As my family has grown,so has our need for a larger car. We're thinking about trading our 2005 Honda Accord EX V6 (which we purchased new) for this 2007 Volvo XC90:

http://www.iamcarsmart.com/2007-Volvo-XC90-I6-Memphis-Tennessee-38128/4422809

Mileage: 86,145 miles
Exterior: Gray
Interior: Black Leather
Transmission: Automatic
Engine: 3.2L I6 engine

At $12,993,the price seems to be really good compared to all of the other XC90's at the other dealerships in town. What questions should I ask the dealer to make sure that we aren't getting ripped off? Or what are the top things I should be concerned with as a first time Volvo owner?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

The Volvo inline engine will outlast most engines and is one of the best inlines made. I would do, first and foremost, an OBD 2 scan to make sure the engine isnt throwing any codes and all readiness monitors are set. Next, check the Carfax. No accidents is good. Any accident will give you leverage in negotiating the price. Investigate it more to ensure there is no structural damage to the vehicle.

Take her for a test drive. Here any weird sounds? Pinging, bogging, hissing.

How many owners before you? Was it a trade in?

Most importantly, this Volvo will protect you and your family. Volvos are known for being Safe and Reliable so definitely take that into consideration. A tahoe will explode into plastic pieces at highway speeds. Volvos will dent with side passenger airbags to keep you safe.

Now, go online to kelley blue book, list the mileage and the model. She will tell you how much your Volvo is worth. Print it out and take it to the dealer. Now put on your poker face amd tell them thats what you want or you are moving on. If it is listed below KBB, ask yourself why. Accident? Frame damage? If it all checks out and the dealer is truely offering up a good deal, take it.

Hope this helps!!!

 

I forgot to add. Look online at reviews on Edmunds.com These will tell you from other owners how the vehicle is and what major problems it might have. Type in a google search of the model and year to check for recalls. Ask the dealer if the recalls have been fixed. He doesnt know??? I would want another grand off the total price. Dealers are sharks so make sure you can get in the water with em. Good luck with your new Volvi and enjoy it!!!!!

 

Thanks, Jmmcclean!

No accidents on the Carfax report, so we're good there. I've been on Edmunds, Consumer Reports and other forums, and I'm convinced that the 2007 XC90 I6 is a great vehicle.

The car drove fine, but as I was pressed for time, I didn't take it on the highway. Hopefully, my wife and I will get a chance to take it out for a more thorough spin.

I think I'll also call my local Volvo repair shop and ask them about issues with the that year model with that kind of mileage. I also want to see when the timing belt is typically replaced and how much it costs.

Thanks again for the reply!

 

I'm sure it will treat you well!! We just bought a 2007 also with the I6 about 3 weeks ago. It had 104,000 miles on it and sounded and drove like a brand new car! The asking price for yours sounds fair. That was more or less the KBB price for ours with 104,000 miles on it (We paid $11,300). So to ask the same for 20,000 less miles is a good deal if all checks out! It really does drive and feel like a car on the interstate. You get to your destination refreshed, not tired!!

Interestingly safety side note. 4 days after we go it, while sitting at a traffic light we got rear ended by a woman that got cutoff and hit hard by a some stoned kid flying down a 45MPH road at almost 70. After he hit her and flipped 3 times, she hit us at about 40 MPH (while she was passed out behind the wheel from the airbag impact). We barely felt a thump inside (Our 14 month old son hardly even woke up in his car seat), and all needed replaced was the 3 piece bumper cover, the muffler (she hit our left side and bent the tips pretty bad) and the absorber behind it. So that spoke worlds to us having only owned it for 4 days!! And better yet the bumper is built in a way that it comes apart in three pieces and pulls away from the car, so NO metal body panels were damaged! IF this turns out to be a good car, i think we will be Volvo customers for life!!

 

Well, I wonder how the XC-90 is treating you. We've owned a 2006 XC-90 since new. It cost over $40,000. The KBB estimate for this car is now in the $9,000 range. That seems like an excessive devaluation for a pretty nice car. Someone has absorbed the initial depreciation for you.
You asked about problems. The 75,000 check up cost about $700.00. During that, they diagnosed two bad motor mounts. Wish I'd replaced them myself because the total bill for the three items ended up being over $2,200! They didn't discount at all for the duplicated effort in their price book.
After 3 Volvos over the past 20 years, I'm not sure we're going back. Their maintenance is uber-expensive and they seem to depreciate excessively over time.

Ken