Hello,

I need the most reliable late model Volvo possible. Budget is up to 20K. Would consider FWD s40s, s60s, v50s, and v70s. Which have the best reputation mechanically? I am leaning toward a late model v70 (say a 2007 or 2008). In the Bay Area, I do see on the low end a 2005 s40 (manual tranny with 60K on the odo) at a BMW dealer for 10k (probably a trade-in I could get for somewhere in the 9s out the door). At least the manual would guarantee against all the Aisin-made automatic tranny problems I've read about with Volvos (most have been related to xc90s). I am thinking about this cheaper option (love the manual--it is perfect for a NA 168 hp engine) but want to avoid mechanical headaches since I don't have a lot of time on my hands to deal with them (self or in shop). I will get any used Volvo inspected by an indy mechanic.

So Bricksters, if you had between 10 and 20K to spend on a Volvo, and reliability were your main concern, what would you do, apart from getting a Camry (blah), Acura/Honda (seats not as comfortable), BMW (too yuppie/type A and expensive to keep up), etc.

Cheers,
Richard