Rehsper,

Thanks. You'll be happy to know, I went out to my XC70 and re-read the owner's manual and confirmed what you said. It was reassuring to see "87 as a minimum". I like this Volvo. There is emotional attachment to it. Back in 1999 I purchased this Volvo used from the original owner with just 12,0000 miles on it for my father-in-law. At the time he was driving my two daughters, who were 4 and 3 years old at the time everywhere at that time. I wanted him to have a safe car. Two years after he took delivery of this car, another daughter was born, so he was driving my three girls around it it. He liked the Volvo because of how quiet and luxurious it was (his prior car was a Toyota Tercel wagon). Later just before he passed away from cancer in 2006, he gave the Volvo back to me. My two other Volvos, both 1996 850 GLT wagons with manual transmissions, were difficult for my daughters to learn how to drive on, so they initially learned how to drive on the V70 XC because it was an automatic. They all passed their road tests in that Volvo. All the girls learned how to drive a manual, but my middle girl still prefers driving an automatic, so she likes driving this as her primary car. Because of the safety it affords, I have no objection. I know Volvos are mortal, just like their owners, but I hope to keep this car as long as I can. I guess that is another "unspoken" reason why I will pay the difference and run it on premium from now on. In some ways it "owes me nothing".

Thank you again for your response.

Hugh