Please excuse the newbie nature of this post ladies and gents but I would be very appreciative if some person(s) could give me the low-down on the ins and outs of purchasing a T-5R/850R/T5/R. I am currently in the process of closing the sale of my 98.5 SVT Ford Contour (motor swap and all with over 260 H.P.) and am VERY seriously in the market for a NICE T-5R/850R/T5/R.

I am getting married in June of next year and need something a bit more conservative and a bit more reliable for my new lifestyle, though I do not want to give up my fun and unique autos. My desire to drive something rare, sporty, and unique has led me to the T-5R/850R/T5R/R. Now I need to hear you guys to play the split role of devil's advocate and Volvo saleman so that I may truly figure out if one of these cars are for me.

In addition to that, I would like to put out the offer to any T-5R/850R/T5/R owner who has babied their car and is considering its sale. I would be very interested to hear from such persons and will welcome their emails at matthewkzimmerman@hotmail.com

Thank you in advance for your help guys and gals, it is much appreciated. Also, very nice site you have here!

Regards,
Matt "QWIC" Z.

There are quite a few regular Turbo models out there that haven't been driven hard at all. I see "soccer moms" drivin' em all the time. And with some mods they can be almost as good as an R

I have owned a 97 850-R since new, Jan 97. It has been religiously maintained, babied if you will, and runs fantastic. Other than a few tweeks to soften the suspension--if I could--and remove the rear spoiler when new--I would do nothing to this car.

My previous car was a 94 base model 5 spd 850 with no options. I loved this car too. It had zero problems.

An 850-R is the way to go, BUT beware of buying one simply because of the fact that those who own them use them to their potential---meaning some people may run their cars extra hard. There are people who do take very good care of their cars, but at the same time probably still have them too. Check out the maintenance and have a Volvo mechanic run a thorough inspection. It may cost you several hundred to do this, but it is cheaper than spending ten to fifteen thousand only to find you acquired a need-lots-of-repairs-soon mobile.

JMO Personally I would not buy a used one. Too much of a chance for possible abuse of the car given what it is. I would put the money towards a new vehicle and enjoy.

Just a note: T5 is the same as "Turbo" models. T5-R is the earlier version of the 1996 and 1997 850 R. And there is no "R", just 850 R. If you want the fastest and sportiest, go for a 850 T5-R or 850 R.

My car rides stiff but it paid off by saving a sure accident. Yes, it was one of those moments when everything goes slow motion and you wait to hear a crash. The crash did not happen.

The car, I nearly missed, pulled in front of on coming traffic and he seemed to froze seeing my car rumbling through. As I hit the brake, I slowed down and then I heard my rear wheels screeching. I was determined not to hit the car. What frustrated me was that, as I approached and about to hit, the other car was slowly moving across the road, as if he wanted me to hit him.

I started skidding about 8 feet from his left front end. My next move was to swerve to the left and stop on the six inch high median at ten feet diagonal from me. By the time I will hit the median I will be at 10 mph but it will be a hard hit.

This is how close I was from this guy: As I was breaking and steering away from him, I had to rely only on my ear and wait to hear a hit or contact between his front end and mine.

As I looked at the on coming lane, I saw no traffic, it was clear. In a split second I veer off and went into the on coming lane.

The bottom line?

When it came to handling, my old, previous owner abused, ‘93 850, that I baby, was like a sports car. During that dire moment I enjoyed the tight steering wheel and when I told this car to move he obeyed without hesitation and did it with assurance and perfection!

1993 Volvo is not recommended since it was their first year. Moreover, they did not have turbo.

Ronjon

I have driven my 95' 850 Turbo wagon or 855T in "volvospeak" for about 2 years now and am very pleased. When purchased it was just my wife and I, but we now have an addition to the family. This car has suited every imaginable need for us (now if it just had a cargo bed). Of course I am very comfortable with the legendary Volvo safety that this vehicle affords. Reliability has been above average with no major (over $200) repairs necessary. Car is a blast to drive (highly recommend the turbo). Passing acceleration is a definite strong point. Handling is a bit stiff and is noticable on rough surfaces, but this negative turns into a positive at high speeds and aggresive cornering.

I HIGHLY recommend that you only buy a car that has complete service records. I believe that these vehicles do best when serviced regularly. You will recieve posts about nightmare scenarious of some owners of 850's. There are a few well documented cases of certain components being susceptable to failure (some cars going on 9+ years old). I have not experienced any of these failures and I believe that there are more of these positive ownership experiences than not.
Good Luck!