Built like a brick in so many different ways, some say that the Volvo 240 wagon is the archetype for cars. Ask a young child to draw a car and the image produced will probably bear a striking resemblance to the classic lines of the Volvo 240 wagon. Designed for safety and built for durability, these wagons tend to last far longer than most Americans are willing to drive the same car. Several hundred thousand miles is not unheard of, as long a person is willing pay for those parts subject to normal wear and tear: belts, hoses, tires, batteries, fluids, and filters. And, of course, as long as a person doesn't mind being seen driving a twenty year old car.
While this Volvo doesn't appear neglected or rusted out, it does seem a little tired... or "well-seasoned". The minor bumps and door-dings from two decades of occasional accidental contact in parking lots gives it that certain utilitarian something that even the most desperate car-thief or joy-rider refuses to be seen near or associated with. After all, what self-respecting miscreant would steal a 1987 station wagon?
Lack of appeal to car thieves notwithstanding, the Volvo 240 hauls an amazing amount of cargo with the back seats folded flat. Lumber, couches, chairs, tables, washing machines, even full sized refrigerators and upright freezers can be coaxed into the back of a Volvo. While it doesn't offer quite the vertical clearance of a full-sized pickup truck or a suburban, the mileage is enough better that a person can make two or three trips in the Volvo for less than one trip with a larger vehicle. Best of all, the diesel engine runs well on used vegetable oil.
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