1984 Volvo 244 DL from North America - Comments

The previous owner didn't keep up with the maintenance on it, so I've had to fix a number of things as a result of this neglect.

First the clutch, rotors, calipers, exhaust, water pump, alternator, and overdrive relay.

Then, I retrofitted the air conditioner for R-134a coolant.

After taking care of these things right off the bat, I've only had to have normal maintenance done.

Great car. I've put over 60,000 miles on it without a breakdown, driven from Indianapolis to Toronto several times as well as commuted sixty miles one-way to work, six days a week.

It gets good gas mileage, has enough pick-up for the highway, and is fun to drive.

My only real complaint is the high price of parts and repairs.

And I know these cars are safe. I wrecked my last Volvo, an '81 240 GL, running off the road, over a gulley, and up a tree. I was driving at about 40mph, and only bumped my head when the car flipped over on its side. After the tow truck had pulled it back onto the road (right-side up) I started it, drove it for another 30,000 miles, and finally sold it with 283,000 miles on the odometer.

I was sufficiently impressed by that experience that I was not turned away by the large amount of repairs this one needed. Being about a $2000 investment (including purchase price and repairs), this car has paid for itself several times over.

This guy is 100% correct! These are very safe, reliable cars and are well worth the money. I don't understand why some people are willing to risk their lives to drive a nice looking, but terribly unsafe car! I would much rather buy and drive an ugly car that will protect me better in an accident than drive a more sporty or luxurious car that was made by people who don't care whether I live or die! Volvos have been reported as being the safest cars on the road for a long time. When it comes to reliability, sure Volvos have their own quirky problems, but they still last longer than any other domestic or foreign car I know of out there! It's not rare to see a Volvo with over 300,000 miles... on the original engine and transmission Ford and Chevy fans!

You guys are all wrong. Not only is the 244 volvo a safe and fairly reliable car, which of course like everyone says is very important, it's a rad looking car. When you look at the newish s60 range they are so rounded and boring. The classic "box" shape is something to be proud of and the wagon is even better. I say that these older almost classic volvo (or surf wagons) are great cars and the ladies should come flocking because you can fold the back seats down for a nice place to stretch out.