Used 1994 Volvo 940 Wagon Consumer Reviews
The Brick
I have been in the automotive industry for over thirty years and I can say that this wagon, if properly maintained will not fail you or yours. The piece of mind you receive in terms of safety has no equal. I've seen these cars rolled, samashed and crushed and 99% of them had room to live. These cars have a time tested history of safety and reliability. Forget buying one after 1994. Rwd drive is the way to go as all the drive componets are in alignment. A very simplistic approach to good enginneering and design. It is not unusual to see these cars still on the road with over 400K on them. Make a wise choice, buy one with maint. history and love it and it will go as long as you wish.
So uncool, it's cool.
This being among the last of the classic RWD chassis, Volvo really did their homework. It's tight, refined and quite possible one of the finest production cars of the 1990's. Even a basic Turbo model will have power seats, A/C, rear child booster seats and the wagon can fit up to seven. Avoid the non-turbo if you can. 114 HP in a 3,300# vehicle will make you understand the phrase, "Volvos don't accelerate, they gain momentum." Turbo gets you 162 HP with only slightly less MPG. (worth it) With proper maintenance they can last a long long time (mine is now 20 years old) With a little skill and $$ they can easily be made to perform well (just ask David Letterman)
Absolutely FANTASTIC
Bought 2010, 157K miles, cost $2800, ONE owner car complete w/ orig manuals, service records up to 145K. What a beautiful car to drive. Bought 2007 Nissan Sentra new and is pure plastic. Literally cannot compare with Volvo as the Vovlo is a REAL car, quality built, drives like a dream and I know I am safe inside. I hope I never have to buy another car. This car was made with pride or workmanship, pride of design team, pride of manufacturer. This is the type of car China will never make... nor any other country ever again. I am so proud and pleased to have found this car.
Tractor motor, truck tranny, scan design interior and plane jane exterior
Comfy, quiet, torquey 4 banger with toyota truck transmission (yep, same one)! Very reliable when given basic maintenance, marginal if not! 1992- had SIPS side impact design that all use today, antilock, hydraulic motor mounts with motor to submerge in collision, ballistic seat belts and crumple interior! Also, limited slip rear end works well in snow! Neat car even today, $25K new back then tells ya somethin about the build quality/components! My air bag light is still off/functions 20 years later, the wagon is the size of an SUV and the 90- 92 is geared the tallest and so gets the best mileage -about 18/20 town and 24/26 highway on reg! Love the cars, had many, will get a prius next!
I want to buy a new one but I can't
This is the best car I have ever owned. After 17 years my turbocharged 940 wagon will still give a new European Touring Car a run for it. I blew away my bosses new Infinity. I would give anything to be able to buy a new one today. 220,000 miles and it doesn't burn a drop of oil. After 17 years I still have the original belts, hoses, and struts. I was rear ended by someone who totaled their vehicle. My Volvo sustained no damage! Now I understand Volvo was sold by Ford to a company in China. Who knows what it will become in the future. My wagon looks exactly like the picture. Now since spare parts are gradually being discontinued I will need to get a new car.
Was leery at first - now I am a fan
Bought this 940 turbo wagon with 203K. I have had to replace a few switches and a few gaskets, but I have to say - I like this car a lot. It handles well, is easy to work on, you can find parts very easy at a reasonable price, it is fun to drive, and the visibility all the way around is great. I drove it for a few months before deciding to invest in the minor repairs. The original owner had the service down regularly by Volvo and had the book stamped by a certified dealer, so I know it had all the critical services done when required. I like these old Volvo's - great reliable transportation.
Great Car
This car is solid, safe, reliable, and versatile.
Love this car
I've never owned a volvo before, always toyotas, but now that i have one, never going back. first of all, driver comfort. i can't wait to get out of my corolla, but the volvo 940 is extremely comfortable. Turning radius is amazing for a large car and i like the way the volvo is slower...makes me a more patient driver believe it or not. Fuel economy is a bummer, and i wish they made these cars in diesel. but i only drive occasionally and when i drive, i always take the volvo.
Still Going strong
My 940 standard wagon has 178,000 mile on it now and it runs better than when I first drove it home. This has been my third Volvo (240,740 Turbo) with a 5 year period in between. I don't know why I every switched. I will never buy another vehicle. My luck ahs been to good.
Reliable
It is a reliable and comfortable car. The only thing I would complain is not having enough horse power.
Tried and True
We bought the car used with 117K on it in May of 2001 shortly after our daughter was born. We've got 207K on her now and she's still going strong. Got her back from the shop today, routine PM, belts, front oil seals, timing etc. Our mechanic thinks she's good for another 100K or more. Very reliable and comfortable, plenty of power, averages 24-26 MPG consistantly, oil consumption is modest at about a quart every 2K to 2.5K or so. The car has been a real value and gives a good miles per dollar ratio. We couldn't be happier.
