Best Volvo used 1993 onward?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tavish Muldoon
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Tavish Muldoon

Hello,

I am looking to purchase a used Volvo in North America.

So far, I see 240s, 700 series, and 900 series - all very good - but I
am worried because these cars are getting pretty old. 1986 Volvo 740
wagons are pentiful.

I am looking into the 850s - how are they for reliability, mileage and
price?

What would be the best used Volvo to get for under $6000?

Opinions please!


Thanks,

Tmuld.
 
I am looking to purchase a used Volvo in North America.
So far, I see 240s, 700 series, and 900 series - all very good - but I
am worried because these cars are getting pretty old. 1986 Volvo 740
wagons are pentiful.
I am looking into the 850s - how are they for reliability, mileage and
price?
What would be the best used Volvo to get for under $6000?
Click to expand...

The best bets are the '95 to '97 850. My experience has been they get
25-27 mpg local and 29-31 mpg highway. Mine have been very reliable.

The Volvos to avoid are (reason being the others are better):

960 '95-97
S90/V90 ¹97-98;
S40/V40 ¹00;
S80 ¹99-00;
V70/XC70 ¹98-01;

The ones that have the best reliability record are:

240 '91 & '92
940 '94 & '95
850 '95 - '97
S40/V40 '01 - '02
S60 '01 - '03
V70 '02 - '03
S80 '02
 
Hi Steve,

What's the problem with the '93 240's?

Andy I.


|
| The ones that have the best reliability record are:
|
| 240 '91 & '92
| 940 '94 & '95
| 850 '95 - '97
| S40/V40 '01 - '02
| S60 '01 - '03
| V70 '02 - '03
| S80 '02
|
| --
| Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to [email protected]
| Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA, USA
| Owned '67,'68,'71,'74,'79,'81,'87,'93,'95 & '02 Volvos.
| The '67,'74,'79,'87,'95 and '02 through European Delivery.
| http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman/volvo.html
 
My 1994 945TG (940 Turbo Wagon) with 150K+ miles (original engine, turbo,
tranny, radio, paint and just about everything else) runs like a top, looks
great, and is still tight.

My 1992 944GL (940 Sedan) was also a great buy.
 
brackenburn said:
What's the problem with the '93 240's?
Click to expand...

It is essentially the '92 240 since the 850 came out in '93 replacing
all 240s but the wagon. There were not enough made to have a
statistical sample. I would surmise it is as good as the '92, hence a
best buy.
 
1993 965 with 150K kms on it... Nothing too major on it, just some age
related things, and wear and tear.
 
Phew! That's a relief, Steve. We have the '93 240 wagon, built in March,
end of the line..
BTW, 240 sedans were still being produced in '93, as well as wagons.

Andy I.


|
| > What's the problem with the '93 240's?
|
| It is essentially the '92 240 since the 850 came out in '93 replacing
| all 240s but the wagon. There were not enough made to have a
| statistical sample. I would surmise it is as good as the '92, hence a
| best buy.
|
| --
| Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to [email protected]
| Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA, USA
| Owned '67,'68,'71,'74,'79,'81,'87,'93,'95 & '02 Volvos.
| The '67,'74,'79,'87,'95 and '02 through European Delivery.
| http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman/volvo.html
 
Tavish Muldoon said:
Hello,

I am looking to purchase a used Volvo in North America.

So far, I see 240s, 700 series, and 900 series - all very good - but I
am worried because these cars are getting pretty old. 1986 Volvo 740
wagons are pentiful.

I am looking into the 850s - how are they for reliability, mileage and
price?

What would be the best used Volvo to get for under $6000?

Opinions please!
Click to expand...


For reliability and minimum cost of ownership in that range I would buy the
best non-turbo 940 I could find.

I'm not impressed with the problem rate on my '96 850. They have expensive
problems like ABS controllers and A/C evaporators.


John
 
940's & 960's.....w/some tweeking, you can make
the 940 very quick and responsive...for not
too much $$...
 
brackenburn said:
Phew! That's a relief, Steve. We have the '93 240 wagon, built in March,
end of the line..
BTW, 240 sedans were still being produced in '93, as well as wagons.
Click to expand...

Most '93 240 sedans were leftovers. The 850 was introduced in '92 in
Europe and '93 in the US. When the pipeline became full of 850s, they
stopped making 240 sedans. Dealers had a little trouble unloading the
240s and gave excellent discounts. The 850 was priced only slightly
higher then the 240. However, no 850 wagons were built for '93 so any
wagons sold were 240s, etc. The 850 was such a big improvement over the
240 that I switched to a sedan that one year. The '93 850 sedan held
its value at least as well as the wagons had. In previous models, the
wagons always held their values much better than sedans. If you look at
competing makes, the Volvo is one of the few that has a wagon.
 
~^ beancounter ~^ said:
940's & 960's.....w/some tweeking, you can make
the 940 very quick and responsive...for not
too much $$...
Click to expand...

Please tell me how!
When I replaced my 740T with a 940 nonturbo I was amazed at how
much power I had been taking for granted all those years!
 
If you're looking at resale values, the 900 series, especially the
technically complex 960 is the bargain... They have terrible resale values
in comparison to their original price... The 240's still have the best
resale value, at least here in Souther Ont.

Maybe people were afraid of the added gadgets in the 960, and it drove
prices down... maybe it was the low #'s produced.... who knows, but the
technology in them doesn't seem to break very easily. Everything still works
in ours, and the few people i've talked to who have/had one.
 
I concur - perhaps even narrowing it a little to 1996 and 1997. I have a
'97 GLT with the first year of the light pressure turbo - purchased it new.
It has been utterly reliable and trouble-free. I've owned Toyotas that were
worse.
 
James Sweet said:
I think he was referring to a 940 Turbo...
Click to expand...

I think he meant what he said. The 740 was a turbo and the 940 wasn't
and he had been taking the 740 turbo for grated until he got the
nonturbo.
 
i am refering to the 940t's...not the non turbo
versions...they were a bit slow, but still, an
ok car...i drove one up here, at denver altitidude,
for > 200k miles.....you just have to "plan ahead"
when driving.....
 
:If you're looking at resale values, the 900 series, especially the
:technically complex 960 is the bargain... They have terrible resale values
:in comparison to their original price... The 240's still have the best
:resale value, at least here in Souther Ont.
:
:Maybe people were afraid of the added gadgets in the 960, and it drove
:prices down... maybe it was the low #'s produced.... who knows, but the
:technology in them doesn't seem to break very easily. Everything still works
:in ours, and the few people i've talked to who have/had one.

the 960 is a bargain if you do your own mainteanance. however, my
mechanic prefers not to work on them - too complex - so i drive a
940T. they are not as great bargains, but they are more refined than
the 740s and 240s of the same era - mine is a '91.
 
Hello,

I am looking to purchase a used Volvo in North America.

So far, I see 240s, 700 series, and 900 series - all very good - but I
am worried because these cars are getting pretty old. 1986 Volvo 740
wagons are pentiful.

I am looking into the 850s - how are they for reliability, mileage and
price?

What would be the best used Volvo to get for under $6000?

Opinions please!


Thanks,

Tmuld.
Click to expand...


Well i have have quite a few volvos everything from the old classic
142 to several 242,244,245 and 740´s
but i must say that there is no more reliable car than an old 240 they
are very boring to drive but they are reliable as hell,the car i drive
today is an old 88 745 non cat with 182 original hp and i must say
that it has been also very reliable i have had some small trouble
lately but that was fixed then i changed the fuel relay a small cost
40$.

Lj sweden
 
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