Faults:

Have had to replace various parts, consistent with mileage and age. Water pump, various hoses, A/C evaporator, driveshaft bushing, odometer tooth, driver's seat bottom cushion and seatback lumbar support system, tailgate wiring harness, rear engine main seal. These type of repairs, I think, are to be expected with a car of this age and mileage, particularly since it's driven hard though mostly on the highway.

General Comments:

This was a one-owner car I bought in late 2001 with 100,00 miles on it. It's been the best car I've owned.

I drive mostly highway miles, much of those miles at high speeds (80+) and the old four-banger hums along. It takes a while to achieve 80, but once there, the car will cruise happily at 80-85 all day long and give 24mpg. If you throttle it back to 65, you can stretch one gallon beyond the EPA estimates (25mpg) to about 27mpg. I've used synthetic oil and transmission fluid (flushed every 30K) since I've owned the car, and both function perfectly with no problems. These powertrains were built to last. It's important to keep these cars serviced though, they run far far better with regular tune ups, valve adjustments, transmission flushes, etc. If you stick to the factory recommendations, you'll have a hard time killing this tank.

No doubt everyone is aware that the 240 is not a racecar. The 114hp is just barely adequate and you certainly have to plan ahead on acceleration ramps and pulling into traffic. But the upside is that the little workhorse will go 400-500,000 miles with very few repairs. I've got 208,000, and this drivetrain shows no signs of giving up anytime soon. (I owned a 1989 wagon with a 5spd, and with 313,000 on the clock it was still giving me 29mpg with a 5spd manual and using no oil whatsoever) The motor is using about 1/2 quart of oil every 2,000 miles, but that is far less than some new cars use right off the showroom floor.

The handling and brakes inspire confidence. For such an old design, the steering and handling are really quite good. There is a substantial amount of body roll, but I've been told a sway bar update from IPD will go a long way to helping with that. Otherwise, the steering is nicely weighted and still tracks better and is more accurate than many cars made today. If you keep it aligned and the tires balanced, it will run smooth and straight just as fast as the motor can push it down the road. The brakes are solid, the anti lock works just fine. The car has a fair bit of nosedive under hard braking, to be expected I think with such an old design.

The fit and finish is really exceptional. The quality of the materials is very good. The interior plastics and vinyl seats are all still in very nice shape, and with minimal care (periodic cleaning and good quality UV protectant, and use of a sunshade in the windshield) I can see this interior looking presentable and clean for years to come. All the electronics are so simple that they all work fine still as well (power mirrors, heated mirrors, power windows, defrost, etc). The paint, too, has held up very well. With regular washing and waxing, it still has a very very nice shine even though its been kept outside most of the time.

Overall, it's an indestructable car. A great used car buy, but make sure it's been serviced. If it has, for a couple thousand dollars, you can have a classic utility vehicle that will last for a long time.