[kevdiggity40]

My extended waiting has turned into "will likely never purchase". It's just been too long and the pricing in NorCal is absurd. 2021 LE former rentals with 40-50k miles are still going for 40k. I went to look at one at my local dealer (who sold me 2 Siennas and a Camry in the past) earlier this month that was advertised at $35k. I got there the day it was first listed and sales guy says "We've already been offered $40k plus". For a nearly 2 yo former rental with 45k miles?! The gas savings aren't enough for me. My 2011 Limited AWD is still plugging along at 177k miles but it's time to move on. I'm actually trading it in on a 2020 CPO Volvo XC90 this weekend-6 seater with 30k miles for $38k. After I add the Volvo CPO for another $3200, I'm still in the same price ballpark for a luxury vehicle with 7 years/unlimited miles of coverage. Will the Volvo be as reliable? No but I've owned multiple Volvos and the CPO plan is excellent and covers just about everything. I have 4 kids and I'm trading legroom and rear storage for a luxury vehicle at the same price. We've made 5 hour trips in a Subaru Ascent and they haven't complained yet. A good cargo box takes care of cargo space issues and the seats are miles more comfortable. It's also as safe as it gets. If the Grand Highlander looks better, I'll consider it when demand tails off. Strange days in the car world.

 

[kevdiggity40]

Yet another example of dealer markups working against themselves in the long run. Our old friend competition wins in the end!

I considered the XC90 before I got the Sienna. I have a 2012 XC60 and it's been the best car I've ever had. 231k miles and counting. Snooty/lying salesman were the only reason I passed + I was able to find a Sienna at sticker (after some talks) in another town that had been cancelled by the buyer. Volvo's CPO program is truly a hidden gem, especially when stretched to the 10 year/unlimited mile limit. Do it, you won't regret it!

Be sure to check out the swedespeed forum for help/advice!

I love Swedespeed. It's a great forum. I've owned a couple of XC70s and an older model XC90 and always found the answer to any question there.

RE your Volvo salesman experience-same for me! I'm not sure why but my local dealer is quite pretentious. It's funny because in my mind, the Mercedes and BMW dealers would be worse but I actually bought all 3 Volvos from various Mercedes dealers. They were much more down to Earth and easier to work with.

I was a loyal customer of my local Toyota dealer for all purchases and service for over 10 years. The 10k markup might work now but they lost me as a customer for life. If I ever buy another Toyota, I'll drive 90 minutes to one of the dealers that stayed with MSRP.