know what you mean , shopping for a used car for your son ,went through it with my daughter,
5 yrs ago and settled on a honda civic si ( 98 before they changed they suspension )
i've always thought that volvos were near the bottom of the reliability lists if so , you being a mechanic wondered why you chose it
Contrary to popular belief, Volvo's, as well as many other European brands, are extremely well-built vehicles that hold up over long periods of time. I know several of our sales team swear by Volvo's, many of them putting on 50-75K Km's per year. Their past Vovlo's have lasted them upwards of 400 and 500,000 Kms, with regular maintenance of course.
Also, when you're buying a used car, it's not so much about what make/model you're buying but how it has been treated - especially if you're looking for a very low-cost car. Even if it is an infamously problematic car like an older Jetta, you may be better off with a well-maintained VW than a beaten up Toyota or Honda. Trust me, I've been there. Bought an '89 Camry once, it had about 5 owners and the door paint didn't match, to say the least it didn't hold up the chalice of perfect reliability commonly referred to when discussing used Toyota's.
