What is the difference between Volvo 740 and 940?

Cosmetically, that's about it. There's a bit more rake on the rear of the saloon (not the estate). Dashboards are a bit different and there are a few minor mechanical refinements, but there's not a lot different on them at all. Not enough to warrant a name change really, just a very minor facelift.

wikipedia says:

Thanks, that explains alot..

That's a 240 isn't it?

Actually, the 740 facelift cars have headlights and grilles which look almost the same but aren't interchangeable. Late 760 bits, I believe, are the same as 940s - certainly different to 740s.

I have a late 700, and there are not too many differences between it and an early 940.

Volvo liked to change parts which can lead to frustration as parts can look identical but be subtly different.

I've done 30k+ in my estate, it's a diesel and averages more than 45mpg on long runs.



Just go careful... mine's so good my brother (not a car person) ended up with one too...



His one has more than 280k miles on it and still going far better than the E46 BMW it replaced

Edit: Forgot to mention, there seems to be a lot of variation on spec in the UK. Mine has climate control, cruise control, cupholders in the armrest, locking diff, but all these options tend to be rare in the UK. Most have a fair spec for the age including heated seats with lumbar adjustment, and heated electric mirrors.

The 940 had IRS whereas the 740 was blessed with a solid axle.

940 (and 740/760) estates have the solid axle.

Not sure about saloons, but 760 saloons definitely have IRS. The 900 series IRS was different to the 760 IRS rear end

I already like them back in their days.
When they came out they looked very american-ish, like Cadillacs of that time or such.

Yup, they do like to rust!

My now dead 740 on 151,000 miles had rotten chassis rails that needed attention before its 18th birthday. However, it burned down (I suspect due to a known electrical issue on the earlier 740s), so of course, it could be fixed.


Given the prices of the 740s I'd consider a W124. They're a nicer drive, look a little classier, with easier parts availability and IME better dealers which is handy for dealer-only spares ;trim for example.

I liked my 740s, but they were a bit meh to drive. Yes, you can drift them and tune them, but other cars will get you there and with better results for less cash now .