To start off We have a 245 right now and have had several. We love them. You can haul a couch or who knows what home on a whim.
BUT the tailgate design could be much better. Almost all other wagons have a nice balance all the way down. The 245 has good support part way down, then nothing---- and then wham. It's OK if your used to it, terrible if your not.
Just my 2 cents.

I think it is an operator issue as much as anything- like the people who slam my doors- When these cars were made people closed doors- on cars and buildings- now they swing them, and expect them to close nicely... A well greased, adjusted 245 hatch requires closing, now expectations (as someone else said)- that it will do so on its own, gracefully

I have to respectfully disagree. It's counter-intuitive. First it has resistance and then none. I can't think of any thing like that right now. Oh wait, yes I can. You know that finger joke where you have someone place their hand on a table like a spider. Then tell them to try and hold their fingers down and you pull back on one, then let go. That's the same idea.
Take the 1800 hood latch. You release a latch and then you expect it to have no resistance, so you hold on while letting it down.
Maybe were analyzing too much. It is what it is.

The 240 tailgate design is a good reminder that there are a world of differences out there. Nowadays (I must really be getting old to use that word) most vehicles seem to follow a very similar design philosophy and it's understandable how this may cause many folks to make assumptions about how every other vehicle, including our venerable 240's functions.

If you want a real "slammer" I nominate my '63 VW camper "Clancy". The rear hatch was held up by a prop rod. Once you disengaged that, it was ALL downhill from there! Although a bit blunt, I'm sure it would have functioned admirably as a guillotine.

Regards,

Tatra Mike
Seattle, WA

1985 244 "Alfsen" (wife's car - the good one)
1984 245 "Buster" (the kid's car, now sold)
1985 245 "Cosmo" (parts car, sold off for move to WA)
1985 245 "Daisy" (back seat down, full of tools, the work truck)
1985 245 "Earl (CA vehicle 'retirement' program)

You may be right, T-Mike. Newer cars all have this design philosophy in common: The vehicle operator is too stupid to do it himself. You can buy cars that park for you, stop before you hit things, modulate brakes to keep you from locking them up, transfer power to keep you from spinning out of control, roll your windows all the way down automatically, and yes, close your tailgate in a controlled descent with the push of a button. I'm probably forgetting things.

Old Volvos require mindfulness, in every way.

My 75 245 had a damper on one side and a locking slider on the other side. When fully opened a small release lever, Red so you could see it against the brass, had to be moved with one hand while slightly raising the hatch with the other.

Once the slider was released the weight of the hatch would slam it down unless you held on.

One time when I was getting tires changed over and balanced, the guy who put the snows into the back of the wagon didn't notice that little red release and thinking the hatch need just a little more force to make it go down ...really forced it and bent the slider mechanism. Fortunatley he stopped pushing before he took off some paint. I couldn't close the hatch, the slider was so mangled... I had to remove the slider to get it closed.

Yes the garage bought me a new one. But talk about dumb.