1989 Volvo 440 GLEi review from UK and Ireland

Nothing has gone wrong with the car since I bought it; touch wood. However when buying the car it needed work on the engine to stop it leaking coolant. Also the electric windows are somewhat noisy and slow.

I bought my Volvo for £700 which to me seems like an absolute bargain considering the car's advantages.

To start with the car is extremely cheap to run considering it's size and speed. Group 7 insurance and decent fuel economy, but still plenty of room for five people and luggage.

The performance of the car is good providing brisk acceleration (0-60 under 10 seconds) and is particularly impressive considering the insurance group. However the engine does lack a bit of torque and can struggle a little when the car is fully laden. The level of grip is good but wheelspin can be a considerable problem in the wet. The steering however is incredibly lacking in feel but you do get used to this and eventually don't notice it too much.

The car is comfortable and seemingly well built particularly the bodywork. However the interior trim is a little rattly.

Overall I would say that the Volvo 440 with the 1.7i engine is a bargain.