Here is the answer I think you're seeking:

I used to have a 95 944 NA before my 95 854T, and the 940 was bullet proof (same driveline as 240)....I've done alot with 240s too, I swear they're the most reliable car in the world (knock on wood). You could probably put a million miles on one, so long as you take care of it.

The 850 is a great car. I don't agree with consumer reports at all. Most Volvos before the 850 were made of a thicker guage of steel, but the car is still very sturdy. I've never seen an 850 with rust on it. FWD is a nice change up too (nothing against RWD, love that too). At any rate, in my own experience I have never been stranded by my 850, and it's great fun to drive. The four wheel disc brakes are very sharp. You should easily be able to put 200k on it if you maintain it (and more). However, in comparison to the 940, the mechanical integrity is a little less. Compared to other cars it's great. You might experience little problems like irratic idle and occasional misfires, which generally can be fixed by replacing vaccum elbows ($2.50 part) and keeping your spark plugs fresh. Other common things include the fuel system needing cleaning after a while ($45 or so), and people generally experience better results when they frush their tranny on a regular basis. I have no idea where that electrical issues thing comes from.

the most costly failure wout be the Evaporator (Can cost $1300 to replace). It's difficult to get at becuase it's in the middle of the dash. The PNP switches do occasionlly fail, but it's a cheap and easy fix (lots of help instructions at www.volvospeed.com).

If you were to purchase this car, I would change the timing belt as soon as possible, it's been on there for 6 years.

Your 850 will probably cost you more than a 240, but again if you take care of it, she shouldn't give you too much trouble. Only problem with a 96 850 is you cna't pull the codes yourself. In some 95s and before you can. The 96 is definatly more worked out. 95 was really the 3rd revision, so it's just another year or that.

Brandon
95 854T 92k