I have a 2001 V70 T5 5 speed originally purchased in Mass, and I'm selling it to a buyer from California. (Yes...the is seem "inefficient", but fits with her plans to drive across the country.) But were the Volvos sold in California really any different, or were the annual tests just more stringent? Any references would be nice. I did a web search and couldn't find anything.

The big advantage to buying and operating your volvo in CA or MA is that they are the only two states that require volvo to warranty all emmision control parts for 7yrs or 70k. This little perk just saved me a bundle on a repair job.

Check the sticker under the hood dealing with emissions. It should state that it meets all 50-state emissions requirements. Ours does (1999 S70).

Many New England states -- Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine come to mind -- require cars sold to meet California emissions. In these state we have to purchase either '50 state' vehicles and can not purchase in-state 49-state vehicles which are models that don't meet CA requirements. As far as I know, all Volvos are '50-state' cars.

Here's a (dated) link that discusses the New England states adopting sales restrictions of only CA certified vehicles:

http://www.sierraclub.org/planet/200209/cleaner_cars.asp