Hi Travis,

That all depends on how much of the maintenance you plan on doing yourself. Every car costs money to maintain, and some cars do require more "stroking" than others. That being said, I love spending time with my V70 every so often, and I honestly think the car runs better when you (the daily operator) take care of it. almost like it knows you are helping it out (Some sort of Volvo zen thing, if you will)

Keep an eye on it, and it will take care of you.

Look for a 1997 850 Sedan, or Wagon, or a 1998 V70 with all records. To keep it less expensive, pass on the turbo or AWD (98 and later) models, as there is more to these cars and they will cost more.

If you find one with less than 70k miles, you should have no problems going to 200k or more.

If you want to play it safe (at least from a maintenance perspective) buy a Toyota Camry, if you want to have a really fun car to drive and aren't afraid to get your hands dirty, get a Volvo. You'll find plenty of advice and help here if you do decide to go the Volvo route.

BB