Can someone please explain...

[woodfordhalse]

I Like to keep an eye on Ebay etc on whats for sale and theres a 940 for £225 at the moment that looks in great nick but with a few minor issues .

Before my 940 ownership I really wanted a Merc w124 as I just love the OM606 diesel engine BUT they are really expensive and rust really badly on the front wings and subframe mounts.

My question is why are 940's so cheap ? They dont rust , the engines do silly miles , comfortable , huge boot , easy to maintain , cheap parts the list goes on!.

[Cromlech]

I think most people presume old Volvos to be boxy and unpleasant. Boxy is right, but you either like the style or you don't. I think more people have been cottoning on to their value as of late, however.

[john.wigley]

'Cromlech' makes a good point. I also think another reason that 940s make good buys is their perceived fuel cost. This may be significant if you do a high annual mileage, but, in my view, is more than offset by the minimal depreciation because of the low purchase price.

However, this perception also works to our advantage - we would be wise to keep it that way!

Regards, John.

[bournricha]

I recently bought a 940 ,with a very short test for £200 .It is basically a very sound car and only really needs an exhaust (£100),and a bit of minor stuff to get it tested .
They are not prone to rust and are very practical and tough ,but they are 25 years old ,so would you expect to pay more ?I wouldn't .

[TonyS9]

Rust is not unheard of, but generally is not terminal and easily repaired. Depending on how you want to keep it you can find small discrete holes on an average 20 year old 940. Buts its only starting then, and many examples will still be mint.

RWD Volvo's were never that popular, mainly because of the price, insurance, dealer servicing but loved by a small minority who thought reliability and/or safety where worth the extra. Unfortunatley this business model didn't work for Volvo and they sold off and went FWD mainstream reliability.

Anyway they were designed to last 20 years and they do, so we can now make use of this.

To be honest 225 is cheap, and some cheap examples have been neglected on basic servicing, so it might need a bit to bring it back to good order.

[lukeraikes]

I would definitely say perceived fuel consumption. When I tell people it's petrol they are mortified. I tend to just go along with it most won't believe you otherwise anyway.

[jonnyf90]

Originally Posted by lukeraikes

I would definitely say perceived fuel consumption. When I tell people it's petrol they are mortified. I tend to just go along with it most won't believe you otherwise anyway.

People are mortified to know my 944 is a 4 pot turbo. Most of them think it's a V6/I6. When talking petrol, the horrific word "guzzler" is usually uttered, which I hate.

It's not what you drive, it's how you drive it

I get practically the same mpg as my missus and her new Fiat 500. My commute is 45 miles a day on a motorway, hers is 6 miles a day through a city.

[Pete940]

The mpg didn't worry me much before, but since the oil prices dropped it matters even less.

Perhaps they should be worth a bit more given their longevity in comparison to many other cars, but nobody's complaining!

[rwdkev]

Originally Posted by jonnyf90

People are mortified to know my 944 is a 4 pot turbo. Most of them think it's a V6/I6. When talking petrol, the horrific word "guzzler" is usually uttered, which I hate.

It's not what you drive, it's how you drive it

I get practically the same mpg as my missus and her new Fiat 500. My commute is 45 miles a day on a motorway, hers is 6 miles a day through a city.

A bloke I work with has a nearly new, "efficient" Audi with a 2.0TFSI engine and a 6-sp manual gearbox. He confessed to me a few weeks ago that he gets 24mpg!!

I told him that for the last 3 years my 21 year-old 960 3.0 with a 4-sp AUTO averaged 30 mpg and can do 33 on a long run. That makes me smile!!

Like you say, it's not what you drive, it's how you drive it.....

[Prufrock]

Have contributed to the club magazine on this subject and this is the short answer. The 945/965 is a car of utility and is not regarded as a classic by the wider community and is therefore not desirable, so prices are kept artificially low compared for example, to a W124 or 5 series touring of the same era (late 80s, early 90s).

Jon
700/900 Register Keeper VOC.