Hi, I am in the market for a Volvo wagon. I am not familiar with anything newer than the 245's. can anyone chime in on the pros and cons of getting say a high milage 740 wagon, ( I know rear wheel drive, more cargo area) vs. getting a newer fwd like a 850 or pre 2001 V70? I prefer a manual trans which has cut my choice down a lot and I do a lot of my own wrenching,(but old school stuff).
The way I see it is:
Pro for getting the 740 = More space, rear wheel drive easier to work on.
Con for 740 very high miles, (one I am going to looking at around 250K)might have a lot of age related issues?

Pro 850/V70 can find ones with lower mileage especially if I go with an auto box, Examples I see range from 150K - 200K)more amenties, (not that I care about them much)
Con 850/V70 fwd, less space, more complex to work on like change a clutch, the auto boxes are suspect, AC's seem to have issues.

My gut tells me if the 740 is in good shape even with the high miles it is the way to go, (I like old cars and don't travel a lot daily anymore)and that even a higher milage 740 will be less problematic then the newer cars.
prices of cars I am looking at range from $1,500 - $2,500

Thanks in adavnce!

To me it sounds like you are already sold on the RWD cars. I agree with what you said. The RWD cars are simpler, generally easier to work on and the parts are usually cheaper.

OTOH - I owned a 240 for 10 years and ran it to 300k. I now own an 850 wagon (or 855) with 214k. My 240 was a good car but my 850 is an even better car. The 850 has never broken down on the road. In that regard it is absolutely bulletproof. I had to have the 240 towed. The 240 was more problematic. There were more frequent repairs than the 850 has required. Pretty much every repair I have done on the 850 has been normal wear and tear or age related (for example - radiator, struts, wheel bearings, CV joint). I had numerous minor electric issues with the 240. I understand 740's are also prone to similar electrical issues. Realistically, I would not expect a 250k 740 to be reliable without a lot of work first. Or any car for that matter...:)

The manual tranny 850/V70's are the way to go but the slushboxes will last a long time if they are flushed regularly. Bear in mind you only read about the bad ones here. The only AC issue that is problematic is the evaporator. Even if it leaks, you can still just keep topping it up with R134a. I guess I have been lucky in that regard. At 214k my AC works flawlessly and I have not spent a dime on it - fingers crossed!. The AC in my 240 was junk and when it did work it was marginal at best. Then the compressor blew up one day I gave up any thoughts of trying to fix it again.

Finally, don't overlook that 850/V70's are nicer road cars than the RWD cars. They are more refined, safer, faster, handle/ride better and are more comfortable (especially on highway trips). Well, that's my .02$. Best of luck with whatever you decide to do!

--
95 855 GLT Sportwagon 214k, ex - 90 244 DL 300k

740 wagon bed is 7' long and 48" wide at its widest, (43" between wheel wells.)
just FYI
Thanks

Thank you! I was leaning towards the 740 because of the increased load floor size, but you make very good points and as someone else mentioned there are a ton of 850/V70's parts cars available.
In the end I will buy the best car I can find and not be wedded to a particular model.
Thank you!