Don't blame you keeping the car, and don't blame you if you decide its time to leave the dealer network, however depending on how good the dealer is i might be inclined to give it one last MD service to encourage some goodwill should something go wrong just out of warranty.

Couple of points though, have you tried more outlying main dealers for servicing, might be worth a ring round, a work colleague used to chuck his Picasso on the transporter and take it some 150 miles to a very rural dealer where they would service it while he delivered their new cars and then put it back on, in your case you might be able to fit it in with visits or days away, or tow your caravan and make a break of it.

You might equally have to travel a considerable distance for a good Volvo specialist indy too, i know from my MB indy that 75 or 100 miles is nothing for people to travel to him, same goes for other good MB indies.

We have a decent Volvo specialist in N Hants. I have a Volvo but look on it as a long term car, at 2008 vintage if I did sell it it wouldn't matter much who had serviced it. In four years it's done 80k and had one £500 mot bill but apart from that it's behaved itself. I guess if you buy new or quite new and are going to sell in a couple of years or so a dealer service keeps the value up but there comes a time...like mine... when it's time to let the Indies at it.

My immediate thought is - have you compared all these costs above (some possibly unknown) with the regular cost of leasing a new one? Another XC60 perhaps or a Skoda Kodiaq / SEAT Tarraco which might be cheaper?

I did consider this Avant. My current deal is non maintenance. The full maintenance package was very expensive compared to annual servicing through the dealer network. No doubt an all inclusive package covers every eventuality whether used or not. I simply thought that an annual service at over £500 is a bit strong. At most services they don't even take the wheels off. The car is great and no issues, so like my previous Superb I could easily keep it for many years with the mileage I do these days. I think several good points were made by SLO and GB. I think another dealer service in March after the purchase, then seek out an independent service garage who is a Volvo specialist. Probably go to Warranty Direct for an extended warranty for peace of mind. They do though apply betterment clauses to all claims.

Cheers Concrete

£500 for an annual service is very high unless it's a Bentley! - my Touareg is premium-priced by VW but at £400 for the service at 2 years or 18,000 miles is much cheaper.

It is shocking. I bought a service package for my 18 month old Polo for £480 covering one minor and one major service and an air con service instead of two MOTs which I cannot use. The minor service is a glorified oil change. I wonder if Volvo do much for that money or does it cover the cost of expensive diagnostic gear?

Main dealer services seem a rip-off particularly where there is little to do but plug it in, change a few filters and oil, inspect (brakes, tyres, steering, suspension etc). On a new (up to 3 years old there is rarely anythoing needs doing bar possibly software updates.

But a less than full dealer service record makes it possibly problematic if you have a warranty claim. Most independents don't have access to latest software updates either.

So for most cars (specialist or high cost excluded) a dealer service for the period of the warranty (normally three years), possibly for years 4 and 5 if the cost premium is reasonable, and indpendent thereafter.

By year 6 any failures are most unlikely to be covered by even a goodwill contribution. Any important software updates will have long ago been updated. And when it finally comes to sale the purchaser will likely be more concerned that it has a service history, not who did it.