Stop and think about this for a minute. Cars of yesterday didn't have the computerized everything like today's cars do. Computerized anything is more expensive to fix. Cars today cost a whole lot more on average too. No car is cheap to maintain anymore.

A lot of how the car will run over the long haul certainly depends on (who owns/owned) it and what care it was given. Obviously it goes to show that even if a driver who takes excellent care of a vehicle which is purchased from someone who did not, the vehicle may develop problems down the road. I've seen posts on this board of people doing neutral drops on the cars--which will destroy a transmission, or put 18" wheels--leaving very little rubber on the road--, and stiffer springs on cars that must be driven in areas which have zillions of potholes, and then complain that things are rattling apart.

**The fact is that if one were to lavish the maintenance resources, expended upon a typical 850, on a typical Japanese car, it would like-wise last past 250,000.** Define lavish resources? My 97 850-R has cost me no more than typical maintenance at 77,000 miles. I just replaced the rear rotors(original) and pads for $98. I bought it from new. My 84 Mazda 626, which I bought at 54,000 miles, needed to have the steering rack replaced, the power window motors replaced, and the stereo replaced, but I did like this car very much. I sold it at 185,000 miles simply because I wasn't sure how much longer it would continue running.

I'll bet that one can find owners of just about any car brand that says their car is a piece of crap and some that will love their cars. Remember in the 70's when Japanese car's had a bad reputation for quality? And Jaguar was in the garage more than on the street? And the list goes on.

Maybe someone should write to Volvo about their QC?