I'm looking to buy a 96' 850 that is for sale locally. It has all the service records since 99' when they bought it from a Volvo Dealer.

Anything to look out for on these cars?

I also have a great 240GLT which is a joy to drive.

I bought an 850 T5 6 months ago.

Its a powerful car - very roomy and quiet

Handles well and holds the road - although heavy, I'm getting 30mpg (UK gallons!)

Minus points:
poor turning circle
front wheels wear down quickly and need frequent balancing
ac consumes fuel when on and prone to monir problems
ac needs periodic use to keep it conditioned
paintwork not a patch on old 240
lower profile and weight make ride much harder than 240

Plus points:
roomy and very versitile (we go camping and have find it very convenient)
cheap to buy in terms of extras, due to fuel consumption/servicing costs in UK
quiet ride and powerful
smooth gearbox

Best Advice: take it for a long and VARIED drive before buying. Try reverse parking, tight turns, acceleration, etc etc etc.

Check out Volvospeed's Bay 13 for lots of maintenance stuffs and info on the common problems. They are more complicated cars, but they're still quite servicable (if it gets serviced by someone who isn't afraid of FWD cars).

I took my friend's recently acquired '95 854 GLT to Portland, OR and back a few weeks ago. It's hard to argue with 26+ mpg (compared to the ~17-18mpg I would have extracted from similar driving in my 760), and vastly improved handling. Even stock, it felt nearly as flat (but not nearly as responsive) as my 760 with all sorts of goodies, and it rides way better.

The biggest thing that bothers me is that the interior is crap (the S70/V70, while vastly uglier, is significantly improved in this regard). Squeaks and rattles are commonplace, and the build quality of the interior is... eh at best. Hardly an improvement over the 700s. Otherwise, keep an eye out for electrical problems (in true Volvo tradition).

--
alex

A friend of mine, sold his 88 240 wagon, with 326K. Bought a 96 850 wagon.......wish he hadn't !!, Timeing belt=new engine; heater hose & aluminum connections = very wet interior; handeling not even close to a 240; electrical gremlins, and the list goes on. His ex 88...still going strong at 332K. Only problem to date.... a tired starter.

--
84, 242GLTi, 167K, 4+OD, not on the road yet; 89, 245 DL, 340K, M 47, daily driver; 93, 245, auto, 167K; daughters 84, 242 Ti, 193K ; and other toys.

Worst is a rear main leak or blown AC evaporator. Look for the white or blue paint that marks (I think) an evaporator upgrade is installed. Shift lights or problems might be the PNP switch, a reasonable repair. ABS light on is a sign of needing a rebuilt unit. Look at the CV boots, should be intact. Look for the record on the t-belt.

Like all old Volvos there are numerous things to look out for, depending on the engine and transmission.

There's some information on European ones here:

http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/tech.shtml

Scroll down to 850 info. Much of will apply to US versions, some of it is 'members only' but not all.

Anyway, they have 5 cylinder engines, what's that all about?

It's all about the fifty horsepower that the 240 should have had. Plus a heaping cupful of torque. Drive one. You may not like the car it is mounted in, but the motor is a thing of wonder.

On the other hand it is made of space metal and some parts are glued together...
--
01 V70 2.4 M5 and a Mini