Volvo wagon vs Honda wagon

[LateFan]

But I wonder how a '93 240 that needs a few things is compared to a '93 Honda with those same high miles that "needs a few things." You don't see old Hondas around like you see 240s, chugging along with faded paint.

The original owners treated them better because they were a pretty expensive car when new. 240 wagon was the status suburban car at the time, and literally the safest car on the road.

Get one with service history and it will be a better car.

240 non-turbo is pretty simple and basic.
740, as poster above says, was more complicated and not as reliable.

I have an 850 turbo wagon now - great car, long fast road trip comfort at 25mpg, but NOT near as simple, and the pieces that go bad are expensive - knock sensors buried under the intake, PCV blockage, rear main seal is a major operation, half shafts, CV joints, expensive fuel pump in the tank, etc.

A tired 850 for $2500 is going to be a lot more expensive to fix up and run than a $2500 240.

EDIT - and watch out for Honda automatics!

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/the-five-steadfast-rules-of-dealer-auctions-1668378087/1668402041/+pgeorge

[EyExR]

E34 Touring. They are awesome if you can find one in good shape. All cars have problems....

[MF DOOM]

Thanks for the posts guys. Those hondas are way newer than I was looking at. Early 90s accord wagons are what I was thinking about. And I would prefer an auto for the dd. Still indifferent.. I feel like the honda will be the better choice though..

[LateFan]

..no…not the dark side……….come to the Swedish side…...

[Stanley Rockafella]

Volvo has a great way of over-complicating things. Just to fail later on and make the owner wonder "why?....why Volvo did you make it so needlessly complex and the replacement parts are sooo expensive"

For example, most cars have a set of low and high beam headlights that are basically (4) bulbs (two high and two low).

On the Volvo R models, there's a small motor attached to each set of lights to electronically pivot the lowbeams upwards to become highbeams. Imagine how well this setup works when it's -35C and the car is a few years old when things start to go wrong....

This is only one example of many silly little things Volvo implements into their cars.

don't get me wrong, I love Volvo's. They have awesome heaters, great designs, and powerful turbo motors that (when maintained to a "t") will go thousands of miles.
I choose to drive them whenever I can....when I rent them.

ijs

[TimKninja]

I bought a 240 wagon for the Winter as a beater/ Pickup Truck, for $500 it looks like crap. Spend some money and get a nicerish one and itll never die.

-Volvo 240 cliff notes
-RWD is still fun, I can get it sideways no problem in the rain
-Heater is incredible, but I bought the car without it working, Sucked to replace But now it melts my fucking face off
-Fit loads of shit in it
-Comfy as hell
- Have only had to do basic shit to it besides the heater, as I bought it with 275k on it and every part on the car had 275k on it.
- Did I mention RWD?
-Gas Mileage sucks 24MPG highway if Im lucky.
-Smallest turning radius of any car ever ever fucking ever.
-RWD
-Not a Honda
-Buy a 93 if you can, they had all the best shit. For instance An engine wiring harness that isint Biodegradable. And some Oil Squirty Piston things.

Hondas are gay.

[LateFan]

..come to the Swedish side…..we have meatballs….

Here's a dandy one on ipd's classifieds:

93 Classic Wagon $3500 burgundy Owned 3 years, second owner since then, new alternator, battery, tailights, front rotors, cat, trams mount, trans lines, ball joint, outer tie rod ends, Heated seats, mirrors, cruise, color matched trim. Everything works except a/c Tan cloth interior very good - all plastic intact. Auto, 223k tires just ok, some scratches on roof, Thule and couple nice unmounted Michelins available. Pictures on Rhode Island Craigslist - try to get them on here soon. Thanks Eliot . porter @ gmail . com

[flyboyx]

..come to the Swedish side…..we have meatballs….

Here's a dandy one on ipd's classifieds:

93 Classic Wagon $3500 burgundy Owned 3 years, second owner since then, new alternator, battery, tailights, front rotors, cat, trams mount, trans lines, ball joint, outer tie rod ends, Heated seats, mirrors, cruise, color matched trim. Everything works except a/c Tan cloth interior very good - all plastic intact. Auto, 223k tires just ok, some scratches on roof, Thule and couple nice unmounted Michelins available. Pictures on Rhode Island Craigslist - try to get them on here soon. Thanks Eliot . porter @ gmail . com

really? its in rhode island. under all that plasitic trim, i am imagining a rust bucket and then some.

[Red_liner740]

owned two 740 turbos manuals. while my mom drove a 760 turbo and my dad the updated styling 1988 760 turbo.

Got a picture somewhere of all three cars lined up parked on the street.

Between the three of them, hardly anything broke. I changed trannys like underwear but then again, it was running mid to low 13's and beating up on swapped civics and 5L mustangs.

Only thing that broke on my car and left me stranded was a radiator.

Rust was non existent on any of the volvos. In fact, a guy backed into my mom Volvo in a parking lot and dented the sheetmetal so badly that the paint flaked off leaving exposed sheetmetal. For two years that sheetmetal was exposed without any rust starting.

Compared to the rest of the cars of the 80's, they didnt rust, period.

This thought that the 240's are simpler and better and that 700's are complicated and hard to work on is kind of puzzling seeing as how they share the same engines basically, same driveline, and there's hardly any electronics to go wrong. Have you seen how much room there is in the engine bay? Think 1970's chevy pickups with 7ft wide hoods and a small block chevy sitting tiny in the middle.

When you do get tired of the stock engine, a 5L 302 swaps in like it belongs.

[E30NJ]

Hondas get stolen.

[AWDBOB]

I doubt many will agree with me, but I recently sold my E34 530iT and an iX and picked up an '07 Forester XT Sport 5sp and am very happy with my purchase. Great power, great AWD system (50/50 via viscous), reliable, and 20/27mpgs. Don't know what your budget is, but I'd recommend one. 05+ fixed the HG issues. Timing belt intervals every 105K, and you can do it in an hour. Only other common maintenance are rear wheel bearings every 100K or so, probably longer than that.

[Andrew325is]

Found your wagon. :D

http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/cto/4798549626.html

[LateFan]

^^^^ Somebody call Richard Rawlings.

really? its in rhode island. under all that plasitic trim, i am imagining a rust bucket and then some.

Oop…sorry, I forget about that east coast stuff.

[LateFan]

wagons ho

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[nando]

I'd get the Volvo wagon. I hadn't ridden in a '90s Honda in some time, and I've realized how unsafe/cheap they feel. the drivetrains are great, the cars are crap..