Possible V50 Purchase

Not sure why the rear wiper arm is missing, but replacements are readily available.

Berry will likely have a replacement side mirror assembly, give them a call and ask for Mark @iceton1975

Some others may have thoughts on this but I would also budget to flush the transmission fluid unless you have service records indicating it was done recently, as in '00s Volvos you often find this has been overlooked due to some perhaps inappropriately bold claims Volvo made about transmissions not needing servicing.

General thoughts on buying used cars

• Test drive it and just give it a hard launch e.g. onto a freeway or on a deserted back road, you are just wanting to check for clunks/vibrations at speed, and also get a feel for how well the automatic transmission is working, i.e. is it shifting smoothly with no rev flare-out (where the revs spike up as it shifts).
• For brakes, stand on them and see if you get vibrations. Suspension and brake noise/vibration are typically just indicating some servicing is required but they are good bargaining chips.

General thoughts on cars for P-platers

I think in this day and age, given the strict laws about P-plater phone use while driving, it is probably a good idea to consider a headunit upgrade to something with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. You can get fascia kits that make it fairly plug and play.

Generally these are the most reliable spec. Look for usual Volvo stuff such as PCV, front suspension wear, coolant overflow tank (they split) etc. Everything James said. Be aware that the auto even when working correctly tends to slur slightly on changes - they were never crisp. Just as long as the shift is not overly long.

Headlining price sounds plausible. I had one done on a V40 several years back. It was $700 but the car had a sunroof and I don't think they were the cheapest trimmers around.

It must be a recent development that you can upgrade the sound system on these. Used to be that you couldn't. On the existing system, if you keep it, your son won't care but the AM radio will almost certainly be dead - they pretty much all fail. Make sure the rest of the sound system is good though. I'd look long and hard at the laws around device use by P Platers. In Vic the laws changed for all drivers fairly recently and they are very prescriptive. I believe these changes were pretty much nationally agreed.

The interior looks unloved but could be brought around with some DIY efforts.