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Every car maker has its lemons(?). I have driven a lot of Accords and Camrys in three different continents. They are as unexciting cars to drive as they can get (granted, they are supposed to be more reliable).
My 1995 850 turbo sedan is turning 16 (in my hands) in a few days (at about 200k miles) and it has been by far the best car I have driven on both sides of the Atlantic and both sides of the Pacific (at least among cars costing up to ~$250k). It has also been relatively inexpensive to maintain, and up to about a year ago, it could compete (and accelerate) extremely well against much newer Porsche 911s, V8 BMWs, V8 Audis, and V12 MBs.
Our 2006 2.5T S60 seems to be very reliable (for the first 5 years), but it seems to be made with cheaper materials than that in our 1995 850. Its roadholding is good but not terribly remarkable. It is a very good car.
My 1987 240DL was doing really well after 10 years and 250k miles, when I sold it in two days at the price I had asked for. (By the way, I like to buy my cars new.)
Oh, yes, we did have a Toyota Corolla (for 6 years) and a Nissan Altima (for 7 years), both bought by my other half when they were 3 years old. The Corolla was totaled in a minor car accident in which the other two cars sustained practically no damage, while my wife also sustained some permanent injury. The Nissan got seriously ill somewhat prematurely.
I understand different people have different experiences. Yet, my experiences suggest that I would buy a new Volvo anytime now, as long as it is a diesel and stick shift.
Interestingly, I just drove a 2009 eco (gasoline) 116i BMW in Europe; its engine shuts off every time you stop; then it starts as soon as you press the clutch. After 2000 miles and quite a bit of heavy city and mountainous driving, we got 30 mpg with 4 people in it and sometimes 6-7 pieces of luggage on it! It makes me wonder why such cars do not make it to this side of the Atlantic.
1995 850 turbo sedan, a really great car
2006 S60 2.5T, a really nice car my other half likes very much
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