1980 Volvo 240 GLE review from UK and Ireland

Rust around the rear arches

One wheel bearing failed

Several clogged fuel injector incidents

Exhaust broke just at base of manifold (without the exhaust it sounds like an aircraft taking off - very impressive!)

Broke the lhs anti roll mounting due to off-roading.

On the whole I was happy with the 240, using like many others do, as a van. Rear load space (estate) is vast - 6ft of length with a totally flat rear door so no lost space (or aerodynamics).

Being a heavy rear wheel drive car its ability to get stuck in the mud is classic, and embarrassing when it's somebody else's garden. And when it does get stuck, nothing short of a land rover or tractor is going to pull it free so don't bother asking a passer by to help you with his vectra (it's painful to watch them try). I ended up carrying an electric winch. That said there's plenty of ground clearance for rough farm tracks.

I crash tested the front bumper through a dry stone wall after mistakenly trying to park on someones lawn (thought it was a driveway). Got out thinking my car was wrecked, but all I needed was a new number plate. This car truly is a tank, most 4WDs would have suffered worse.

Not as much rear legroom as you might think, Volvo seem to favour boot space, which is probably a good thing, the seats though are very comfy and the car drives well. Engine is quite boomy.

Performance is OK, not spectacular. Goes nicely down the motorway. Not much room on small lanes, but that's OK as oncoming cars tend to veer into the ditch for some reason. Towing capacity is quite good. Load capacity is fantastic, I put 750kg of computers in the boot, plus a trailer. It rode a little low, but it didn't bottom out much.

Mechanically the car is very solidly built, 4-pot calipers, vented discs, huge suspension components, impressively solid monocoque chassis. If I had to have a head on crash with anything, this is the car I'd want to be driving at the time. The very early mechanical injection did clog sometimes, but that's forgivable as it was a pioneering technology back in 1980.

Ultimately it didn't survive the abuse I gave it, and passed away in september 2000, 20 years and six months after it left the factory. I'd say it lasted well.