Thanks, Klaus. I kept your opinion on the engine in mind when I went to see it. I'm a big fan of downsizing+turbocharging for that combination of fuel economy plus power when you need it. More and more makers are doing it. It's a shame Volvo dropped the tingly 5-cylinder from the North American 70 lineup but I guess it is how it is.

At any rate, I drove the '09 and loved it enough to leave a deposit. It's definitely my kind of vehicle...more butter than pepper, if you know what I mean. The 3.2L engine is a bit of a drawback but I don't think it will be too terrible. I reset the trip computer, which told me I got 24.8mpg in mostly suburban stop-to-stop driving (28mph average) plus a bit of idling and chatting with the sales guy. If I average anywhere near that I'll be way ahead of just about every SUV I could have purchased instead. Given how I drive, that might be doable. A lack of AWD (which I have never had, so I won't miss) probably offsets the powerplant a bit.

I'm pretty psyched. :) Now I get to quit agonizing over what to buy and start driving a car that does what I need it to do.