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A while ago, my teenage daughters would not allow themselves to be seen being dropped off at school because the other kids made fun of the strange looking volvo wagon, even though it was quite fine in every regard. Kids are cruel with one another, and the ringleaders are very much a product of the mass media, media marketing. I saw a new car commercial months ago that showed a family riding in a 240 getting passed by some 50,000 dollar SUV on the highway in the mountains and all the kids looked sad to be going so slow in comparison. The punchline to the commercial was something like "Isn't it time to get up to speed and be modern!". Very harsh.
I love the Swedish designs, particularly the 240's, pre FORD. I think the gas gauge on your car could be fixed by getting into the sending unit in the tank if you desire. You could upgrade the tank pump and the little hose that goes bad at the same time. I love the ease of replacing the heater blower on the 740.
I recently traded back from a 2004 Honda Accord that I bought for my daughters, and a 2002 Silverado Diesel truck, to an 87 pre ford 245 which I rebuilt pretty much from scratch. The US Insurance Underwriters did crash tests on rear end whiplash analysis of these two cars and found them to be extremely poor. I was rear ended in the Honda (which teen age girls for some reason really like) and it has taken me three years to recover.
Both Saab and Volvo rate very highly on this rear end test. Some Buick LeSabres have the Saab super safe seats built in. I feel safe in a vehicle that can withstand low speed rear end crashes without snapping your head off. At higher speeds in a newer car there is some measure of crushing of material that absorbs energy, but at lower speeds, all the energy is transferred directly to the occupant/driver--enough to cause catastrophic damage. This change went into effect I think sometime in the mid to late '90's. With the modern designs, it is the seat that is the last line of defense, specifically the padding, cushioning in the back. In the Saab 'pocket' seat, this padding is substantial. The Honda has nothing but large medical bills, a lifetime of chiropractic adjustments--if you can afford it.
If I had to replace a 740 for the wife and daughter, I guess the first choice would be Lexus 470 Suv type that retails for about 68,000 US, but if you got one coming off a five year lease, one could be had for about 32,000 with less than 100,000 miles. The vehicle has a lot of integrity, even being five years old. I may be off price wise because it has been a few years since I checked. About five years ago I rounded up and delivered about six of these units for party officials in China.
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