Faults:

The engine would sometimes overheat, mainly caused by faults in the electric fan system.

The rust was noticeable in winter, not too much, only on the rocker panels; the car's sheet metal was generally very good.

Black smoke from the exhaust and oil leaks. Although it wasn't serious, it was all easy to fix at a low cost.

Suspension and steering sensitive to irregularities, with a tendency towards instability (whiplash) at speeds above 140 km/h.

General Comments:

A near-perfect car for a family of five or more in the mid-80s. Coming from a Volvo 2 Series, the R18 really had to make a huge effort to be a good car, and it succeeded. I'm not saying it's superior, but in the years I owned it, the satisfaction this wagon gave me was immense.

In my opinion, it was a modern car for the 80s, even though it started being made in the late 70s. The truth is that its components seemed very advanced, and even in the 90s it was still a normal car for daily use.

Although this model didn't come with power steering as standard, the car, despite its size, wasn't difficult to handle. In Sweden during the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, it was common to see large cars like the Volvo 2 Series or the Saab 9000, so the 18 performed quite well in the urban and rural environments of Sweden 30 years prior. It did have air conditioning and electric windows on all four doors as standard (you had to look at premium cars to see these features), very good brakes, and stability, although it was somewhat noisy at high speeds.

The engine, uncompromising, with ample power for moving a large family car and absolutely reliable, I never had to start it more than once in temperatures below -10 degrees Celsius. Fuel consumption was somewhat high, though more due to the car's body than the engine itself, but nothing out of the ordinary for that era.

Great car, without being expensive it had all the necessary elements to be a reliable and safe vehicle.

Faults:

Basically I had to replaced one drive shaft, the breather valve for the engine, and the front discs in 30000 kms of driving.

After this, the normal servicing parts etc...

General Comments:

The car is comfortable for driving, and with 5 speed is quite economical.

Has good visibility all around.. maybe the rear right window with the spare wheel can be a issue..

Good headlamps and very reliable; always starts.

Bad points are the heating system, specially for Sweden needs the fan all the time, and a bigger heater matrix will be excellent.