Toyota and Honda both have their first 'tune up' at 100K miles - change the spark plugs... Comparing them to a Volvo is not fair in this regard. The Japanese cars require less maintenance than the Volvo, they weigh 1,000 lbs less, and their airbags can explode? Yes, Volvos depreciate faster than downhill skiers, but if your wife wants an S60, get her one in the color she wants! No argument!

The newer the better. A CPO car would eliminate any wear and tear items for a couple of years. Too bad that you live on the East coast, the prices are higher there than in the South. Make sure you look carefully at the Carfax - where it was delivered, how many people owned it, service records. And then check ALL of the electronics and make sure everything works. Personally, I would only buy a CPO if the dealer originally sold the car and it was never 'auctioned'.

I am considering buying a Toyota Sienna for the two of us (we do a lot of cross country trips with a couple of extra adults). I don't like the jump up to get in that the XC90 has, the Sienna has much more room, and I don't plan to maintain any more cars. I looked at the XC60, but when I sit in the car it becomes a 3 seater - no room behind me.

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Keeping it running is better than buying new

When we purchased our last car, I tried to think ahead.

I loved the turbo XC60 - it was really fast, almost too fast, my wife nearly missed a highway exit because it did not slow down when she let off the gas.

We purchased a late model XC70 NA because it was several inches taller than our 855R and slows down when you let off the gas.

I told myself that when I got to 70, I really did not need a fast, low car.

Now, I am there and we are very happy with our choice.

(We just brought a gorgeous, used, king sized sleigh bed home in it.)

Happy wife means happy life.

Do you really want the responsibility if your non-Volvo breaks down?

Personally I REALLY prefer wagons.

Several years ago, after many years of driving Volvos, we set out to find a replacement for my wife's Volvo 740. We explored the possibility of purchasing an Asian car in order to save a few bucks and escape the quirky-ness of Volvos. But after driving the Lexus, Camry, etc. we realized they just weren't the same. It seemed that if they weren't brand new, they rode rough and just felt less substantial and cheaply constructed. Compounding our dilemma was that the Asian cars didn't depreciate the way Volvos did, so a three year old Lexus or Camry was just as expensive as a three year old Volvo S80 - at least in the Atlanta market. So we ended up with the S80. It really hasn't been a bad car.

So I can see your wife's point. And I can see your point also. You don't mention your budget or whet age/mileage car you would be purchasing. But the way I see it is that your choice boils down to choosing between - More reliability and less comfort/durability/safety, or less reliability and more comfort/durability/safety. If crawling under cars is becoming less appealing, maybe the big thing to consider is which car would be easiest to get repaired in your area if you have to hire others to do it.

I've never owned or driven a Subaru, but people that have owned them seem to keep buying them over and over. It might be interesting to check them out.