Love the car but Volvo needs to learn how to make electronics.
The car was old and had a lot of mileage on it (165k) when I got it. But it's a Volvo so it is super comfortable and has amazing safety features even for a 2006 (it's now 2020). Plus it drives great and is more useful than most large, bulky SUVs. The engine runs smooth and the transmission shifts great. Not a sporty ride at all but it's a taller, heavy wagon so that wasn't expected. I love the look of it too. Problem is the electronics. I had to replace the stereo (got a used one on eBay), the sunroof doesn't work, and neither does the siren for the alarm. To fix the sunroof/siren, would be a huge cost so I leave it as is. Also had to replace the fuel sensor under the hood (did it myself for under $70). Just had to bring it in for a bad coil in cylinder 1 ($200). This is all within the 1st 10 months of owning the car. So do I consider it reliable? Not really. Hopefully this is all I need to do. I knew about the stereo and sunroof/siren when I bought it but the rest were not expected. Next time I'm in the market for an old car to drive around the neighborhood, I'll get an Asian brand. But I still love the Volvo and hope to keep it for years to come. Another funny thing is the outside temperature sensor is bad because in the middle of a heat way, it shows that it's -35 degrees outside. Not worth fixing because it's not a critical element. And it's funny.