Need a new car, saw this post 1993 VOLVO 240 - NEAR MINT on craigslist. Car has 216k miles on it but the owner is claiming to have basically gone through the entire car and replaced or fixed everything, investing $6,500-$7,500 in parts and labor. $3,000 seems a bit high for a 20 year old car though. Suggestions on what to do?

 

take it to a mechanic you trust, have them inspect it, give you a detailed report.

if its a clean car in good condition mechanically and interior/exterior, thats a fair price, if you like it.

the 240 is a really solid car. we have one with about 400000 miles (original owners), and have done various maintenance on it over the years (my daughter drives it now, and loves it), but its never needed anything major to the engine, just stuff like alternators, a new radiator, etc.

the air conditioning was lame even when the car was new, and I doubt age has improved that much. when I replaced my radiator, I pretty much removed most of the AC as it was broken and in my way. ours is a 1987, maybe by 1993 they fixed things.

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240's are hot! Definitely the Volvo most people seem to fawn over. The '93 being the last year has a special appeal. $3,000 for a decent one is not bad, and you can't look at it like it's another "20 yrs old car"... The right question is, what better car can I buy for $3,000? Probably none.

 

well, personally, I prefer 740/940s, they are nicer cars all the way around. best version, IMHO, is a 1994/1995 940 turbo wagon.

but 240's definitely have that retro style thing going for them. my daughter says my 940 (ok, mine is a 740 from the overlap years) is square, and her 240 is hip.

there's more mechanically in common between the 240 and 7/9's than there is differences.

 

I agree, the 740/940 cars are nicer cars. They are more refined, have nicer interiors, and are better highway cars. I still like the 240's but where I am they are becoming very scarce. I used to see them on the road on a regular basis but in the last couple of years they seem to have disappeared. The same with the 740's and 940's. Mine is becoming unique.

 

I live in Santa Cruz. I can't drive 3 blocks through this town without seeing a half dozen RWD Volvos. and 850s everywhere, too. Not seeing 544's very often anymore, however. or Amazons.

 

The problem is that where I am from, South Florida, everyone puts a lot of emphasis on driving a new car. I rarely see any cars on the road that are older than 5 years. Even people that don't have money lease new cars. It is a very materialistic and showoff culture down here. That is why so many people are broke and with bad credit.

 

Yeah, see, that's why (and many other reasons) why I stay away from places like Florida... and the SE in general.

 

The 940 is definitely the best Volvo, I think the 1993/94 being better than the '95 which has some idiosyncrasies which make it less desirable in my book.

But since when is what's logical mattered to the public at large? You hear all the 240 stories and it is the "iconic" Volvo but the 700/900 series are definitely superior.

 

Agreed! I have the unique position to be able to make daily comparisons. I drive my '88 244DL and my folks drive a '95 940. The 940 is definately one of Volvo's finest acheivements. It is very refined, comfortable, economical and trouble free. Their car has well over 200k and is doing well. But there's one huge difference that keeps me in the 244.

I am 6' 1" tall and I do NOT like the lack of headroom in the 940. Even without the sunroof, I have to squirm around to get comfortable. On a long trip it gets real old real fast. The 244 on the other hand, has all the head room I need.

The 940 is certainly quieter on the inside. Well, I should say it WAS quieter but I dynamatted the 244 and now it's the quiet one. The 940 had the better sound system but now I've got the Alpine with the Infinity speakers. The interior is more modern than the 244 but I bought a dash overlay and my interior is just fine. Both cars have cloth seats so there's not a penny's worth of difference. The 940 has cruise control and power windows but the car cost a lot more. I have to crank my windows but I don't mind.

Out on the Interstate, the 940's taller gearing makes for a quiet ride while delivering a little better mileage than my 244. But my car's lower gearing makes up for all of that in the city where I can squirt along with traffic. The 940 is often down on its knees in city traffic.

So really, this could boil down to a case of what each person likes better. They're both absolutely SUPERB cars. For me, I'll take the 244 because it is ergonomically better suited to me and my body type.

It really is a shame that Volvo sold out to Ford in the late 90s. They were building some really of the best cars they had ever built in the late 80s to the mid 90s. And I really HATE front wheel drive! lol

 

the 7/940T is no slouch. gobs of torque at low RPMs, and moves along just fine. of course, the gas mileage sucks if you leadfoot it around.