Hello Volvo enthusiasts,

I'm in the market for a wagon. My trusty 84 VW Rabbit GTI is not the safest or most practical family car, so I'm looking towards Volvo because I believe in machines that are serviceable and built to last.

My budget is limited, and I'm not afraid to buy, or work on, an older car. I love the style of the mid-to-later 80s wagons, but I've also heard that there were vast improvements to safety in circa 1992.

Is there a big difference? Are there any years that you consider to be key in terms of safety/reliability/value? I mostly hear about 240's, but I'm interested in hearing about other models if appicable.

Thanks for any advice or knowledge you can impart!

 

I think the optimum car for what you seem to want, (reliability, servicability, safety) would be a late 940, (1994-1995). It combines all the traditional Volvo pluses without the complcations of the later models.

 

Yes, late 740/940 cars got Volvo's SIPS system and airbags standard, plus I believe all models in the range got ABS. 940's got a revised ABS system which seems to be less troublesome than the 740 systems, but teh 740 ABS is still a very reliable system, it just has a couple of small items that can fail but are easily replaced.
940's really are the pick of the bunch as far as safety goes, but a late 740 is still a very well engineered vehicle, and if you buy a higher spec model you'll have a car 99% as good as a 940. 940's got much improved seats over the 740's though.
The late 740's (90+) got a much upgraded engine management system which has proven very reliable and they also got much improved interior equipment. They also got the "940" front (in reality, the 940 got the late 740 front sheetmetal, but people call it the 940 front sheetmetal!).
I'd buy more on condition and features if I had to choose between a late 740 and 940.

Regards, Andrew.

 

Thanks, this is very helpful!

What can you tell me about sedans of the same era (mid 80s to early 90s)? Obviously not as much space but they still seem pretty roomy (especially with a good hard shell for the roof rack). What are the 740's and 940's of the Volvo sedan world?

Thanks again.

 

I picked a 240 wagon over a 740 because I always thought the 240s were not quite as "boxy" as the 740s. They are still boxy, dont get me wrong, I just liked the 240 look better.

One other thing I always thought was cool- a 240 wagon rear door will fit on a 240 sedan.

Dave

 

The 740 and 940 of the sedan world is the 740 and the 940. They have the same numbers just they're sedans, and weigh less. And I don't know why ^he brought this up but they're back doors are interchangeable from sedan to wagon also. As are most cars.

If you get a 240 they're great, if I had a family, or even liked kids, I would get a 740 wagon or more likely a 940. Tend to be reliable and advanced and still have cheap parts. They're also a little bigger on the inside and better taken care of. The 240 is a very safe car, all Volvo's are, after all that was they're deal.

Buy on what you want, don't less us talk you into it. Also lets see a pic of the rabbit, I've had a half dozen or so of those.

 

I'm with Daver on the style factor of the 240's. I love the look of the mid and late 80s 240 wagons. If they had airbags this would likely be a done deal. From what I understand, they're still engineered well. And I like the simplicity of maintaining a mid-80s car.

I'm not really looking for anyone to decide for me, just interested in learning about some of the differences, opinions, discussions, and that's what I'm getting so thanks I've never owned a volvo so I'm also scoping out what kind of community is out there maintaining them.

here's my 84 gti, daily driver for almost ten and half years:

 

Nice looks clean. I admit I prefer the 240's also, but if i had a family i would get a 740 r 940.

Here's one of the rabbits

 

that's a sweet rabbit, right there.

is that for "reliability" or safety?

 

LIttle bigger, a little safer, and a little more reliable. Anyone who messes with the wiring in a 240 and then messes with the wiring in a 740 or 940 will certainly appreciate the difference.

 

One thing about safety ... newer is always going to be better, get something with an airbag if possible (92+).

The 240 was safe for its time:
"The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety based its findings on a study of four years' worth of accidents in which drivers were killed. The crashes occurred between 1989 and 1993 and involved 1988 through 1992 vehicles.
The group said no drivers of '88 through '92 Volvo 240s were killed during those years, so its death rate was the lowest." But you have to consider who/the type of driver.

240/740/940's perform badly in offset 30MPH head-on crashes. Volvo's own saftey engineers have admitted a flaw in the floor that allows cabin intrusion that was fixed with the 850. And without an airbag ...

The good thing about them is they are easy to fix and are durable, but not very reliable. The engines and drivetrains are generally the same but the 740/940's had nicer interiors.

Parts are easy to find in the junkyards.

Stay away from anything with rust.

 

There really wasn't a flaw in the 740, offset frontal collisions just weren't designed for in 1982 when the car was developed. Offset frontal impacts are grossly hyped anyway, they're a pretty uncommon accident. They "fixed" teh flaw with the 850 by using the engine and transmission as a structural member in an accident, one of the many reasons manufacturers go to FWD.
Any 740 is still a 5 star occupant safety vehicle, even today.

Regards, Andrew.

 

http://www.alltommotor.se/artiklar/n...-yaris-1.10023

 

Actually 740's have airbags since 1988, driver's side only. I believe 940's have BOTH sides since 1993 till the end in 1995.

 

240s definitely have a more committed fan base, may be because they are more traditional Volvo I guess. I personally have never been too attached to them, somehow I don't click with them the way I take to 740/940. Personal choice. Late 940 especially are probably better simply because they are newer, and I realize that newer is not necessarily better, still, I believe they are. The mechanics are practically the same so any other differences are a matter of personal choice.

 

That's interesting, I assume you are referring to the US market? In Australia, even 1990 740's did not have airbags at all, not even an option.

Regards, Andrew.