In addition to standard side airbags, the 96's have the improved remote door lock function. The remote is smaller, longer range, and the driver door can be unlocked separately from the other three.

ALL'96s had side air bags. Only some '95s did (like the R, don't know about the GLT).

We have a 95 and I recall checking to see what was new in 96.
I think 96 has different ABS system (but I love the feel and
performance of the brakes on our 95 855 GLT, better then my
98 S70 T5). Other changes were all minor. The 96 might have
side air bags as standard (I don't recall). I have seen a couple
more electrical problems reported on 96s. The transmission
problems on 95s reported below may have been PNP switch failures
(I suspect more then one tranny replaced because of this part)
since the trnsmissions don't seem to have changed much year to
year on the 850s (as far as I can tell).

read somewhere that the springs on the 1995 850 were linear and the 1996 850 were progressive. it's wrong lemme know.

Some '95s were known to have trans probs that might even require a replacement trans so other than the scan tool requirement on the '96, '97, I'd opt for one from those years rather than a '95.