passenger car Volvo 240 , year 1993 . Reviews and test drives.

Review about Volvo 240

I have been in the automobile business for 10 years prior to my present job and needed a car I could rely on to carry miss speedy and the children 125 miles a day. She had sent three domestics to their graves in one year, so I chose a known good bet.

Accomplishments Volvo 240

Handles well for a largish car. Steering can be a tad light (over power-assisted?) but that's why lotsa women love driving this car. Terrifically small turning circle.
Very stable on freeways. Corners very well for an old largish wagon. Newish heavy duty front shocks helps keep body roll to a minimum.
B230FX engine with factory installed VX camshaft, 531 head, and factory higher flowing exhaust makes this a very revvy 240 model with good power delivery all the way to 5000 rpm. Wished the low-end torque was better (can be fixed with a camshaft advance?). Engine ticks over at around 2500 rpm on the highway at about 100km/h.
Good highway fuel economy, quite poor in city start-stop traffic. Smallish 60 litre fuel tank (compared to the 82 litre tank on my 740T sedan)
Interior is pretty worn for a 93 car. Leather doesn't hold up well in harsh Aussie sun with no maintenance. Front seats swapped for ones from a Volvo 850. Lots more comfortable.
Terrific airconditioning with a slightly noisy fan.
A small modification to the factory airbox has been made that now gives the car a much better throttle response. The factory intake snorkel has been removed and a much larger 65mm ID pipe takes its place. Warm air intake capped and flapper mechanism removed. Second mesh wire screen after AMM removed as well. Big change made to throttle response.

Disadvantages (breakage, repairs) year 1993 Volvo 240

Alternator regulator brushes worn out. $80 replacement by auto electrician. Left me stranded for 2 hours. Leather seats wear badly. Cracked and ripped.
Rear bench fold-down handle broken. Internal plastic trim break off easily. Door light switches faulty on all three rear doors. Tail lights cracked (changed with used ones). Driver's side door hinge broken (common fault). Steering wheel delaminates over time.