Hi Keith,
While I agree in general with everything you have stated in the above post, If I were in the market I would also factor in not only parts pricing (and Volvo has the reputation for being expensive) but parts availability. I know that this can be an issue with ANY older engine, but again Volvo has the reputation of poor support in this area (and that is what I experienced with my relatively new model when I owned a Volvo and parts were hard to find).
For those reasons (putting aside my mechanical breakdown and their lack of responsiveness) I (personally) would not buy a Volvo unless I absolutely fell in love with all other aspects of the boat and the engine (and boat) had been meticulously maintained with complete records kept and it received a great survey result.
It is not my intent to "Volvo bash", as I now have no grudge against Volvo (I do however feel it is fair to state the facts of my experience with a Volvo engine), I just think (my opinion) that there are other great choices out there and that my money could be better spent on other engines (the rest of the boat being equal).