My S60 AWD is coming up on 7500 miles. So far it has been a great car! No complaints at all. <p>I am leasing the car for 36 months, I have a 15K mi/yr allowance and I drive about 12K mi/yr. I am considering purchasing it at the end of the lease. I should also mention that this is my first "fancy" car (I have owned a Corolla and a Celica in the past).<p>Here are the questions: <p>1. Do I have to have the car serviced at the dealer? The prices there seem a little astronomical:<p>7.5K service = $175<br>15K = $289<br>22.5K = $305<br>30K = $529<p>(and these prices are with coupons!)<p>There is an article in Car and Driver (http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/roadtests/2002/august/0208_longterm_s60.xml?&page=2) where the services on a S60 T5 appear to be a lot cheaper, and the services are really nothing more than oil changes, tire rotations, and visual inspections.<p>2. If I have the car serviced elsewhere, will that cause problems with my lease? Does it make a difference if I go to my friendly mechanic or to a "Volvo specialized" mechanic?<p>3. What does the dealer do at 7.5K miles to justify $175? Maybe the "free" loaner is the difference? Or am I missing something?<p>I almost hate to say this, but Volvo is behind Audi and MZB which provide free maintenance for the first 50K miles. Some may argue that the maintenance is built in to their selling price, but my S60 and an audi A4 3.0 Quattro were similarly priced at the time I got the car. (BTW, I opted for the Volvo b/c the Audi was little uncomfortable for me to drive and I like the S60 styling a bit more. However, the A4 is also a beautiful car). When I leased the car and told the dealer that Audi provides free maintenance, he countered with the fact that modern cars require minimal maintenance and that my costs would be negligible.<p>Any advice would be sincerely appreciated. I still have about 3 weeks before I hit 7500.<p>Thanks!