Volvo 360

The Volvo 360 joined our Family in Summer 1992 when my Grandad bought it second-hand from Geo. Harrison's of Whitby for about £2,500 and was his last ever car.... against my advice, from reading articles by the likes of Jeremy Clarkson in the now defunct "Performance Car" magazine.
After his old age caught up with him in 1996 (then snuffed it 2years later), it got stashed away in the garage for a number of years.
During this time the Battery screwed up, so I got pressed into trying to get it started again seeing as I'd done work experience in a garage...... the battery was problematic at the time it was bought & replaced then.
Working on it was simple enough, though a little difficult to get into because it's bonnet is one of those that tilts forwards, being hinged at the front..... so you can only work from the sides. At least it's better than these modern cars, where you can't do anything to it yourself without screwing up the electronics and ending up with a massive repair bill.

It certainly feels good to sit in, with adjustable seats...... including Lumbar adjustment. Our example has the 2 litre engine, and like all cars in this range is Front-engined with rear wheel drive (just like a BMW, or a good old American muscle car)...... and when you blip the throttle it sort of feels like your sat in something like an American muscle car.

With the demise of my Dad's Mk2 Cavalier sometime around 2000 / 2001 the Volvo had to be pressed back into service.... where it had a few teething troubles...... such as the gearknob coming off + the mirror (stuck to the windscreen) dropping off a few times. Also the battery was replaced + the choke on the carburettor had to be unjammed.
Also, a year or two ago the door pins (part of the hinge) had to be replaced....... which required finding a place that had some sort of special tool for Volvo door pins.

If you can find a good example, then it's certainly worth considering if you need a car but your budget dictates something like a well used Mk4 Escort..... certainly if you want a more upmarket interior than the Escort.