First - Good Luck with your search!

Last year we were in the same situation and kept seacrhing internet sites and happen to find a manual '94 wagon on carpoint.com a nearby Honda dealer had and really liked it so much I bought a second 850 ('93 GLT Sedan) off ebay. What we did is visit a Volvo dealer to see what the 850's were like. There is a GREAT difference in how they where appointed. The low end with no frills is still a Volvo but sucked compared to on with some options! I like the leather seats, traction control (great in winter areas), headlight wipers, sunroof etc...

As for sedan vs. wagon, for me both drive great! I like the way the wagon handles a bit better, (possibly the difference between 94 manual and 93 automatic) but the sedan has a better sound system and looks better.

And one strong suggestion - sign up with carfax.com to run reports on any car you are looking at. It is well worth the $19.95. One car I was looking was stolen in Texas and given a salvage title in South Carolina and was on a New York dealer's lot!

Good Hunting!

I believe side air bags were optional. There will be

a sticker on the door if it has them. The door sticker

will also indicate the airbags need inspection/replacing

after 10 years (there is an expiration date). I understand

Volvo feels they can go to 15 years now so don't worry

about that sticker.

I'd look for the service records and be aware of any

re-occuring problems.

Turbo models are as reliable as non-turbos and not much more

expensive.

I would go for '97 as the last model year. As they throw in more stuff on base model than '96. Look for those SE as they may be a bargain with the special edition package. I think side air bag started at '95 1/2 model year.

I have a wagon with traction, even with 3rd row seats for kids. Wagon is more flexible, as you never know what things your wife (husband) wants to buy. Last time was a long track mill from Sears.

Some draw back for wagon is nosier than sedan because of the open trunk area, also not that safe with cargo or gorceries in the trunk, unless it comes with the steel cage divider.

Like you, I want every safety device I could afford/buy, so traction control and side bags is a must for us. No major problem but a whole lot of minor annoy problems. Just regret did not get the steel cage divider.

Wagon comes with intergal child booster in the arm rest, and 100 watts upgrade audio system for '97.

I would say wagon looks better than sedan, even better with the tailgate spolier.

Peter

A Volvo dealer MIGHT have taken a nice one in trade. Ask! You are at a huge disadvantage buying "in a couple of days" Try to give yourself as much time as possible to get a good one, so you won't feel pressured into getting one you don't really feel totally comfortable buying..

If you can find one with books and records, sometimes you can call the shop who stamped the maintenance manual and ask about the car, if you are lucky they will remember it and be willing to tell you the truth about it.

Regarding the purchase of auction autos: I bought both our 850's at an auction in the SF area. Neither had any paperwork with it, which is a major risk in the first place. The first was a 96 that I bought in 98 with 30K on it. The second was a 95 turbo that I bought in 2000 with 60K on it. I've found that they're 2 different cars. I've had the 96 longer and I've taken really good care of it - we absolutely loved it and that's what prompted us to get another from the auction. No problems so far (now it's got 70K on it). The turbo has been another story. The odometer is clicking away in km rather than miles, half the lights on the instrument panel are out, the AC isn't working, it needed new brakes and tires. I love these cars and now that everything is going great (except for the odometer) I think that it was probably worth it. But beware the risks of the auction!

KC,

Hold out for a Turbo. You won't be sorry. As far as I have seen there is no reliability hit, but there is a big performance gain.

I am not positive but, I beleive that not all 96 models came with side air bags, but all Turbo models did.

Try to find one where the owner has all of the service records and stamps in the book. I often see them advertised by local owners that way...Volvo owners seem to like to keep records. With regular maintenance, it should last a good long time. I rarely hear of turbo failures on this board. If you cant get the records, I'd recommend having the AC system pressure tested (notorious failure area), as well as a complete lookover by a good shop.