Tyler Backman wrote: > The bodies, engines, and transmissions last > forever, but are not as comfortable or refined as a mercedes.
The bodies last forever *if* you're not in an area that uses road salt. The Volvo 240 loves to rust. Particular trouble spots are the floor pans, front fenders, front sills, and the area behind the fuse panel. (Sometimes it rusts through *behind* the fuse panel and lets water in.) The problem is that the front cowl drains into the fenders and sills, carrying with it leaves and pine needles that clog the drains. When my sills rusted through I could reach in and grab big handfuls of leaf litter. Also, the bumper is aluminum bolted directly to steel brackets, and bimetallic corrosion eventually makes the bumper fall off. On 240 wagons the rear hatch also rusts badly, except on '90 and later ones where the rear hatch is actually aluminum. The area above the license plate recess traps water and rusts until the license plate lights fall out, providing a drain. ;) Wagons also tend to rust around the tail lights. I got rid of mine when the rear floor pan rusted out around the center driveshaft bearing support. It was a pity, because with around 200,000 miles on it the car still used *no* oil and ran great. I sold it cheap to a guy who wanted to try fixing it as a welding project. The 7-series Volvos had greatly improved rustproofing. They also reportedly incorporate better side-impact protection. The 9-series is similar to the 7-series, but with a better interior. The 2-, 7-, and 9-series cars are all RWD and all use the same durable engine and transmission combination. The ride and handling are similar to a small pickup truck. So is the towing and cargo capacity. (You can put 1/2 ton of cargo in a 240 wagon.) Underneath they have independent strut suspension in front, and a Dana 30 axle with coil springs and a Panhard rod in back. Volvos have the best seats I've ever sat on in a car.
