Hello everyone,

Let me first say that I am so glad I found this website! My folks have driven Volvo's their whole life, so I grew up with them to say the least. Last year we bought my wife her first Volvo, a 2004 S60 and have been extremely happy with it. I currently drive a Chevrolet Silverado and my job function has changed to where I am driving quite a bit. Lots of trips from Georgia to Florida. That being said, I am looking for another car to drive on the highway and leave the truck at home. The gas mileage is killing me!!! My budget is around $7-$8K and I definitely like the 900 series. I think my favorite is the 960, but I wanted to check with you all on what got the best gas mileage and was the most dependable of these lines. What would you think would be my best bet within my budget? Also, what is a lot of miles on a Volvo when you start to have problems? Thanks in advance!

OK, I guess I'll add my two cents here. I've owned two 960 (92 965 and my present V90). My son and family has the 92 now. Both have over 100K on them. If you like the 960 series, I would definetly look for a late model, 97 or 98. The models ended in 98. The engine block, from what I understand, lives on in every fron wheel drive Volvo on the road; they just lop off cylinders.

Both of my cars have been pretty trouble free, although the 92 had an AC compressor go out prematurely and a vacuum leak in the ACC (dash). These were pricey repairs. The 97 has been trouble free. Both have sythentics throughout. You can expect to get around 24-26 mpg on the highway, but it's on the highway where the 960 is a world apart from the 940s. Heavily ladden, or in mountains, mileage will drop, will drop but at 65mph you have plenty of punch left to leave those pesky 18 wheelers far behind. I get 13-16 in real city driving. For the highway driving youll be doing, I wouldn't be afraid of the 960 series. The later model years have a 21 gallon tank which helps this thirsty 6.

As for their reliability, we get mixed messages here, based in part I believe, on the sampling error and population size. After all, this is a forum for folks to seek help. That is not to say that the 960 is without its foibles. The vulnerability of the timing belt is reknown. It breaks, and your toast, but later models have a timing belt life of 70K. They can use oil, but usually not excessively. Others have reported gasket leaks and a gaggle of other complaints. Again, I don't know how to interpret these data.

I am very happy with the car. If you're hauling anything of consequence, I'd look for one that had nivomat self-leveling rear shocks, an option in later model years. Other 960 owners will weigh in, Im sure
--
John Shatzer, '97 V90 @ 105K

I would definitely suggest you to get a 940 Non-turbo. Although it is a bit
under power, but the drive chain is extremely durable. I travel with my lovely 94 940 from construction site to construction day in day out. All you need to do is to do some basic maintenance (oil change, tranny flush..). My car has now 230000km on it, but it is still going STRONG. If you wanna have a problem free exprience, the 940 would be your answer!

the milage on my 960 keeps getting better,i'm getting about 380 miles per tank before the light comes on.
if you are not a Do It Yourself'er i'd stay away from this wonderful ride.
i have 2 of them and service them myself and if one did need replaced i'd search for another 960.
--
83 242 DL -129k, 92-965-195k, 94-965-203k, 84-242 GLT-Gone, but not forgotten,83-245GLT-1'st one (the 1'st 3 currently on the road)

If you are not very diligent preventive maintenance fanatic, stay away from the 960. If you are one, or find a mechanic who understands the smooth B6304 engine, It is built for highway cruising and a joy to drive.

The 940SE on the other hand is the perfect compromise (even called a 960 turbo outside of N. America) Essentially the body and interior luxury of the 960 and the more dependable 4cylinder engine with the turbo. Only made in ‘91 so harder to find a good one with low miles. They show up on ebay once in a while.

Ebay item 2474674735

Good luck!
Duleep 92 965 198K

My '93 940t has been well maintained all it's life and with around 138,000 mils it's just getting broken in. The 960 is a nice car, but it is maintnence pit. if you're putting on a lot of miles , you'll be changing timing belts every time you turn around, nd the 960 is an interferance engine ( if the timing belt breks, your engine becomes a very large paper-weight , usually $4000+ around here for a used engine ) the 940 is a non interferance engine, so if the t-belt goes, tow it in, put on a new belt and go.
The ignition setup on the 960 is a bit of a nightmare for the uninitiated ( factory manual is a must for that thing) more goodies on the 960= more things to go wrong in the middle of nowhere. Most of the things on a 940 could be easily handled by a dirtwater town mechanic ( especially if you point him to this website) without having to be towed hundreads of miles to someone who will touch the 960. There's only a handful of shops in this state that will touch a 960.

