2001 Volvo T5 owner,
Well said and I agree completely. Some people think you buy a _____(add any car) and you weld the hood shut and enjoy! Sure, Volvos require routine maintenance to keep running to avoid many problems but you will be rewarded with a safe and comfortable environment for your travelling. I'm on my 4th Volvo now and can honestly say that they seem to get better with every year. My daughter has my "old" S60 2.4T when I bought my '05 S80 and absolutely loves it. Proper maintenance along with a good dealer are the secrets to long time pleasant Volvo ownership. As you said "This is a machine" and if you don't abuse it, it will last a long time. I still don't understand why people buy Volvos and chip them and change suspensions, etc. and complain when they have problems. Evidently they bought the wrong car in the first place. I've owned Maximas and Camrys and while they are great cars they don't seem to have any "soul" to them. I enjoy the solid and safe feeling I get when travelling (did I mention the seats which are the standards of the industry?).