"Being part of the Army involves many moves, and this one really was no different except that two Volvo's were used as beasts of burden.

Recently, we purchased two Volvos - a 2004 XC90 (new) and a pre-owned 2002 S80. These were our third and forth Volvos, having owned a 1993 850 and a 2002 S40. Anticipating a move from San Antonio to El Paso, we purchased both cars - the XC90 as a congratulations gift for my wife, who was selected for the Sergeants Major Academy, and her successful completion of a tour of duty as a first sergeant for a training company, and the S80 as a retirement present to myself after 23 years of military and government service.

We left San Antonio late morning packed to the gills with luggage and began our trip to El Paso along Interstate Highway 10. We made good time (8 hours), stopping for gas twice for the XC90 (in Sonora and Van Horn), and once for the S80 (Van Horn). The S80 (my car) was mysteriously packed very tightly, while the XC90 (my wife's car) was packed very lightly. The road was quite smooth and very pleasant to drive; both cars having good seating and sound systems. We encountered one sandstorm, but got through it okay, and becasue it occurred pretty close to El Paso we did not get lost or beat up by the sand. There is not much good eating along the way, and for sure there is no KFC serving "skinless fried chicken" in Van Horn, Texas.

The Volvo's ride made the road trip great. The S80 rides and feels like a cruiser, and the XC90 like a fighter plane. Both cruise effortlessly at high speeds, and are a very tight ride. My wife and I have driven this road many times in various cars (both low end and luxury), but both of us find we are less stressed in our Volvo's. They are comfortable, exciting, and fun to drive cars."