Be patient, I just saw this on our local Craigslist:

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ram/cto/4280585339.html

S40, 2004 - This is the first gen 2004 body style. The car is silver with tan leather interior, power drivers seat and a power moonroof. The motor is the 1.9 turbo and it has 89,000 miles. We have had the timing service done and many of the regular oil changes and check ups performed at Borton Volvo. The car runs well and has no known mechanical issues. There are a few dings and dents on the car and other small cosmetic blemishes typical for the age of the car, but it is in nice shape overall. Please email with questions.

Asking $5200, but we are open to reasonable offers.

I prefer the S70 to the 854, just because the window lifts are in the door handle rather than the center console. Picky, picky.

Nothing wrong with the 99-00 except the coil overs and the variable timing.

Two expensive items to worry about: Auto tranny and AC evaporator. Check the ATF color, brown is not good and black is a no buy (the yellow dipstick is under the fresh air intake behind the radiator on the driver's side).

Before you turn on the ignition, set the cabin blower in the auto position as well as the vent selector. Make sure you do not get the blinking lights of death (yellow) on the AC/recirc switches. The 20 blinks indicate an error in the system and can be a royal pain to diagnose and repair.

At 150K miles, assume new shocks/struts will be needed. The exhaust system should be good for 200K. Check the sticker in the engine bay for timing belt replacement. Water pump is still good for 200K if the antifreeze looks good.

Seat bottoms are better in the S70 Vs the 854. There is a wiring difference between the 850s Vs the S70s. If you find good skins, there are a million hog clips to cut, but seat skins can be traded from S70 to 850. My pick&pull charges $20/seat, so it was easy to spend $60 to completely replace all of my 854 seats from an S70. 4 bolts hold the front seats down.

Check the service records!! And do not buy a 2001 Volvo, regardless of model.

I bought a 97 850 non turbo for my daughter to drive, beautiful car until she crunched it, but I digress. I threw a timing belt on it, harder than a redblock motor but straightforward. It needed struts/shocks, I got the standard stuff from FCP, and the XC spring caps from the dealer, new tires and alignment along with some brake work. it's easy to work on and has been reliable. I would avoid the 99, 2000 and can't recall if 01 is included due to electronic throttle body issues, though there is a fix for that.

Best S70's are the 1998's which are the simplest mechanically. The 1999 and 2000 S70's are good too but are somewhat more complex. Also the 95-97 850's are good. Love my 95 850 wagon! 230k+ and running strong. Personally, I wouldn't buy a 960 since they don't have a good reliability reputation. Whatever model Volvo you buy make sure it has been well maintained.