Hello all. I'm new to this forum but not Volvo; I've been a self-proclaimed Volvo nut since I was eight. Now, I'm sixteen and looking for my own Volvo to call my own. An 850 seems the most practical (Even though I love the timeless 240 brick, but then again, who doesn't?!), but are there any model years that I should avoid? I've read that the 1993s are different, but that doesn't always mean bad, does it? Because of insurance costs for a teenage boy, I was advised (told) by my mom to stay away from turbos. Any other tips to look at when buying would also help.

Thanks in advance,
Ryan

A 5sp 850 with rear seat heaters is almost certainly a Canadian car, so condition and provenance are certainly suspect.

As another poster said, it comes down to the car. You would much rather have a well cared for 94 than a beat 98. Find a good independent Volvo mechanic who will evaluate the car before you buy. Expect to pay $50 - $100 per car for his time, the cost will repay itself 100 times over.

BTW. A co-worker was looking for a car for her teenage son. I told her the most dangerous car her son could buy was a 240 Station Wagon.

With a odd look, she asked, "Why?".

"Sleeps 4" was the answer.

Good luck

Thanks for all of the info. Speak of the devil, while scouring Craigslist, I've found a '96 850 One-Owner with some weird option configurations. It's a 5-Speed (Just for you, Dwight!) with the GL trim. However, it has REAR seat heaters, a sport chassis without the rear spoiler, factory rear door speakers, a 6-CD changer, and although its a sedan, it has the integrated booster seat. Also included in the sale (for some extra pennies, of course) are a set of snow tire and a set of regular tires with Volvo 6-spoke Cetus wheels. The only thing that worries me is the fact that it smokes. On the ad, it states:

"Knowledgeable people have told me it is probably a valve guide or that the oil trap needs servicing or the engine may need rings."

Are these things indicators of more expensive repairs to come? Another thing that is coupled with the smoke issue: I'm not sure if it would pass a Pennsylvania emissions inspection. You guys probably know these things better than I do, and any help is appreciated.

Thanks,
Ryan

P.S. - I've attached his URL for you're viewing pleasure. http://members.cox.net/1996volvo850/

I would not buy one that smoked unless you are a good mechanic and got big discount. These engines do not smoke even with a lot of miles on them other than a small amount for just a few seconds at start up indicating wore valve quide seals. If it smokes at any other time I would say it is too big a risk. You should be able to find one that doesn't smoke. Take your time and look at several as you will learn something everytime you look at another car.

It looks to be a good car, but I would be prepared to do some work to deal with the smoke issue. I purchased my '71 Mercedes cheap in 1988 knowing it needed work. The blowby was so bad the dipstick woould not stay in. Tore down the engine and found all four pistons had cracked / missing compression ring lands. The damage was due to too infrequent oil changes. The records indicated 2k mile between some changes, but they were over a year apart! Anyway I am very happy with my '98 V70, purchased new and now with 291k. No transmission problems, no engine gaskets or seals replaced, and original clutch. I have heard 95-98 are the good years for these cars, and 88-93 for 240s.

Welcome to the Brickboard, where we enjoy keeping old Volvos on the road and avoiding dealerships.
Look for a 1995-1998 on Craigslist, for sale by owner. No need to pay some used car dealer an extra $500+ for a car that has no records and has had the engine bay cleaned to cover up oil leaks. The number of miles doesn't really count as much as timely maintenance, I would rather buy a 98 with 160K miles than a 'cream puff' driven by a little old lady with only 85K. These engines need to be driven over 2000 rpm to stay clean.
Ideal would be to find a 5 speed without a turbo, cloth seats which do not wear out like leather, and an honest seller(?). The 5 speed is faster than a low pressure turbo and more fun to drive.
Anticipate spending around $1,000 after the sale for tires, brakes, struts. The 850 Haynes manual works for the 1998 S/V70 also. You will need a good torque wrench, some basic metric tools, a floor jack, and a Torx screwdriver tool, I like the multi one for $5 to keep in the glove box.

Remember, shopping for a car is more fun than owning one. So, shop a lot. And good luck.

Klaus
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Proud owner of a 220S. If I had more room, I would have more Volvos.

I have three 1995s and a 1997. Needless to say I like the cars, but it helps greatly if you can do some repairs yourself. This site and Matthewsvolvosite.com are a godsend in helping you do some of the repairs that will inevitably come up in older cars like these. In 1996 and newer you have to buy a code scanner($100) to read the check engine light codes. For a young fellow like you I would look for a manual transmission as the auto trans can be a problem if it has been abused particularly in the 1993-4. I have two stick shifts one with 225, 000 miles and neither has had tranny trouble. When you look at one some things to consider are:1) Do a compression test as described in Chilton/Hayes, exhaust valves/head gaskets go out frequently around 125,000 miles, 2) The rear main crankshaft seal leaks in most of these vehicles around 125,000 miles, the question is how much it is leaking, 3)The air conditioning fails in nearly all of these so hopely you can live without it, 4)The power drivers seat is known to frequently fail although I haven't had a problem, 5) The steering rack has a tendency to leak but it is generally not a big problem again if it is not leaking too much and you keep the fluid up in the power steering pump. Overall these cars are a great value for being an older car. They are relatively safe, good gas mileage(30 mpg with a manual trans), and relatively easy to work on. They are great in the snow if you put snow tires on them. They also have a great heater, I should know as I live in Alaska. They are not a good car for someone who has to have every item on their car in perfect shape at all times in order to drive it, and has all repairs done at the dealership. In other words you have to be willing to live with some risk in your life. Of course in reality we are living with risks in our lives all the time some of us just don't acknowledge it. Bottom line I would recommend a 1995(the first year for side air bags, auto accidents are the number one killer of teens} or later 850 nonturbo(you don't need all that power as a new driver), manual trans wagon. That is what I bought my son and he was very happy. You'll be very popular with your friends being able to carry their junk around. Good Luck

I'd say 96 or 97 are the best years, and by then Volvo had worked out most of the kinks. I see less problems about 97's than most years. A 97 GLT has a low-pressure turbo, and a fun kick to it off the line - I think the insurance was only $20 more a month for my Turbo model though, a Volvo is one of the few fast cars you can get with low insurance premiums. I'm not sure what it would be for 16 though - I bought mine when I turned 22 and have a clean driving record =).

They are all good cars, and they all share the same problems and nuances. A 93 has a lot of strange, different parts from the rest of them, but they are still great cars.

One thing you will definitely want to ask for is service records, so you have some idea of whether or not the car has been taken care of, otherwise you could be looking at an innocent-looking MONEY PIT, like my first car was.

Check the transmission fluid level & color, listen for random rattles and clunks, pull out the oil dipstick with the car running and look for smoke, and look for odd tire wear patterns. Give the brakes a good hard stomp and make sure the ABS module still works, this is a common failure point on these cars.

Other than that, ENJOY! I would have loved owning my S70 as my first car.