1996 Volvo 850 User Reviews

The 850 Wagon Is A Great Car. Turbo Is The Better Option. If You Find A Platinum Edition, Get It. — The 1996 Volvo 850 Wagon Platinum Edition is a all around great car. It comes with a peppy inline 5, 2.3 liter engine turbocharged to 225 bhp. It could use a bit more power but it still does well. The 850 is Volvo's segue in to the luxury and performance niche and they have done quite well. This particular version seems to look even better with age with it's Persus wheels and platinum white paint job that changes colors day or night. The interior isn't anything too flashy but it makes sense, and it looks clean and classic without that gaudiness many 90's cars have. There's ample room in the back too. But that's not what Volvo is known for, is it? Volvo is known for safety. The 850 feels solid and safe to drive. Like the driver could make a mistake and the car would handle it. It's safety is even made known around the car with imprints, stickers, and the awkwardness of climbing in and out of the back seat. (Passengers sit in a cage, basically). When you start the car, red "fasten seat belt" lights located near the map lamps illuminate much like in an airplane. Like most European cars, the Swedish 850 is a bit more costly to maintain, (though, a bit less than it's German counterparts). Maintenance is key, or an owner may face a bit more costly repairs down the road. But Volvos are known for lasting a long time. The 850 is no different. Take care of it, and it will take care of you. The brass tacks are that it's not for everyone. If you want more reliability and fuel efficiency, get a Honda, if you want more luxury, get a BMW or a Benz. If you want better looks, get an Alfa. If you want a car that has a bit of soul and you know will last you a long time, find one of these gems. The Volvo 850 Platinum Wagon.

Primary Use: Family transportation

Awesome Handling, Lots Of Torque, 300000kms (186000 Miles) And Still Going Strong — This Volvo 850 2.5 TDI is the best handling car I've ever driven, despite my experience with lots of other (newer) cars. It's also very safe with its two airbags and typical Volvo reliability. In addition, the car is a lot faster than you'd expect, in spite of the rather small amount of horsepower (145bhp) available. This might be typical for my car though, because it depends on how you've run it in. If you drive the car normally, it has a fuel consumption of about 8 litres per 100kms (62 miles). If you drive it at full speed on the highway, it goes up to 12 litres, which still isn't that bad.

Totally Reliable And A Feeling Of Safety. — Not the best preformance car when it comes to acceleration but as far as braking and handling it holds its own. kept up with the minor maintance like tires, oil changes and so on. For the 7 years that I've had it for the only major repairs were for the CV-joints. I must point out that the lights bulps seem to be the most annoying issue. They don't seem to last as long as they should but for the most part this old car was the best thing I've ever owned. Bought this car in 2003 with 51,000 miles on it and I only paid $8K. The reason so cheap is because it did have a slight dent that was hardly noticeable. It's the best car I've ever owned. The appearance is not bad. For 15 years old it has received its share of scratches but for the most part both inside and outside it is still a good looking tank. The gas mileage is what you can expect for this type of vechile. It gets about 18 city / 24 hwy. Is this car fun to drive? I can't truly answer that question because I don't like driving. I drive because I have to. I believe cars are tools and nothing more. Get me from point A to point B and back to A again is all that I ask from my car. I do like to be comfortable when I travel. What I do look for in a car is comfort and safety as well as reliablity.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

413,000kms And Still Going! — I love the pearl paint! The tail gate rattle is not very fun. But driving the car is just enjoyable every time I get in it. The options excellent. The nivomat rear suspension is really nice when hauling a heavy load. The cars turbo motor is amazing. The fuel mileage is great as long as you stay out of the turbo boost. I would buy another one if I saw one.

All In All Good Family Car — 850 T-5 2,3 R5 Turbo 225HK 0-62 8sec Build quality is good and strong, a little squeaking sometimes Appearance in and out is old looking but again the car is from 1996 Gase mileage 10 - 11 Km/l (25mpg)

Primary Use: Family transportation