850 as only car?
 

Would this be advisable or should I get a newer econobox? Buying a spare car is not an option at the moment.

I'd do it. You need to be able to talk to it, though. The models that have both OBD 1 and OBD 2 would be slightly advantaged. Take $400 a month for a car payment and put it in the bank and don't spend it. Every month it keeps working is a win.

My 850 was my daily driver for a while, but I keep up the maintenance.