a very poor idea to research a car for a purchase. Instead, look at sites like Edmunds, Consumer Reports, or some of the other auto-mag sites. For that matter, google "V70 reviews" and look at what you get.

The Mazda 6?!?!?? It is a goddam tin can that buzzes like a chainsaw at highway speeds. (I test drove the 6 SportWagon before I bought my '01 T5.) Same with a Honda Accord. The Audi wagon also has some maintenance things that you should be aware of - same goes for the VW. Look at the size of the cars - the Volvo is much bigger. Look at the performance of the cars - the Volvo is usually faster and handles better - especially in the T5 trim or the R. Reliability? At 75k-100k, they're all about dead even. I get 26 mpg at 80 mph on the interstate, and do so while sitting in what has to be the best seats ever made for a car, mounted to one of the safest vehicles on the road. Did I mention that it not only hauls 20 bags of mulch back to the house without breaking a sweat, but also hauls some major ass?

Hell, I even picked up a mail-order big-block Chevy V-8 with my '98 V70. Stuffed that thing right in the back - you should have seen the look on the loading-dock worker's face.... Try and do that with any of the other wagons out there - they'd whimper and crumble at the mere mention of having to do actual 'wagon work'.

Test drive them all and the decision will become crystal clear. From that point, you only need to decide what trim level your new Volvo wagon will be.