2004 Volvo XC70

2004 Volvo XC70

I had always been a little intrigued by the Volvo Cross Country wagons. Although they were certainly designed more for the snowy northern tundra of Scandinavia than for Texas, it's still a functional all-wheel-drive wagon that has advantages anywhere.

When I bought this car it was only about a year old and was like new with about 24K on the odometer. It had been a Hertz rental car and I bought it from them (not something I would usually recommend). White's a good color for the XC in my opinion because it contrasts well with the black plastic lower body cladding that they all come with. This one had a very handsome interior in tan leather. It was mildly optioned and drove perfect.

Not many people make a 5-cylinder motor. In this case it's turbocharged and runs pretty strong. Good luck getting your local mechanic to work on it though. If you have a problem with your Volvo it's probably going to the Volvo dealership.

The stitching between the leather panels is crossed. I thought this was really cool and I think other manufacturers should employ this technique. 

The headlight wipers are an example of cold weather design. The black body cladding is either a love it or hate it thing. It's very functional though, especially if you happen to be riding on salted winter roads.

Much like the body molding, the XC is a love it or hate it car. I like them and enjoyed this one even though I didn't really need it. I understand why people in the right climate would swear by these things though. It's a car built for a specific purpose and market and it's very good at what it does.

Sometimes I add some discussion like "so should you buy one today?"  Well, in this case probably not. Volvos have gotten much better, but these early 2000's cars can be a nightmare. They suffer from all sorts of odd electrical issues that can drive you crazy. That said, an XC like this one could be purchased for a few thousand dollars today, and it's hard to go wrong with any car for that price. I would just question reliability.