1986 Volvo 740 Turbo 2.3 turbo
Summary:
Haul your family in safety and have fun doing it
Faults:
Turbocharger blew seals at 300,000 k
Rear Differential failed at 280,000 k
Air Conditioner failed at 380,000k.
All other major components are original.
General Comments:
This car is beautiful to drive. It has room for 4 adults, all their luggage (with their bikes or skis on the roofrack) and handles like a performance car. It will also carry a family of 7 in comfort (2 adults, 4 kids and a big, hairy dog) with the jump seat.
This car is so reliable that you take it for granted. The car starts at the coldest temperatures without complaint, has super climate controls, handles everything in stride and still gets decent mileage.
Parts for Volvos are less readily available than domestic makes, but larger stores carry most items or have next day service.
Dealer items are brutally expensive.
Having said that, Volvos need parts so rarely that this is not a major factor in operating one.
Also a consideration: these cars are made out of much better quality metal than most, so when you need to service them, the nuts and bolts have not rusted and you never strip them.
For example: I recently replaced the turbo charger on this car and the bolts, which have been in the same spot since the car left Sweden came out with no problem at all. Try that with your 17 year old Ford sometime.
Volvos are not cheap, but they are superior vehicles. They are very durable, very reliable and very safe. This one is also sparky and a blast to drive.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 1st October, 2002
13th Jan 2003, 12:48
Granted the older Volvos may not be that diverse... but my Volvo 740 turbo-wagon can destroy a ford mustang off the line (and most likely top speed), talk about emasculating... I mean a 4 cylinder wagon destroying a v8 sportscar... I laugh at Mustang drivers.
9th Nov 2005, 14:27
Why that ain't nothing! I was driving around in my 1921 Model T the other day, and whipped a Corvette off the line, I was like, doing 60mph in the blink of an eye. So fast, I left my wheels behind. Thing is like a rocket.
26th Mar 2006, 09:45
My horse and buggy beat a space shuttle at the lights yesterday.
21st Jul 2007, 03:18
No one should compare racing a car from the lights!!! The Volvo Turbo is quick, but not massively fast (good mid range acceleration though) - I because I have just sold my 940 Turbo - the cars would naturally get slower with age. The cars are great and my 3.0 960 is surpurb vehicles - I love surprising other drivers (204bhp) as I have left it tatty and people don't expect a Volvo to be driven quickly!!! An excellent Q-car!!! Go Volvo!
1st Oct 2002, 14:48
Everyone always has a go at Ford, if you pay twice maybe three times as much for one car over another you'd expect that money to have been paid for a reason, likewise it's not going to cost the same as that cheaper car to repair.
Volvo aren't exactly pushing new boundaries, their entire vehicle range consists of an estate and saloon. Wow.