Took the 850 and drove this: Denver, CO - Taos, NM - Santa Rosa, NM - Sante Fe, NM - Denver.

In Santa Fe, we took a side trip to Bandelier National Monument (Peublo Indian cave dwellings, petroglyphs) and camped for the night.

City-to-city distance: 1020 mi
Total distance driven: 1126 mi
Average speed: 53 mpg
Fuel economy: 28.9 MPG (very light foot)

View Larger Map

http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=81480

Member Instarx wrote this in response to the Volvo Forum thread Buying a Used Volvo V70, and I must say I agree 100%.

If low operating expense is as big an issue as you imply, be aware that Volvos are expensive to repair when they break. They are borderline luxury cars and just like Mercedes, BMW, etc. it is simply more expensive to have them worked on. For example, micro-sized lightbulbs for dash lights cost $9 at a Volvo dealer while the exact same bulb at a Honda dealer is $2.60. That’s a trivial example but you get the idea. Since you can’t do your own work you will always be paying premium prices for replacement parts.

I have owned many different cars and although I love my current Volvo I do not expect it to be the most trouble-free car I have ever owned. It may be heresy on this Volvo board, but for reliability and trouble-free use, you may want to look at a used Honda or Toyota. I had a Honda Accord that went 87,000 miles without one single thing going wrong with it - not one thing! I doubt many Volvo owners can say the same.

Also be aware that if you get a Volvo with a turbo you should probably use premium fuel - a significant added expense with regular fuel approaching $4/gallon.

Volvos are not for everyone; a round peg does not fit in a square hole. For poor students and those who must have an operating vehicle every morning, bar none, buy new (anything) or buy a Honda (or Toyota). But those who buy, say, a 1997 Accord over a 1997 850 must remember they’re giving up a degree of safety for the promise of improved reliability and somewhat lower operating costs (maintenance + repairs + fuel and other consumables).

It’s a value decision, just like the other ten thousand value decisions we’re faced with in life.

by Eduardo

I’ve just come back from visiting my kid, who is studying in the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. While there I saw this ad for a well taken care of, low mileage, 1998 Volvo S70 standard model with a stick transmission, at a very reasonable price, so I bought it. I didn’t drive it down to Guatemala, because I’m getting a bit old to drive that much, especially in Mexico, of all places.

In the past I’ve driven through Mexico, to Guatemala, more than a dozen times, and though I travel with an American passport (I’ve double nationality, American/Guatemalan), in day to day corruption Mexico surpasses every other country I’ve been in, so I didn’t want to face that again.

Anyway, my kid will bring me the car to Guatemala at the end of May, when he has a week off from UC for some reason or other.
This will be my fifth Volvo. In order, I’ve had a 145, a 240 station wagon, a 240 two-door turbo sedan, a very small Volvo two-door made in Holland with a Renault engine (in the ex-Daaf factory). This last one was a lemon, so I hadn’t bought a Volvo in a long time, especially since all my local pals tell me “Ford has ruined the brand!”

I did try out the S70 rather extensively in and around the SF Bay Area during my stay there, and according to me, the Volvo-Ford is just fine.