1988 Volvo 740 GLE Estate review from UK and Ireland

Nothing.

The Volvo 740 series has got to be one of the best engineered cars of all time. I recommend the 2.3 litre GLE because it has the exemplary Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection system fitted and gives about 131bhp as opposed to the GL and Base models with the troublesome Pierburg carbs.

Nothing like driving a 440, but somewhat similar in some aspects to driving a 340.

I was always put off buying one due to claims of high fuel consumption, but I eventually chose to ignore this and I was right to. I drive mine hard (I'm 21), it's an estate and has the most excellent 4 speed + overdrive manual gearbox and I NEVER get less than 30mpg: usually around 34, which for a car with the aerodynamics of a fridge-freezer and weighing just shy of a ton and a half ain't bad going.

Steering is precise (helped by rear wheel drive) and incredibly light, it will do in excess of 120mph and the engine is generally refined except at about 3500-4000ish rpm where it resonates slightly, but above 4k you're rewarded with an engine which sounds like a turbine and it shifts too. Brakes could be better but again, a lot of weight to stop.

In the estate I just love how the rear seats fold down perfectly flat leaving no gaps in the floor - ingenious design.

Heater a bit crap, but gets up to temperature quickly.

Overall this is the best car you can buy for the money. Driving such a comfortable, reliable car so cheaply gives me an inner glow that I'm cheating the system by not getting a new car on credit and getting into debt like most others who get mercilessly sucked in by the ads on TV. And I have to laugh when I see these newer cars having the most horrendous faults with them simply due to poor design governed by the economics of the 21st century.