I currently drive, and have always driven, a Volvo 244. Mine's a 1990 with only 91,000 miles on it. I'm looking at a 2000 V70 with 71,000 miles. I don't know about the newer Volvos, so I don't know what to look for, or how much they cost to maintain. I also don't know how long they'll last. My friends have 850s and S70s, and they don't seem to be put together as well as my 240. I just don't know about the S/V40s.
The private dealer in my neighborhood is asking $11,900. It has leather, wood, moon roof, roof rack with bike attachments, a not-too-big dent in the rear passenger door, some surface scratches and tape/CD combo. Besides the dent (it's a push-in type, so no scratches) the car appears to be well maintained and clean. (I know the dealer has done all he can to spruce it up.) It looks pretty good, except for those blemishes.
I'm just wondering what I may be getting myself into. I'd love to have a small wagon, and I'm all about Volvos. Are there any pitfalls that may await me, or anything in particular I should look for? There's a 3-month powertrain warranty. How reliable are these cars? How expensive are they to maintain and repair? Are there any costly services coming up with 71k miles on the odometer?
Thanks for your help, any tips are more than appreciated.
George.

I would personally stay away from the older 4-speed auto (Pre-2002). I have the 5-speed, and although at only 38K it's too early to tell, the older models are notorious for early trannie problems.

The only other problem area is in the brakes. Be prepared to replace the rear pads at early/odd intervals. The discs themselves seem to be a little soft as well.

Although I would like mine (actually, my wife's daily driver) to handle a little better (I'm spoiled by my SVX), it seems to be a better-than-average overall car.

Good luck.
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Steve

My V40 00 with 48K miles has had no transmission problems. My friend has a S40 01 with same mileage, his transmission was changes recently under warranty. So I am not sure the 5 speed is better than the 4 speed.