Thanks guys. I drove the car and it is great fun. I didn't feel like a geek driving it. The 5-cylinder engine sounds excellent. The Audi V6 is really too quiet. The 850 has been perfectly and meticulously maintained. The clutch is really strong and original. The car is tight and makes no strange sounds. I doubt there'd be any surprises from this car. My dad wants me to get the Volvo because insurance would be less, it's more fun to drive than the Audi, and I won't lose my wagon space which I use often. I think it will come down to which one I can get cheaper.

BTW, I will not buy a 740 or 760...they look terrible. I don't want another '60s technology Volvo like the 240. That's why I've sold it.
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'86 245 DL Volvo Blue/ Blue Vinyl M46 -- For Sale!!!

I own a 242 DL 83 400 000 miles and now looking for a 850 turbo (Wagon or sedan)(94 to 96). My major concern for now is about automatic transmission. Would I expect the car running 250 000 to 300 000 miles before die? Personnally little repair job by myself dosn't scare me, I did lot with my 240 :)...

Thanks

Finding a good used 850 is a crap shoot in my opinion, because any 850 will be an older car. Drive it around, give everything a good look over, and go for it if you like it. I have a '94 850 sedan (non-turbo), and it has been the most reliable car I have ever owned (after owning a 240, 740, and now 940 as a 2nd car). Any 850 that was well taken care of is a good bet. I cannot stress enough though that you need to look over EVERYTHING in the car before buying it. Yes, the AC can be finnicky, but if it is working well and blows cold air, just install a cabin filter kit (available from dealer) to add extra protection to AC components from then on. By the way, the 850 I picked up only had 70,000 miles on it, and has 86k right now....so I haven't hit the 100k mark yet.

Own a 94 855 5 speed 123k. Bought new, followed all routine maintenance. Clutch went after 110k, radiator fan replaced 110k, thermostat 120k. Theres a lot of nickel and dime stuff i have to do, replace dash lights, visors, windshield washer clogs etc, but if u add up what i spend in repairs over course of a year, it comes in at about a quarter of what I would spend on new volvo car payment annually. Also 94 antenna built into rear window on wagons, never any problems. Car driven every day and still reliable.

850's are terribly unreliable compared to earlier models.

Common problems are:

AC Evap Cannister
Heater Blower Motor
Radiator Fans
Thermostats
ABS Control Module
Rear Main Seal

Aside from that, other annoyances are lousy power antennas, door panels that peel, roof rails that peel, wipers that do not make contact with the glass, winshield moldings fall out, washer sprayers clog up constantly, my alternator died as well as my starter, sunroof leaked, synchros were messed up in 2nd gear,A/C never worked right, etc. etc. etc. It was at least $500 each time the car went in. Oh, I stand corrected, the remote for the doors was only $90.
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96 850 GLT 5-Speed- Sold due to astronomical repair costs.

Avoid the 850 - reliability is not too good.

I am the original owner of a 1995 850 Turbo - fun car to drive yes, less reliable than a Ford.

If you are serious on an 850 check these areas for sure:

1) AC system- evaporator failure is a known problem and cost $1,200 t0 $1,600
2) Auto Transmission

Many many little annoying things break on this car- check out Volvospeed.com.

I.E. at 75K miles the odometer, of all things, stopped working - unbelievable!


My wife refuses to drive the 850 for its lack of reliability. I have a little more "faith"- but not much.

I've had many 240s, a 740, and an 850 -- all of these cars non-turbo. My son has a turbo 760. The non-turbo 850 is almost as fast as the turbo 760. The 850 handles much better. The contrast between the 850 and your 240 wagon will be surprising and fun.

I imagine the Audi will also be fun, but: check with your insurance carrier. When I priced insurance for Audi vs. Volvo, the Audi would have been almost twice the cost of insuring the Volvo! Audi parts were even more expensive than Volvo parts -- hard as that might be to imagine.

That said, neither the 850 nor the Audi will be as reliable or long-lived as the 240. My '81 240 has over 328,000 miles on the original engine and transmission. My wife's '94 850 engine died a horrible death at 180,000 miles. Same attention to regularly scheduled maintenance for both cars, both driven mostly freeway miles (my 240 does about 1/3 more miles than hers: longer commute).

My in-laws drive an S-80. Very slick, very fast, very sexy. But it won't last as long as my 240 and has more non-essential electrical parts to break.

My opinion: find a good 240 or 740/760 turbo with manual transmission, put a good paint job on it, and have safe, affordable fun.

-- Bruce
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-- Bruce / '82 244 (315k miles!), '86 745, '87 760Ti, '94 854