[s-cars] 3 car seats?

[Cody Forbes]

Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, I keep steering him towards Volvo  
wagons and away from Audis. The last place I worked had a fleet of  
Volvo loaner cars and a large following of Volvo customers so I got  
pretty familiar with them. I love my Audis, but I feel so aprehensive  
suggesting one to somebody for fear of the Audi gods having a bad day  
when thier car was built. It's sad, really.

I used to be in FL, but moved to Charlotte about four years ago. He's  
local here in NC. In the 4 winters I've been through here there has  
been an average of about one day a year (this year we have had 3 so  
far though) that me in the 5000tq and the plow trucks are the only  
people out. His other half will still be driving an XTerra so they  
shouldn't be too worried when that one day of snow happens.

-Cody (mobile)

On Feb 6, 2010, at 12:18 AM, Brett Dikeman <brett.dikeman at gmail.com>  
wrote:

> On Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 11:50 AM, Cody Forbes <cody at 5000tq.com> wrote:
>> My brother-in-law is looking to get rid of his Suburban with a budget
>> of $3k. He's looking at sedans and wagons, primarily Volvos and  
>> Audis.
>> He's not the primary transporter for the kids, but it needs to hold 3
>> car seats.
>
> The best thing I can think of that will be in the price range, have a
> decent amount of room, and not be a deathtrap...is a late 960 / any
> V90.
>
> -Interior quality is focused on "durable", not luxury (except for
> Volvo leather, notoriously fragile.)  This is a family hauler- no
> surfaces need special care.  Carpets and mats are super-dense and
> durable.
> -The 'premium' stereo is downright excellent for an OEM radio.
> Supports iPods with a pretty cheap adapter.
> -Awesome headlights (No, seriously), great brakes, too- they don't
> look very big, but they will haul the car down, fast.
> -The inline 6 makes a lovely roar.  Volvo slowly bumped up the
> HP+torque on them over the years. 180 to start, ended in the ballpark
> of 200.  If it feels anemic or doesn't idle rock-solid (save speed
> dips with AC), might need a new MAF.  The engine compartment is
> simple, straightforward, and has huge amounts of space- piece of cake
> to work on.
> -The autobox's first gear will pull stumps away from stoplights
> (helped by a LSD rear), has superb downshift manners, and will last
> forever if flushed occasionally, according to the Sweden taxi / limo
> fleet operators.  Manuals were an option, but exceedingly rare, I
> think.
> -Paint is some of the most durable I have ever seen/maintained.
> -Really comfy seats, and puts away highway miles like nobody's  
> business.
> -RWD, so sucks in the snow (aren't you in FL?) but the steering is
> pretty nice as a result (might need new bushings etc.)  It puts down
> highway miles like nobody's business, and is very relaxing,
> predictable, and fun in its own way to drive in a spirited fashion.
> -Turns on a dime- say goodbye to three point turns.
> -Great visibility all around.
> -They are freakin' enormous boxes inside.  The only shame is that
> Volvo didn't introduce folding passenger seats until much later.  With
> the rear seats folded, it's a flat floor.
> -A bazillion Volvo accessories available.  Cargo
> covers/nets/partitions, cupholders, trashbag holders, you name it,
> Volvo has it.
>
> There are a few gotchas, like microswitches in the shift interlock,
> and a coolant temperature sensor that likes to cause engine stalls
> when it goes south...but nothing horrible in terms of labor or parts
> costs.  I think it was the most trouble-free car my parents ever
> owned.
>
> Quick, someone tell Ed and Cobram that I just posted Volvo content...
>
> -B