Greetings all, I'm a noob, spending most of my time on BBQ sites, and wrenching on English and German cars. I have a 50 y.o. female friend who recently had her Lexus totaled. She's about to move to North Georgia where they get snow & ice. She has a budget of $10k. I've found a 2011 XC 60 T6 with 120k miles in her price range. What do the experts say? Thanks, Tom

 

Wait - North Georgia gets snow and ice? In terms of the car - the XC60 with the T6 will have plenty of zoom with a 300 HP engine but offers about 20 MPG. At 120K miles, its going to start needing maintenance on wear items - bushings, struts, brake pads/rotors all will need attention at some point. The good news is the T6 uses a timing chain so there's no belt service required. If she has a Volvo savvy mechanic available or a dealer nearby she can get proper repairs done but if not - then she may need to have service done in a larger market (say Chattanooga).

Personally I'd downplay the need for AWD - winter weather driving is more about the quality of the tires. I've owned both FWD Volvos, AWD Audis and an AWD Highlander and my advise is if you need to drive in snow and ice, get winter tires as stopping and steering is more important than going. If you like the car style, ride and comfort and can deal with the expected maintenance of a 120K+ mile car, then its a go. If not she may be better off with something with lower miles.

 

Thanks mt. I've advised about snow tires for winter. Women can be stubborn.Tom