I'm in the market for a newer volvo. We have 4 (2 - 850's, 1 - 960, & 1 - C70). Mine is a '96 850 w/260K and I'm very familiar with it's issues (AC, odo gear, Shiftlock overide, etc). It looks like the XC70 will fit my current purposes very well. Want to use it for my commuter vehicle and also to Tow our ~1,000lb racing sailboat to regatta's around the southeast. Few things:

1) Is this car well suited to tow the above mentioned boat? This is a 1-2 times a month event at most.

2) Are there any "known" issues with this series that I should be aware of? Any model years to avoid? I believe I heard that the earlier versions in the early 2000's as with many volvos of that time period were not so good.

Any thoughts or experiences anyone can share would be greatly appreciated.

Dennis