Hi Guys, greetings to all of you. I decided to join a Volvo forum because I'm presently looking for a used Volvo and am not sure which model would be the best to get. About eight years ago I was on a similar quest and started asking questions. I liked the look of the 850's. A mechanic at a shop that specialized in Saab and Volvo told me that the 240, 740, and 940 were better because the 850's were more prone to electrical faults. Anyway I decided to take a used 1998 850 from a dealership for a spin. The ride was superb and the sound system was the best I have ever heard. We were about two hundred yards from the dealership when I had to stop for a stop sign. When I hit the gas to pull away the car just chugged slowly forward, and nothing we could do would help. Needless to say, that certainly supported what I'd been told, so I didn't get a Volvo. I'd begun to look at 740's and 940's when I suddenly thought of joining a forum where I could get input from the experts who are familiar with all the models and who could point me in the right direction. I'm looking for something that is reliable and isn't too slow, and gives reasonable fuel mileage and was built in the early nineties. I'm eagerly awaiting all suggestions. Cheers, Rick

 

Welcome.
I would look at a 240,740, or 940 from 1990-1995.
I think these are a really good bunch and if you want some power..get a turbo model.
I have a 745t for the past 10 years or so and have had very little trouble with her. Mom overheated the motor whenthey got it (88,000miles), and at 230,000miles, the car blew the headgasket. All with little "damage" and it is running like a new car again and she now has 256,000miles. They are great cars and with a little Time Love Care, and regular maintenance, you should have little to no problems with one.
Now for the goodies...If you want to do some later mods. look for 93-95 for they have 13mm rods and oil squirters.
Good luck

 

Just my .02.

Any car would leave you stranded, if the wrong component goes wrong at the wrong moment (timing belt, alternator, fuel pump, etc...). As to electrical problems, all Euro makes seem to have such troubles.

If you wantreliability, I would probably go for '98 or later models. I would say you would probably like S70, which is almost identical to 850s. If you can find an S70 with less than 80,000mls/128,000kms on the odometer, it may be a good deal. One thing to keep in mind is that S70s are FWD/AWD instead of RWD.

Make sure to test drive one, take it to ASE-certified master technician or your mechanic for pre-purchase inspection and ask to see if the possible candidate has full service record.

TIPSP gave you a good suggestion; TLC & regular maintenance are the most important thing to keep in mind. If done right, Volvos outlast Japanese makes.

Make sure to listen to others’ opinions as well. Moderator Tech is our top dog.

Welcome to the forum,


JPN

 

IMO I would go for a 1998S70 or a 1997 850 they were the best in my opinion.
If you want rear wheel drive check out the 98 S90's.

 

Man, coming from a Volvo TECH (lol), I feel better that u say that about the 97 850's< because I had looked at a few 95 but settled on the 97.

 

But on the other hand my Yellow one is a 95. I got it with 87K on it. Now have almost 120K on it. I only had to fix neglected stuff and I radaitor thanks to a Tractor Trailer on I-4. Other than that all has been fine.

 

Rikster36, what ever you decide to buy take your time in looking. I just purchased my 97 850GLT and took me 3 years to find the right one, and didn't settle for just any one. Good luck.

 

Hi Guys, I'd like to thank you all for the suggestions. I'm now checking out all of the adds. Another couple of questions! Most of the time I'm driving around the city but a couple of times a month I drive to Toronto which is a good 4 hr. drive at a speed of about 120 kph. It's a busy highway and quite often one has to put "the pedal to the metal" to get past some "slow poke". At times like this it would be nice to have a turbo. Is the Volvo turbo pretty reliable? Without driving like a madman, does it have a great effect on gas consumption? Cheers, Rick.

 

If you don't drive with a heavy foot all the time...a turbo would be nice...
I thought the 850's got like 30 miles to the gallon?
The cars are really reliable...as long as they are maintained properly.

 

Volvos are probably the best cars with turbochargers. I would spend extra time looking for a turboed Volvo. Also, even with its heavy weight structure & turbocharger, Volvos generally get good fuel consumption.

Should you decide to go with a turboed Volvo, make sure to use OEM oil filter and full-synthetic oil. In Canada, I would say SAE 10W-30 during summer, 5W-30 for the rest of the year would do (but consult the owner’s manual, as the U.S model 850’s owner’s manual tells you not to use 5W-30).


JPN