Volvo 960 Estate 24V 5d Auto (1993/K) Owner Review
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Economy
Value
Excellent value for money. £2k will get you a car you can run for 10 years that beats most GTis in performance. Parts expensive, but no more so than BMW etc.
Costs
25mpg average, excellent build (as good as Merc, better than BMW) but parts somewhat expensive. Engines last forever if looked after. Suspension bushes/joints/shocks etc like most cars need going through around the 100/150k mark. Will go another 100k!
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On the road
Driving
Fantastic grip and balance. Poor body roll, needed IPD USA racing anti roll bars and poly bushes - now is nice. Firm solid, nice ride best on A roads, not a 'superb' ride like a BMW. Excellent steering, not quite light enought to swing round on one hand.
Performance
Smooth. Lots of torque for towing, a bit 'revvy' though. Really pushes hard at 4k. 0-60 8.4sec, about 135mph top. Good mid range, not quite as 'grunty' as a V8. Needs the revs to make it really shift, but is very smooth in normal driving up to 3k.
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Living with it
Reliability
Very good. Consumables (shock absorbers etc) wear out like on any car though. Brakes a sore point, if not perfect disks can warp and there is quite a bit of nose dive.
Image
Respected by 'real' people, laughed at by boy racers 'til I pass them.
Comfort
Seats/cabin second to none. Low on headroom for 6' 4" driver, possible seat mod needed. Ride good but not on a BMW/Merc level. Everything is built and works well.
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Security and Service
Security
Average, but due to 'lugging' image no-one wants to steal it unless they are in the know what the 960/24v badge means (leather, air con, climate, cruise, auto, 3 litre, 24v etc etc).
Service
Very good. Very, very, very expensive with parts. Use only if you have to, use independants and Euro Car Parts/German Swedish French for parts.
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Problems and Ownership
Problems
Engine
Usual cambelt replaced, full service etc. Erratic idle common and hard to cure.
Other
Rear shocks/self leveling gives out, expensive.
Ownership
Did you buy the car new?
Used
Would you buy the same model again?
Yes
Did you buy from the same manufacturer again?
Yes