My 1994 850 Turbo sedan needs a new muffler for an inspection at the end of the month, quoted at $500 by my mechanic. I'm told it will need shocks and tires soon, too. I am looking at a 2001 V40T wagon with 87k miles on it for $3995.

The 850 has served me well for more than 10 years. The odometer crapped out at 168k, but I imagine it's got at least 230k on it. It's still got plenty of pep, and I love driving it, except in the summer because the A/C is gone. The trunk hydraulic and glove box latch are broken. Inside and out, it's a pretty shabby. Not rusted out, but pretty dented and ding'd. My mechanic seems to think I could get another 2-3 years out of it, though.

The 2001 V40T wagon looks nice and doesn't have the above problems. They just got it in on trade, so I put a $100 deposit at the dealership to get first test drive once they've put it through their shop. I've got the CARFAX. It does have an accident on it's record, but this was back in 2007, and it is noted that airbags didn't deploy, and it seems like if that skeleton was going to come out of the closet, it would have between then and now.

I'm not the gearhead I wish I could be. I've been told I could do better on the price of a used car from a private seller, and I'm sure that's true. But $3995 is within my budget, and the time and energy/stress saved in driving up with my old car and leaving with a new one have value for me. The less time I have to spend on Craigslist or at the registry, the better.

I guess I just want freeform advice here about 850Ts and V40Ts. The 850 was gifted to me in 2004. I haven't bought a used car since 1999. I've never shopped for one. How does this strike you, Volvo experts? Any red flags? Anything I need to know? I've been doing my research, but the more help I can get, the better. The impression I'm getting is that the V40 is a different class of automobile in than the 850. I know I wouldn't be getting that same Swedish invincibility I've come to know, but would I be buying into a perpetual headache?