Simply the Best!
Great vehicle, lots of room for shopping, flea markets, comfy for passengers, exterior paint - perfect. The a/c just died and the parts alone are $1,000.00 labor probably $500 plus. Not sure if I'm going to fix it.
Well Equipped...and more.
Just picked up this ride and must say it drives and rides better than my 2001 Benz...and one heck of a lot cheaper to drive. I highly recommend this vehicle, but caution that if you're considering one, make sure it has all the trim pieces if that's important to you. I just spend $125 on two pieces of front window molding. Bottom line, parts aren't cheap, but hopefully the reliability will make up for it.
Greatest Volvo ever
The 940 distills all of Volvo's 20+ years of experience building midsize four-cylinder cars (staring with the 140) into a handsome, reliable, modern package. When I bought mine recently with 195k miles on it, I spent about $2500 to bring everything up to my exacting mechanical standards. It was worth it, because I expect to get it over 300,000 miles. I'm even thinking of trading my 1995 Volvo 850 Turbo wagon on a 1993 940 sedan, I like the 940 so much better.
Old Nellie
I bought this car from a reseller with 30,000 and had an aftermarket sunroof put in. The reseller lost my trust by not taking care of a serious rotor warpage just after buying the car. I love the sunroof but it sometimes does leak. With now over 320,000 miles the car still drives beautifully. I have put 3 radiators and two water pumps into it, but everthing else just keeps on working. These cars are nearly bulletproof. Original trans, front end, bearings, valves, etc. Not exactly flashy, but well constructed. I would reccomend this car to anyone that has a long commute.
Saved my friend in an accident
I wrote back in March of 2005 that I hoped to keep my "new" 1994 940 wagon until it had at least 300k miles. Unfortunately, that was not to be. A couple of weeks ago, a giant Chevy Suburban SUV plowed into the right front passenger door of my 940. My friend who was driving my 940 simply opened the driver's door and walked away, with his only injuries being some cuts and bruises on his face caused by the airbag. In fact, despite the sheet metal being pushed in about two feet at the point of impact, all of the doors except for the one that was hit stayed closed and could be operated normally. The windshield wipers didn't even stop working! I quickly replaced it with another 1994 940 wagon.
Volvo for life
This is the car you can buy and hopefully, with proper maintenance, never have to buy another car. They don't rust, are fairly simple to work on, and parts are getting cheaper and cheaper. The cloth seats last much longer than leather and you can learn how to change every light bulb on the car in under 10 minutes.
Great design, great execution
Excellent: reliability, serviceability, visibility, 5-seat comfort (incl the best headrests), trunk space (esp with flat-folded seats), steering, handling (I upgraded to IPD sway bars, poly bushings, chassis braces, Bilstein shocks, 16" wheels), 51/49 f/r distribution and light weight makes the car very predictable. Mileage is fine if you accelerate softly and keep speeds below 65. 4 spd trans isn't efficient above 70, but the car is fine well above that. Controls are intuitive. Sunroof is huge. Paint is robust. Towing is strong. The car's design and capabilities have not been improved on... it's unique and excellent even 15 years and 180,000 miles on the road.
Boxy But Good!
This is my third Volvo. Great comfort for tall passengers. Seats are very supportive, visibility is excellent. Performance is not bad if expectations are realistic. Lots of room. 187,000 and burning no oil. Used parts and expert technicians are abundant.
Vulnerable Volvo
This car is just great. It made just over 390.000 km's. On holydays I drove to Bulgaria, Norway, Sweden, Finland, France, Spain, Belgium, Corsica, Denmark and Germany without troubles. Quite expensive to maintain however. Very reliable, stirdy, car. I must advise to everybody to buy it. Far, far better than all those poorly, flimsyly build US-cars. It doesn't match however, the looks of a Renault or a Peugeot.
disappointed
I love to drive this car, and I understand that parts/repairs on a luxury european can be big bucks, but I am tremendously disappointed in the reliability of this vehicle. I had hoped that it would live up to the reputation of running forever - but then, so would a chevy vega if one were constantly replacing it's parts. I have been stranded due to cooling system problems twice in one year, blown head gasket, rack and pinion replace, tranny cooler replaced, every head and taillight has fallen off at least once...I think the swedes that put this one together were dipping into the aqavit.
Boxy But Good!
This is my third Volvo. Great comfort for tall passengers. Seats are very supportive, visibility is excellent. Performance is not bad if expectations are realistic. Lots of room. 187,000 and burning no oil. Used parts and expert technicians are abundant.
goes forever
Bought it new and maintain it according to the recommended service. It has been a great car for two kids and two to three dogs. The reliability has been excellent, though services can be expensive. Easy to do simple repairs yourselve. Relatively fun to drive with adequate acceleration, especially after the turbo kicks in. Great loading up stuff at the hardware store and vacations.