In the last 25 years, I've owned 4 Volvos--3-240s & my present car, a 1994
850 turbo wagon. I bought my 850 two years ago with 57K miles on it. So far,
it's been pretty reliable & maintenance free except for the leaking rear main
seal whick I had repaired at the time of purchase. So far, I really like it. It
has a lot of good design features, is comfortable & in general a lot more up-to-
date than my last 240(1985 turbo wagon). Maybe I've been lucky so far but I've
visited the mechanic a lot less than with my '85(however, it did have 100 K miles on it when I bought it). No problem with the A/C yet(I now have 80K miles)
in fact, this is the first Volvo I've owned that doesn't heat up in stop & go
traffic with the A/C on. If you buy one, I would recommend the turbo as it gives you extra power when you need it & from what I can tell, are reliable
as long as you change oil per owners manual. Actually, the only thing I miss
about my 240 is the stick shift. Most 850s are automatics. Speaking of automatics, the transmission fluid should be changed about every 20-30 K miles.
I've read good things on this board about 940s-especially from 90 on. And there
is no denying the reliability of the 240 engine. Good luck!
Don in Denver