All,

Just a few days ago I entered the market for a used Volvo. I'm in the Pottstown, PA area (roughly 1 hour west of Philly, 35 minutes east of Reading). I'm having a REALLY tough time finding them. I'm primarily interested in buying from private parties and avoiding dealers (to hopefully get a better deal).

I'm finding that I"m having to drive 45 minutes or more just to get to one and check it out. That makes it hard to shop.

Constraints:

• $5200 (without including taxes and fees)
• Safety features in working order - first car for a 16 year old kid this year, and another to join in
• 7-passenger model (so XC90, V70, XC70)
• Should last at least 1 year, or 25k before any major repairs needed
• Lowest miles possible for the money, obviously. However, willing to consider higher mileage vehicles that are very well maintained, or that will not need major maintenance / repairs soon.
• Prefer good MPG over engine power or acceleration
• AWD
• Don't care about luxury features like power seats.

Questions:

1. Is having to look way far for a Volvo a typical experience?
2. Are there Volvo owner clubs or associations I could find, so I can buy cars from "good owners"?
3. Are there resources on what to specifically look for when evaluating these models?
4. Any other tips you think are important for me to know?

Thanks everybody for your help.

Best,
JPG.