In a parallel universe, I waltz into an Audi dealership, plunk down a briefcase of probably ill-gotten gains, and waltz out with the keys to a new R8 V10. In reality, I need a new car and can reasonably afford to spend around $5k. With that kind of money I can either a.) put a down payment on something new and saddle myself with debt or b.) scour Craigslist for oldie but goodies. Since I’m cheap, I chose the latter – which brings me to the first installment of Reasonable RideLust. As all 4 of you regular readers may know, I’ve got a slightly obsessive affection for turbobricks and now that my current 850 is ready to be retired to the garage as a weekend project I’ve been looking for a replacement.

Posted for sale somewhere just north of the City of Pseudo-Brotherly Love, this 1993 Volvo 240 is an incredibly rare find given its impeccable condition and relatively low miles. Unfortunately it’s RWD (marking the first and last time “unfortunately” and “RWD” will be used in the same sentence), which means it would be poorly suited for the rigor of daily driving during winter in the Northeast but perfect as a weekend cruiser. The seller is asking $4,800, which is $2,675 more than the KBB value of the car even in excellent condition, but I’m confident my Jersey-bred powers of persuasion could facilitate a successful negotiation.