There's nothing wrong with sticking to your 7/900 series Volvos, but there's also no reason to not move on/up to a newer Volvo or other make. The prevailing thought is that the newer the car, the harder, more complicated and more expensive it is to fix/maintain.

I agree with that to a certain extent. Yes, a water pump and timing belt on a FWD Volvo is a bit more of a challenge than a red-block model. But I counter with the argument that 1. It's still not rocket science and 2. What you give up in ease of repair and expense of parts, you make up in extended maintenance intervals and fewer problems and reliability issues in general (those nagging electrical gremlins we're always reading about in the RWD forum? yeah, that's not really a thing with a FWD Volvo).

Since moving on from 240s I've been quite happy with the reliability, DIY-friendliness and safety of the more modern 5-cylinder Volvos. Also the Honda Odyssey has been especially nice, a breath of fresh air. It has its nits like any car will, but it's reliable and well-engineered as the day is long. The MINI Coopers were a ton of fun, but not great cars otherwise.

So if it suits you and the time is right, go ahead and jump in the pool. There are lots of good cars out there these days (that weren't designed in the 70s/early 80s). The only important part is that you like it!

It's worth noting too that not every make/model out there has such a rich online community of DIYers with a forum to share their knowledge. The Brickboard and our community here I'd argue is as good as it gets and a damn fine reason to keep on with bricks.

Respectfully,
Will

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XC60 / Odyssey