I've been reading through the various forums on the 240s, 740s and 850s, and for some reason, I really like the 740s! Is the 740 a good model to buy in terms of repair costs, comfort and reliability?

There is one I'll be checking out Saturday, and its got me quite excited. Its a 1991 740 base model, light brown, heated cloth seats, sunroof, 240k and he's asking around $1100 or so. He's carefully maintained it himself, it drips no fluids and has no rust. The worst is its missing a hubcap and the rear latch is stuck for some reason (locking mechanism?). He's got a Magnaflow exhaust on which apparently makes the car louder. I hope its got a mean growl to it, that'd be pretty cool! Assuming the car checks out and everything is in excellent running order and the body has no problems, what's a fair price to pay in today's crazy market? Edmunds rates it between $500-900 but KBB is around $1800.

I heard you need to check for drips, check the tranny to make sure it operates like it should, and check out all the electrics. What else should I check out?

This is the best car I've found in the area for the price, and probably the newest 740. Are there better years than others to consider? There is also an '88 740 going for $1200 and I'm not sure the mileage.

How do these perform in the winter on ice & snow? I live in MN.

Thanks ahead of time for the advice!

 

A 740 is probably the best bang for buck of all the older Volvos. They had started getting a good list of standard features in this model and some were quite luxurious.
The 740 was originally designed as a wagon, not a sedan modified to be a wagon, so they are a very nice, workable vehicle.
I think 1990 was the last year of the 740 and a few significant improvements to some systems had snuck in by then, particularly the fuel injection and ABS systems. I have a 1990 and it's a very nice vehicle to own.
They don't seem to rust much, if at all, parts are very cheap, service work is very easy. Any competent mechanic can work on them, they're straightforward and have common systems.
I'd have the car checked by an independent inspection agent (most auto break down services have such a service), if you are not comfortable about making decisions about some things.
They're a very good, solid, reliable vehicle if maintained and have a surprisingly quiet ride.

Regards, Andrew.