I bought a Subaru for my daughter - she is going to school in Ohio where it snows a lot, and, because she parks in a parking lot and appreciates the small turning raddius compared to the V70 AWD.

You are in CA, so seldom travel snow covered roads. If you go into the mountains, they require chains which are a no-no for AWD Volvos. You are making the right choice with the V70. More carrying capacity, better mileage, quieter ride, and more bhp than the Outback.

Negotiate! Depending on reason for the old owner getting rid of it. Look at the tires and complain that in 1 year you will have to spend $600 for new ones. If he is trading the car in, offer to pay the tradin value plus the sales tax so you pay what the dealer would give him?????? If the car isn't clean, charge an extra $125 for detailing... LOL It is your charge to pay as little as possible, he needs to get as much as possible.

Klaus
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Common sense trumps a PhD