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!