What was Volvo thinking with all that wax collecting plastic on the XCOUNTRY?

I like to buy a decent car and keep it looking good for a while. I currently own 2 12 year+ 240s and so I wondered into our local Volvo monopoly in Rochester, NY. The XCOUNTRY wagon caught my eye but I have to tell you that I was flabbergasted by the amount of black plastic they put around the car. It’s around each wheel and any place else they could put it. Now, if any of you have owned a 240 and have tried to keep it looking respectable, you know how darned hard it is to keep that darned black molding, the black tape on the doors, and the bumpers nice and dark. Not to mention the difficulty getting the wax off it after a good polishing. What the heck were they thinking????????????????

P.S. I was also a little disappointed at the large showy “CROSS COUNTRY” decal on the hatch. If I wanted to buy a car with a big ugly decal, I would get a Chevy with 4X4 decals.

Volvo, Volvo, Volvo. What the heck is up?

- 2OldVolvos

Actually, all that plastic can be painted if this is the only problem. However, the problem is more than skin deep: a totally different car from our vintage favourites, produced by a totally different company. Pay no attention to the similar-looking name.

George Antony

When the latest V70 version came out I thought I would test drive one next time I was at the dealer for routine maintenance on my 97-855. When the opportunity arrived I asked the salesman if he had a T5 I could test. His answer was "none available" but that I could take out the XC parked in front. One look and I replied " no thanks I'm not wearing my clown suit today". Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and I know there is something not right with me because I love my 745 and 855, and like the new V70 T5, but gad that latest XC is an ugly car. The Shrine Circus can have all of them.