XC70 2009 T6 vs 2008 3.2

[dowdell88]

Hey Everyone,

Long time lurker coming to you for some advice on my next Volvo.

My 2005 XC70 was totaled by a red light runner. I just received my check from insurance and with my budget I can spend $10,000 (US) on my next Volvo.
After an expansive search I have it narrowed down to 2 at a dealer an hour away.

Option 1: 2009 XC70 T6, 148k miles, asking $8,995

Option 2: 2008 XC70 3.2, 104k miles, asking $9,995

I called to set up a test drive of both options tomorrow.
Both have been for sale at this dealer for 9 months which makes me nervous. The T6 seems like it should be a good deal plus it has great service records.
What should I be looking for on each car at that age/mileage?

Edit: According to the Carfax, option 1 had its entire maintenance lifespan done at the original Volvo dealer that sold it.
It also shows that it had recommended maintenance service preformed at 142k miles as well as 147k miles 2 months before it was traded in.
This tells me that the 150k mileage service has most likely been done but makes me wonder even more why this great car has been available for 9 months?

Thanks!

[BillAileo]

I am no expert but I think the T6 would make mean lean towards the '09.

[dowdell88]

I ended up checking out and driving the T6 for 80 minutes. I immediately saw that all rotors & pads we're rusted to death.

It looked like the car had been sitting in a pile of snow for months. The Tires had about 8 months of tread life but we're cracked all over.

The underside of the car was also very rusty. It drove perfectly and the T6 was very quick. However there was a loud click noise on every wheel rotation from the front wheels. Very noticeable when turning right on residential streets.
Add to that the rear fog lights & downhill assist didn't work, I offered him $8,500 for the the car including new rotors & pads. He said no so I left.

The 3.2 also had its share of problems but driving it made me realize I don't need the T6 from a performance stand point. I wouldn't need it with my driving style. So at least I learned something.

Currently focusing my search on 2009 3.2 XC70s.

[ckm]

I had the same dilemma - had been looking for a T6 and they were all either too much money, too many miles, or so far that I couldn't inspect them myself (passed on one in Florida that was offered to be at $8k w/140k miles and all records...).

After driving a few T6s locally and some 3.2s, I came to the conclusion that the 3.2 is just fine. I'd rather have a lower miles car that's in great shape, has all the features I want, that I can inspect and has a full history. I also prefer it to be a local (California) car as that avoids a lot of the rust issues. And, since this is replacing a large 7-seater SUV that does 0-60 is about 9.5 seconds, the 3.2 would be a whole lot faster. Finally, the T6 isn't as fast as either one of my other cars, so really, it was kinda a waste of money. They seem to be 50% more than the 3.2s, often with 50% higher miles as well and fewer options.

After searching for about 4 months, I found a mint, loaded, relatively low mile 2008 3.2 locally. Bought it at a reasonable price and I'm in the process of fixing all the issues (there are always issues with used cars). Driven it about 1000 miles so far, including one ski trip in a blizzard. It's very quiet but a bit soft - suspect the shocks are going south.

I would note that I am a bit fanatical about finding cars. For both this car and my commuter, I spend several months gathering requirements, then test driving a huge variety of cars (almost 40 different models) in a wide range of price categories. Before buying the Volvo, I drove 30+ cars and narrowed the selection down to 1/2 dozen models, with 2 in the lead - then it was just a matter of finding the perfect deal. I think I did OK given that some friends offered to buy it for $1000 more than I paid for it less than 24 hours after I got it.... ;-)

See my post here about stuff I looked for and other details - http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showth...917#post194917