$7-8k should get you a pristine low milage , never been in a wreck, 940 with service records. I paid about $4700 for my '93 last year and that thing was pampered by the previous owner.
--
-------Robert, '93 940t, '90 240 wagon, '84 240 diesel (she's sick) , '80 245 diesel

You should get a lot of replies on this question. My experience is with a '93 940 wagon. It has the red-block 4 cylindar engine that made Volvo's reputation for durability. I believe '95 was the last year this maodel was made.
The Good:
1.Auto tranny can last the life of the car with regular maintenance
2.Auto tranny has lock-up torque converter for better mileage
3.On a recent 1040 mile trip to California with 600 miles of mountains and 65-80 mph freeway speeds, we averaged about 30 mpg.
4.Seats are comfortable, leather, driver's side has electric seat with memory, car has heated seats, heated rear view mirrors, sunroof that works.
5.Visibility is very good, car is fairly quiet
6.The wagon model is probably the best design I've owned and I've had quite a few.
7.The engine is durable, comparatively simple, a non-interference design, easy to work on if you DIY.
8. Differential has locking feature for snow and ice (may not be needed where you live)
9. Sound system is decent and it can control a CD changer
10. Car handles very well, brakes are good,
11. AC is very good, manual control is simple.
12. Late models of this engine had oil jets under the pistons for cooling, arguably the best of this series of engines.

The not so good:
1. The car is underpowered for its weight, acceleration is adequate in city traffic but gets really slow at about 55 and then is somewhat better by 65-80. The car cruises nicely at 70-80 though.
2. Many of the 940s have the Rex-Regina (Bendix) ignition and fuel injection system rather than the Bosch, mine does. There's nothing wrong with this system, many manufacturers use it and it may even be better than the Bosch (simpler), however, the expertise on this forum is mainly on the more common Bosch system.

If you get the 960, many of the good body features I mentioned will be found in that model. You'll have much more power along with more complexity. Someone who has owned one can better speak to the advantages and disadvantages of that model. My research between the two led me to the 940 as the more reliable of the two. A lot depends on your preferences for power and use on long trips. Try a search in the box at the bottom of the page. There have been lots of discussion about the two models.

Jim I'm blown away, 30mpg in a 945? I usually get 20-22 on country road driving. On Highway trips I get about 25. I'm thinking about getting rid of the 940 and buying a cheap 740 which I got 30mpg all the time.
-Gil

On the same 1040 mile trip earlier I got about 28 mpg using regular 87 octane. The last time I tried it with 91 octane and the mileage improvement more than paid the extra cost of the gas and I think the engine pulled better on hills.

I get 28 going 80 in my 94 940.
CC

As to mileage, the 940 non-turbos get appx 22/27 mpg city/highway. 940 Turbos get 19/22, a big difference. For comparison, thats about the same mileage as my old 88 Mercury Grand Marquis. Go figure.

SteveC

Thanks guys, this is great! Are any years better than others, and how much mileage would be too much you think?

Dear Earlybird,

Good a.m. and may this find you well. Aim for a 1994 940, with not more than 100K miles. Buy only if you can get the maintenance records (the stamped maintenance book or the receipts for services). It is critical to know for certain that the oil was changed every 5K miles, or more often. Someone, who was careful to get the oil changed regularly, likely was careful about other things. Someone, who was not careful about oil changes, likely was generally neglectful. Volvos, even 940s, are not real tolerant of poor maintenance.

Inspect the flame trap (see the FAQs): it is easy to inspect, being on top of the engine. If it is plugged, walk away from the car: it is a sign the vehicle was maintained by someone, who did not understand Volvos.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

spook

i get about 25mpg average in my 945 non-turbo, its not the most powerful but when the steering is tracked and balanced its a great cruiser. The only things ive ever had to replace are the coil (~60k), the clutch (~107k) and the camshaft cover gasket (139k).

excellently durable car, great value for money in my opinion.