Still away from Ciao, logged in for the first time in ages ! Hope to be back soon though.
Still away from Ciao, logged in for the first time in ages ! Hope to be back soon though.
Member since:28.05.2003
Reviews:50
Members who trust:81
I have always been a fan of Volvo cars, even as a child I wanted one. Strange you may think, but true !
I owned a Volvo 740 GL automatic estate for around 5 years, I reluctantly sold it when I moved house as I needed the money for home improvements (I have regretted this ever since).
I saw the car whilst visiting someone in hospital. It was for sale in a garage I passed and I fell in love with it. It was dark metallic blue, with a blue interior (I love blue !).
Needless to say, I paid the £3,500 and the car was mine all mine !!!
The car was extremely practical, there is 6 foot of loading space with the rear seats down. I have transported many items in the car including a single bed and mattress, a double bed (folded) and a three piece suite (the settee in one trip and the two chairs in the other) and the boot closed on every
journey with nothing hanging out of the back of the car !!!
The GL model had electric front windows, heated front seats, central locking and the auto had three speed transmission with overdrive. Incidentally, the overdrive switch needed to be replaced in the time I had the car which cost about £100. The only other things I had to replace in 5 years were the tyres and some of the exhaust and I also replaced the battery and of course brake pads (in 5 years that is brilliant !!!). I did an awful lot of mileage then as I was commuting to and from work.
Fuel economy is not brilliant on these cars, the model I had was a 2 litre, which was a little underpowered. The 2.3 is better. I was getting wround 20 mpg from the Volvo. However, the tank was big and would take nearly £50 in petrol on an empty tank.
Insurance was reasonable, it was a group 12 (this may have change now), but because it was a Volvo and rather unnattractive to thieves, the premium was very low.
Volvo parts are expensive, but a Volvo should never need that many. I have already mentioned what parts I replaced in 5 years and I am aware that many cars would need an awful lot more maintenance than that !
Servicing cost for the car were average. I would rarely buy Volvo approved parts as these are very expensive - sometimes up to 5 (or more) times expensive than non-approved parts, so it is worth remembering that.
The car was an absolute pleasure to drive. It had power steering (and let me tell you, you needed it with a car this heavy !). You knew the car was solid by the way it handled. I felt very safe and confident driving it and people always gave way to you !
The controls, dials and switches are well laid out in the 740, with everything in easy reach for the driver.
Maintenance is also relatively easy, because the engine is well laid out and underneath the bonnet is very spacious, it is easy to carry out work as there are no awkward nooks and crannies which you will need access to.
I only ever had one minor accident in the Volvo. I was turning right on a mini roudabout and the lady coming the other way did not give way so I ploughed straight into the front of her brand new VW Bora. There was an almighty crash and I feared the car had been badly damamged. I got out of the vehicle to have a look and found that the onlu damage to my car was a scratch on the bumper !!! However, her VW was extensively damaged at the front - OOPS !
This car was great on long journeys and loved the motorway - the fuel economy was also better on the open road. I took this car all over the country and it always proved comfortable and reliable.
Surprisingly, parking the Volvo was easy, because the car was so "square" it was easy to judge, there were no awkward curves etc and the tailgate was the back of the car, so there was no boot sticking out which could tap something as you were reversing.
I liked the boxy styling of the car but I know that many people dislike the. Personally I feel they are distinctive. All cars these days look alike !
Another good point with this car was that the drivers seat was height adjustable, so even dwarfs like me can see over the bonnet !
Before I moved house 2 years ago, someone tried to break into the Volvo by trying to bend back the top of the drivers door, but they were not able to - it just would not bend. However, other people in the street were not so lukcy - other cars had their doors bent (quite badly in some cases) as these cars were nowhere near as tough as the Volvo.
These cars make a great buy for anyone, they also tend to attract the type of owner that will look after them, so chances are you will not get one that has been abused.
You can pick up one of these cars for a few hundred pouns now. The estates are more sought after though, so prices will be higher.
A friend of mine bought my 740 off me nearly two years ago and it is still going strong. He has put a new stereo in it but that is about it ! No major expenses at all and the car has done about 150,000 miles and has plenty of life left in it. When I sold the car to him it as beginning to eak transmission fluid, this turned out to be a defective seal around the transmission which he actually managed to remedy with the minimum of effort.
I miss my old faithful Volvo, but know it has gone to a good home.
Thanks for reading. Ciao for now ;-)
***UPDATE*** As you will have read in my challenge op, I once had sex on the bonnet of a Volvo - well people, this is that Volvo !!!
Goodness knows what comments will be left on this review now !!!
Pictures of Volvo 740
My Volvo
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Saloon - Front (FWD) - 6 Speed - (Man) / 6 Speed Geartronic - (Auto) - 2401 cc - Max Speed: 143 mph - 185 bhp - Diesel - Available Trims: S, SE, SE Lux, SE Sport, Sport
Estate - Front (FWD) - 6 Speed - (Man) / 6 Speed Geartronic - (Auto) - 2401 cc - Max Speed: 140 mph - 185 bhp - Diesel - Available Trims: R-DESIGN, R-DESIGN Premium, SE, SE Lux, SE Lux Premium, SE Premium, S, Sport
Great review. My car has done 176,000 and it is still (fingers crossed) going strong - not a Volvo though. Nothing wrong with boxy cars. The Volvo's are well known for their safety. Sam :o)
fuzzibear 11.05.2004 21:32
Weren't you scared of falling off the bonnet? & I thought my car shenanigans were bad enough....
Feb 16th, 2004
(Feb 20th, 2004)
very helpful by (96%):
helpful by (4%):
