Considering XC70 purchase: ok for my softroading/towing uses?, and CPO question

[Mawgie]

Folks,

New member Mawgie here. My wife is due for a new ride, and is currently driving her 3rd CPO Acura MDX (2011). We are moving her to a car with some active safety features. Unfortunately, she did not care for the arm rest design in the XC60, or the XC60 T6 in the showroom would be in our garage. I really liked it. We also drove a 2012 XC70, which she immediately dismissed: "I'm not a wagon girl." I, however, loved the wagon layout, and preferred it to the XC60. My mother used to have a V70 AWD, which I also liked.

I am currently in a late model full sized pickup, and do not care for lumbering around in that as a daily. Until driving the XC70 my plan was to sell the truck and buy an inexpensive daily like a VOLT or perhaps an MB e320CDI; and also pick up a used Lexus GX470 for my DIY project and recreational uses. After driving the XC70, perhaps it would work as a one shot, one kill solution. I would appreciate it if folks would weigh in on the XC70's "real life" suitability for the following uses:

1) regular, enthusiastic short-ish distance commuting (mine would be a T6!);
2) 12-25 outdoor excursions each year that required short distance driving on dirt roads; gravel roads; and occasionally on dry field edges. There are no clearance issues. I am nowhere near truly offroading in these situations, just driving around fairly smooth dirt roads on a 450 acre tree farm property doing maintenance and deer hunting;
3) daily winter driving on 4 snows in Central Upstate NY, where the roads can get nasty;
4) pulling a small utlility trailer once every couple of months to haul things like plywood,lumber, and construction waste from home DIY remodeling. Nothing heavy enough to even approach the tow limits of the Volvo, just bulky stuff that won't fit.

Second, if I find a car I like at the dealer, will they CPO it at my request and increase the price to reflect the CPO warranty? Or, must I choose from cars that are already CPO'd. (Slim pickings at my local dealer.) CPO is a requirement for me. I understand that many may differ.


Thanks very much for any assistance. Most appreciated.

-Mawgie

[brentcd]

From what you are describing, yes. As far as I know the XC70 pretty much matches almost all of the specs of the MDX. I do know the XC70 towing to be limited to 3500 lbs, I don't know how that compares. And (it's funny to me) by the way, the XC60 and MDX are actually wagon body styles, we have been conditioned to call them something else.... Haha, but for me, all 4 cars at my house right now have 4 doors + a tailgate.
We have a 2012 XC70 T6 and really love it.

[65tux]

Folks,

New member Mawgie here. My wife is due for a new ride, and is currently driving her 3rd CPO Acura MDX (2011). We are moving her to a car with some active safety features. Unfortunately, she did not care for the arm rest design in the XC60, or the XC60 T6 in the showroom would be in our garage. I really liked it. We also drove a 2012 XC70, which she immediately dismissed: "I'm not a wagon girl." I, however, loved the wagon layout, and preferred it to the XC60. My mother used to have a V70 AWD, which I also liked.

I am currently in a late model full sized pickup, and do not care for lumbering around in that as a daily. Until driving the XC70 my plan was to sell the truck and buy an inexpensive daily like a VOLT or perhaps an MB e320CDI; and also pick up a used Lexus GX470 for my DIY project and recreational uses. After driving the XC70, perhaps it would work as a one shot, one kill solution. I would appreciate it if folks would weigh in on the XC70's "real life" suitability for the following uses:

1) regular, enthusiastic short-ish distance commuting (mine would be a T6!);
2) 12-25 outdoor excursions each year that required short distance driving on dirt roads; gravel roads; and occasionally on dry field edges. There are no clearance issues. I am nowhere near truly offroading in these situations, just driving around fairly smooth dirt roads on a 450 acre tree farm property doing maintenance and deer hunting;
3) daily winter driving on 4 snows in Central Upstate NY, where the roads can get nasty;
4) pulling a small utlility trailer once every couple of months to haul things like plywood,lumber, and construction waste from home DIY remodeling. Nothing heavy enough to even approach the tow limits of the Volvo, just bulky stuff that won't fit.

Second, if I find a car I like at the dealer, will they CPO it at my request and increase the price to reflect the CPO warranty? Or, must I choose from cars that are already CPO'd. (Slim pickings at my local dealer.) CPO is a requirement for me. I understand that many may differ.


Thanks very much for any assistance. Most appreciated.

-Mawgie

You just described my situation exactly! Had a full size pickup because I needed it for racing, then I quit racing and only really used it as a pickup once in a great while. Ended up picking up a '13 T6 while shopping for an XC60 for the wife (she didn't get it). I have some property I need to wander around on once in a while, I live in Michigan (winter) and have a small enclosed trailer I use to move building supplies, tractors, quad, etc. The XC70 with the T6 is a blast for commuting and handles all the other tasks with grace. The only time I miss the truck is when I have to put something dirty or stinky (gas cans in particular) in the back.