I can't answer your question about the durability of the newer Volvos. However, if your biggest concern with your low mileage RWD wagon is driving in the snow, do you put a set of four good snow tires on the car in the winter???? I have a '89 740 wagon and a FWD 850 sedan and I feel just as confident in the snow with the 740 with snow tires and 50 lb bag of sand in the back as I do in the 850 with all season tires. I did't use snow tires on the 740 for the first few winters that I had it and I didn't like to drive it during bad weather back then. Since I started mounting snow tires on it during the winter I actually prefer driving it over the FWD 850 when the weather gets bad. (I am in NE OHIO). While my '95 850 is now 10 years old, it is one of Volvo's early FWD models and with 115,000 miles so far. Comparing the repair records of both cars since they were new, I spent a total of $7200 for maintenance and repairs on the 740 during the first 10 years of it's life and $7600 during the first 10 years of the 850's life. (Those costs include new tires, struts, etc.) I expect that the 850 is going to cost me a bit more for repairs as it gets older than the 740 did. (I didn't mention the '93 Camry that my son drives that I have only had to spend $3800 on during the past 8 years - slightly more that 1/2 of the costs that I have spent on the Volvos)