I currently own a 1996 Volvo 850 (Got it as my first car at 18, now 23.) I love the dependability I have had with my 850. I do most of the repairs myself and know how to fix most things now. It has 320,000+ miles on it (odometer stopped working.)

I am looking to upgrade to a V70XC. Are they similar in reliability to the 850's? Easy to repair? And should I expect the same amount of miles out of it?

I am currently looking at 2 for sale near me. One is a 2001 with 190K miles, fully loaded for $3500. The other is a 2004 fully loaded with 154K miles for $5200. Which would you pick and why? Thanks!

 

You are not going to improve on the 850; IMO the best car volvo ever built.

I would avoid (esp if reliability is a primary concern) MYs '99 - 2003 or 2004. My preference would be a low mileage 98 V70 or earlier 855, but they are getting very scarce. Volvo didn't do AWD very well until they went to electronic control (i believe in the early 2000s MY or so). I don't like AWD unless you absolutely need it; adds weight and complexity.

 

Get a 98 or the 04. Skip the 99 - 00 cars dure to early DBW issues and the 01 - 03 cars due to tranny issues.