I owned a Mazda MPV, the older version with rear wheel drive. It was great for the first 5 years, then extremely maintenance prone. I would look at the Scion first, just because of Toyota reliablility. Honda minivans are good and fast.
Safety was Volvo's mantra, until everyone else caught up a few years ago. Now, Volvo is harder to maintain in your garage than ever before. No parts can be replaced without getting a download from the factory and the electrics are still poor quality. It is a 5 year car. Then again, most cars are 5 year cars these days.
Volvo still has the most comfortable seats in the USA market, and the cloth ones do not wear out. If I could see out of the windshield in the new models, 01-06, I would have picked a new one for Euro delivery. Just because I have lots of relatives over there and I could have driven on the Autobahn would have been incentive enough.
Watch out for extra cost packages! Even at half price, do you really need a SR and a builtin garage door opener for $1500US?
Klaus
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(V♂LV♂s 1975 164, 1995 854T, 1998 V70R)