This isn't as bad as it seems. This is the WHOLESALE value for a 2-3 year old car (remember the 2000s started selling around mid to late 1999). The 2.9s went for the mid 30s or so. With the add ons highlighted in this book you're looking at about 60% of lowest RETAIL price(which for me would be the TDS price). Again this is WHOLESALE for a 2-3 year old car. You can generally add a couple of thousand for retail assuming you can find a buyer.

I've sold a couple of newer Volvos retail in the past few years (my 1994 850 Turbo in 1997 and my 1998 S70 T5 in 2000) and found that I averaged around 13% depreciation per year which is frankly on par with or better than even BMWs. Of course in my case I sold my cars in Boston which is a cold weather climate where these cars are more appreciated (pardon the pun). I suspect that I wouldn't have had as good a purchase price if I sold in Southern California where I now live (and in this economy fuhgedaboudit!)

If you are looking to sell a recent model Volvo I suggest you put in on the market EARLY and try to sell to a private party. If you trade it in at a dealership you will get WHOLESALE (if you're lucky). Further, unless you're trading in for another Volvo at a Volvo dealership, my anecdotal evidence says you will get LESS at a Volvo dealer (who probably has plenty of recent model Volvos to sell) than at another premium marque dealer.

Good luck.

-rdo