Why do people like volvo 240's so much?

Mythology has nothing to do with it. 240s were and still are held in high esteem by Volvo people everywhere. One word: DURABILITY.

The 240 was arguably the best Volvo ever, dependable, comfortable and certainly, did I mention DURABLE?

They are such a neat little car. Front engine, rear drive with a solid axle like it should be. Found with a stick more often than not.

But they don't drink the gallons of gas like American RWD cars do or cost as much (or break down as much) as similar European cars. Fairly roomy (though not as big and comfortable as the 700s). Nice and practical with four doors and a somewhat decent trunk.

The wagon models have a ton of space for such a small car. Simple, dead simple to maintain. You can crawl into the engine compartment and nearly close the hood if you need to work on the engine outside in the rain--there's that much room in there.

You can change the oil in five minutes and the oil filter is reached from the top. Everything from changing spark plugs to re-shimming valves is effortless. I went to re-shimming valves because that is the biggest thing I've ever done.... no engine or transmission re and re.

Mine is carbureted and has no sensors or computers. They are so much fun to drive. On dry pavement they are simply pleasurable, on dirt or snow they are a dream.

I've never had a car so far out of control--yet so completely in control in my life. Go around a corner too fast and it will simply understeer like a front wheel drive car, the body rolling and tires howling in protest. Pull the e-brake, dump the clutch, or do the ol' Scandanavian flick, and you've got perfectly controllable oversteer to get you around that tight bend.

Speaking of tight turns, you can pull a u-ey in just over two standard traffic lanes--less if you can get the back tires to slide. They simply last forever. Mine's a 1982 with 430,000 km on it and it runs like a top.

There are lots with way more miles than that. Doesn't use any oil, starts first time every time, less rust than many vehicles made in the last decade, and pretty much everything still works except the tape deck (radio is fine) and the electronic overdrive (a common problem). The interiors on the 240s are actually much better than the 700s, which I agree were terrible.

The only issue I have is the cracked dashboard. Even the headliner is dry and still in place. No, they aren't fast unless you can get a turbocharged one.

They aren't terribly economical either (especially without an overdrive) but 25 MPG for a 30 year old car isn't too bad. Newer ones are better. They aren't very pretty either, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I just bought it because I wanted something that was dirt cheap to operate and I didn't care what it was. Now I don't think I could part with it, even though there are much better and even more durable cars out there now.

Two answers were right - they are very durable but not very reliable. Repairs ranged from easy to ridiculously difficult. Replacing a blower motor in one exceeds the value of the car today - about $800 labor.

The CIS fuel injection in some years and markets made lots of people cry and the ones from before 1988 had the notorious biodegradable French wiring. The common failures included fuel pumps, fuel pump relays, the bellows hose that connected the in-tank pump to the fuel tube, and the models with the ZF transmission (4 speed automatic without separate OD) often had the transmission burn up in emissions testing. Let's not forget blockage of the breather system, causing oil to be forced out of the dip stick tube at an impressive rate and often pushing the rear main seal and the front cam seal out.

On the other hand, the previous owner had driven my 1970 140 (predecessor to the 240) off a 5 foot cliff one dark night and when it was hauled back onto the road he just drove it away.

Oh it's mostly mythological but at the time they were quite sturdy and roomy compared to most foreign cars, reasonably economical for their size, and there were lots of independent shops working on them back then. On the minus side, the interior build quality was atrocious and they were doggy slow and not nearly as reliable as one might think.

I honestly don't think there all that bad or for that matter great.. Volvo is a 5 star company and their 850 models are amazing from the glt witch has a 0-60 of 6.7 to the hatchbacks that get great gas mileage and are extremely roomy all the Volvo line has a lot of good going for it.

They were probably some of the best Volvos ever made - way before Volvo decided to put cheap electronics and junk parts in their cars and make them all garbage. I've got two older Volvos and I will never own another new one. They are just not the car they used to be.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.