I'm from SC and looking at an 04 XC90 2.5T (86k miles) via internet purchase in TX. Dealer is listing it for $7500, and it has been listed for a while.

I ordered a mobile inspection on it and I can see why it hasn't sold yet. Of note, I used to work at a car wash so dealing with the cosmetic issues is of little concern to me.
However, I'm ignorant of whether the mechanical & electrical items in the report are a big deal or not, and would appreciate some honest feedback from you experienced owners out there.

For reference here is the original listing:
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?listingId=125188511

Here is the Carfax:
https://db.tt/912dsKgy

Here is the AutoCheck:
https://db.tt/wgwR2JpJ

Here is the inspection report:
http://www.lemonsquad.com/viewinspection.php?id=22251

Can't decide if this is something to walk away from, or an opportunity to TLC it back to good health for a below avg price.

 

Quite frankly this is one of those that if it were local and I could see exactly what I was getting into I might take the chance, but from TX to SC the travel/transportation expense would eat up those savings. How much under priced is it compared to what you can find locally? Assuming you are from Greenville (the closest point in SC to Autin, TX) you are a minimum of 1100 miles away, so 2200 miles worth of travel to get this car, and if you drive to get it that is 3300 miles worth of gas. At $3.00 a gallon and 25 mpg that is $400 in gas alone plus two peoples time. If you paid to ship it the minimum cost would probably be $1500. Spread your searches around a little including craigslist and autotrader, give it a few weeks, and I bet something pops up. I did a quick search on autotrader for a 200 mile radius of Greenville, 2004-2005, less than 100K miles, and found 8 that were priced under $10,000, and negotiating $1000 off the internet posted price is not that uncommon if it is relatively fresh inventory. Did this dealer offer to negotiate any further or is he tapped out? Still many questions to know for sure, but that 1100 mile ride is a long way to go even with a thorough inspection. The mechanical side wouldn't scare me that much, but you can only detail out so much neglect.

If you are looking for a project throw a transmission in this one.

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/4364990087.html