I have a Volvo 1998 V70 AWD wagon. Best damn car I've ever had. 106K miles and only 2 major repairs in 8 years (major, meaning about $600 for some obscure sensors that went kaput). Volvo has a saying "volvo for life" and once you've owned one, you'll know why.

the newer Volvo XC wagons are larger than the Audi wagons. a friend in DC has the new Audi wagon (allroad?) and his wife's 2002 XC has more cargo space. get a Rocket Box for the roof for additional storage for skis and the big toys. don't get me wrong, the Audi Allroad is a sweet machine. it's more sporty than the Volvo XC, which is like a nice comfy touring wagon, with a hidden kick-ass engine under the hood.

You should also give the Lexus RX350 a spin. It's not a wagon, but an SUV that drives like a car. I have the RX330 and have been very happy.

I've driven the Allroad on a number of occasions (my mother-in-law had one) and there were a couple of odd things that happened. First, be prepared for it to pretty much guzzle gas. That 'kick-ass' engine really does get you down the road and the triptronic shifting is neat but man you do a number on the old mpg. Second, EVERYTHING costs a ton - brake work (new pads and machined rotors) was $1100, new tires were $600 minimum and everything else was just crazy expensive. She didn't have tons of problems until the end when a steering-wheel shimmy wouldn't go away no matter how much money went into the car and she sold it at a pretty significant loss I believe.

Anyway - anecdotal evidence, but check the forums - the Audi lovers forum has plenty to say about the Allroads both good and bad.

Josh

RAIN: One more thing... Volvo has the "we'll pay for your trip to Sweden if you want to come to our factory and get your car here. then drive it / tour around Europe for 30 days and we'll pay for your insurance for that. and then you drop the car off in a major city, say Paris, and we ship it back home for you" deal. my friends did that for their honeymoon and drove the XC down to France and watched the TDF. drove around Europe for 3 weeks and dropped it off in Paris. 40 days later, the car arrives in Boise. not sure if Volvo offers this to Canadians. free plane tickets for 2 to Goteborg (?) and hotel for 2 nights, then you drive the car off the lot.

I'll definitely be doing this when I but my next Volvo in a few years. I think some of the other Euro car companies off this option.

JOSH: I own a Volvo, not an Audi. My friend in DC loves his. BTW, I have had my brakes and rotors done, $350 for the front. Not sure if this is the Audi / Volvo difference, or Idaho / Colorado difference. Maybe it's just another reason Boise is a fabulous place :)

My wife drives an 04 XC70 and loves it. No problems so far at 35k miles. It runs and sounds like new, not even a squeek. It also does very well in the snow. I can't say enough good things about the car and knowing that it is built like a tank is an added bonus.

the only prob with the audi is the gas mileage. I used to have an audi wagon but got a vw passat front wheel drive instead. less money, 28mpg and I ski 30+ days/year, I only put chains on 1-2x a year. with a roof box you can fit 4 adults, 1 kid and ski stuff.

the drivers side of the vw and the audi has more room than the volvo. I'm 6'7"and I couldn't fit behind the wheel in a volvo.

That said I wouldn't turn down an audi allroad or S4 wagon.

S4 (avant) is in a different league than the allroad.

Subaru makes some great wagons. I think the new Passat wagon has the audi DSG tranny. The new GTI will have a 4 door version next year. The new Rav4 is pretty kickass (small SUV).

ot

What about a SAAB 9-5? There are some great deals with GM hurting. Much better gas mileage than the Volvo.

Volvo 940 Turbo wagon. The second biggest piece of crap I ever owned. ( The first was a Fiat in the early 80s). It was a love/hate relationship with the car. It was very comfortable, hauled lots, and was in the shop every two months. I will never buy another Volvo.

We traded it in for an Acura MDX. Very car like, very comfortable, hauls way more than the 940, and gets better gas mileage.

Volvo= family, 2 lab retrievers and wardrobe removal on the weekends.

Audi= you and your partner, sporty, thirsty and not that good for bulky loads (narrows at the top considerably.)

Subaru legacy wagon= fully assembled bikes in the back (with kids at home, wheels off with them), good load, sporty, not as thirsty, AWD as standard.

All are generally reliable, the Scooby gets my vote. You are spot on the money going with an AWD wagon instead of a SUV, well done you best choice for a triathlete.

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"How bad can it be?" - SimpleS

I have a 2004 Volvo XC70 and love it...granted we got a sweet deal on it and it is pretty much fully loaded for the 2004 model year. Will probably stick to Volvo for year's to come now. I have heard through a solid source that the XC70 will be remodelled for either the 2007 or 2008 model year (can't remember which one but it is soon). Either way, still an amazing car.

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Good athletes train when they want to, great athletes train when they don't......

Also was thinking of the Mercedes ML-350. How do any of you like it?

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Pain is temporary. Pride is forever.

Yikes! I just had both the front and back brakes replaced on my Lexus for $350.

AmyCO,

Out of curiosity, did you go to a mechanic, a brake shop, or a dealer to have that work done? What size wheels? I think that is a really good price.

Bernie

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"Slowbern has always made astute observations."-Casey 03/10/2009
2013-2014 Detroit Lions---13-3 until proved otherwise.

I went to a non-dealer shop that specializes in Toyotas. The tire size (if I have this right) is 225/65R17.

Amy, where did you go? Our Avalon is probably due for rear brakes and an oil change in the next couple weeks - and since you're in the Denver-metro (right?) I'd be interested to know where you went.

Thanks,

Josh

That seems to be an amazing price. Good find. I do my own brakes on my vehicles, and it generally costs me about $180.00 each for my truck and my van. They have 16 inch rims.

Bernie

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"Slowbern has always made astute observations."-Casey 03/10/2009
2013-2014 Detroit Lions---13-3 until proved otherwise.

I go to Toy Car Care in Centennial, off Arapaho. This is their website: http://www.toycarcare.com/