Volvo 240
The Volvo 240 series of cars is quite possibly one of the best used car deals for the cooltools crowd. They were made from 1975 until 1993 -- so there are plenty of them to go around. In fact, Volvo wanted to stop making the cars three years before they actually stop producing them -- the community demand was so great they just didn't stop!
240s are roomy (especially in wagon form), reasonably fuel efficient (20 - 30 mpg), durable (engines with 200,000+ miles are not blinked at), solid (steel construction), safe (one of the many cars that built the Volvo=Safe reputation), comfy (lumbar support, heated seats, et cetera), simple to work on (thanks to a roomy engine bay), excellent community support (comprehensive FAQ & online forums), excellent parts support (online junkyard parts galore, and you can still get parts at dealerships), good in the winter (with proper snow tires) and best of all, cheap! A 240 in good condition can be had for anywhere from free (it needs a little work and it's so old and has so many miles... who'd want it?) to $2,000+ for a well looked after example. (The 240's latter siblings, the 740 and 940, are both fine cars as well - based on the same mechanicals as the 240)
I've had two previous Vovlo 240s and love my current 1990 240 wagon. I purchased it with 225,000 miles already on the odometer for a trip to Alaska. It may be a 16 year old car, but it brings a smile to my face.
-- Zach Zaletel
1985, 150,000 miles, $1,000
Available from Cars For Sale
User forums
Brick Board,
SweedSpeed,
TurboBricks,
Online parts shops
FCP Groton,
eEuroparts,
VLVworld,
RPR Company, Inc.
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A cool tool is anything useful that is superior to comparable items. If you think this tool is inferior suggest a better one. You are welcome to insult a tool, but comments containing insults to individual people will be deleted. Corrections of fact are always welcomed, if stated politely. Recommendations of better tools are dearly wanted and may be elevated to the front page.
Ramin .S
I have a 1987 volvo 240 DL { I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER} 160.000 on it , in mint condition . I truly love the car , nothing like it , last year i drove it from CA to GA and back and nothing went wrong , It is safe , like a tank , drives well . I would not change it with a new american car . VOLVO FOR LIFE BABY .
Zach Zaletel
Still running strong three years later, with multiple Alaskan winters under its belt, an errant F150 that necessitated a replacement hood, and now over 277,000 miles on the odo. Even took it for an 800 mile trip this past weekend without a hiccup (with 200+ miles of rutted, potholed Alaskan unpaved roads along the way).
mark nowicki
the pick of a 240 is a good one. May I suggest a first generation xc70 for all the same reasons you have plus all wheel drive, turbo engine and more up to date styling. the '98-'00 ones are right at the bottom of their depreciation curve ( old enough to be affordable, $3000-$5000 for clean under 150k ).
I love mine, I use it to haul tools for work as a carpenter during the week and to haul family on the weekends. I concede there are a few negatives as compared to the 240,a more complicated drivetrain,but I think its worth it for the t5 engine and all wheel drive. Overall if you are the type to do maintenace and repairs your self, and if you are reading this you are, these cars are a good deal.
I also dream of a porsche 911 of late '80's vintage for some of the same reasons and becouse I always wanted one of those big beatles.
ChampaignTurbo
Nice little article. Keep the updates going. I just purchased an '89 244 GL and have replaced front brakes, thermostat, wiper motor...and still working on a few other things, but the key is, getting most of it done myself! The three sources you listed ar essentials for any RWD Volvo owner.
CheaperThanDirt
I recently purchased a one owner 1990 Volvo 240DL Sedan. I used to say "If it looks to good to be true, it probably is." But, now I say "If it looks to good to be true, take a closer look and go with your gut instinct." This car was not running when I bought it, but it was totally straight, almost immaculate interior, with an Odo at 79k mi. The original owner said it just wouldn't start anymore, and had already bought replacement transpo. He said he'd part with it for $200, but I had to talk him down to $175 on principle. My gut told me it would be a cheap fix, so I went with it. I had it towed home, and let my mechanic neighbor look at it briefly to gimme an idea of possible problem costs. He had me crank it over a couple times, to no avail, then said he'd be back in a minute. He came back, stuck a fuse in near the ign. coil, and it started easily! It ran so smooth and quiet, I could hardly believe it! I've never owned a Volvo before, but it felt like the car for me from the first test drive. Solid, solid car, and my only complaint would be that the frond end feels a little sloppy/floaty when turning sharply at low speeds. But heated front seats on BOTH sides makes more than my butt feel warm and fuzzy! LOL. Love your site, btw. Keep it up.