I don’t know - we love our Volvo. We got a gold plated extended warranty with a $100 deductible and that gives us peace of mind. No problems yet, knock on wood.

Look at Mazda CX 90 instead. Volvos now glitter like jewelry, I grant you. Very nice paint jobs and chrome baubles. But every time I see one on the road I know it's a case of more money than sense, or that they bought them based on their reputation for Swedish build quality and the safety advantage from the 80s, which is all gone now.

I cannot think of a worse vehicle brand than Volvo, in terms of reliability and maintenance cost.

Anything would be a better choice.

Repairs downside is that you are paying for European car parts and service. Coming from an American or Japanese car, expect sticker shock

We’re looking to trade in our subcompact car for a slightly larger wagon to accommodate 3 growing kids. We’re city dwellers and not really interested in an SUV. Size-wise and footprint it works but looking for firsthand experience with reliability and repairs (we’ve been reading and researching but would love to hear real life pros and cons). Thanks in advance!