hi, newbie here, i'm looking at buying a 1996 850 wagon. the owner didn't specify a specific model or trim, nor did he say it was a turbo, but it has a logo on the back that says sportswagon. does this mean the vehicle is turbocharged? i am interested in it because of the amount of space combined with good fuel economy, so i would rather not have a turbo. i test drove the car and it didn't feel very peppy. it has 266000 miles and is due for a timing belt change, but it's in great shape with many maintenance records. owner is asking $1800, i'm hoping to talk it down a little. any thoughts? thanks in advance for any volvo wisdom.

 

Okay, there's no such thing as an 850 "sportswagon." It's probably an aftermarket badge. As for turbocharged models, the turbo models really don't get worse mileage than the non- turbo ones, unless you can't keep your foot out of it- that's the whole point of turbocharging a smaller engine: get more power out of it when you need it, but keep the economy of the smaller engine when you're just cruising around. It's possible that it is a turbo model with a bad turbo- that would explain the sluggishness, as the NAs shouldn't feel too underpowered to anyone who's not used to anything with good performance. How to tell if it's turbocharged: open the hood and look at the engine. Is there a black metal pipe running from the front, over the valve cover to the back? Then it's a turbo. No? it's not a turbo. If it IS a turbo, and feels sluggish, especially when you "floor" it at 35 or so MPH, then the turbo is probably shot, which means you'll be in for a hefty repair bill, and crap mileage until you DO fix it, as turbo engines have reduced compression in order to compensate for the stress of the turbo.

 

I don't think I would purchase an 850 that wasn't turbo. I use to think that turbo = more maintenance but that is not really true. Since I started driving a turbo in spring 2009, I look at them as having an extra safety feature.

I would offer $1,300 for the car unless the paint and interior are in GOOD condition.

 

+1, me too. Buy a turbo it's a better engine because it's engineered to support higher pressures. Just look at my herd and my latest addition...A turbo.

 

Jason,

The term "Sportswagon" was used in Volvo advertising for the 1994-1996 model year wagons. If the car is badged Sportswagon, I'm pretty sure it came that way from the factory. I'm sure there are some senior members on the forum who can verify that.

 

The Moniker "Sportswagon" came to be a Volvo "Advertisement" much like Nissan advertised "4DSC" or 4 Door Sports Car to make you imagine that the car was something more "fun" than a boring sedan.... Ironically, most of the EU vehicles came with that badging.. I would take the VIN and do a search and see what comes up. You might have a european vehicle in your midst. I too will only buy a Turbo Volvo as they are a better "canvas" to modify...

 

+1. I have the badge on one of my 850s. It is not a turbo, nor is there anything sportier than a basic 850 wagon. Offer 1000 w/o timing belt done or 1300 with it done. Be patient because that's too much money for that many miles.

 

thanks for all the advice. i do feel like that's too many miles... i like it because it's a 5 speed and i don't like automatic transmissions. i don't see very many volvo wagons for sale with 5 speed transmissions. but i think i'll keep looking around.

 

In the USA you will not find a 850 turbo with a five speed unless somebody converted it or brought it in from another country. They did not import the Turbo with a five speed to the USA. I would much rather have a turbo automatic than a five speed non-turbo. Best alternative is to go 98 V70 T5 which did come with a five speed in the USA, commonly referred to as the T5M. My son has a 98 S70 T5M. Nice car.

 

You have a decision to make: What's more important; acceleration or transmission?

The 98-00 V70 T5M is a very desirable Volvo to have... and a very limited production one, too. Expect to spend a lot just to get one.

94-97 850 non-turbo, manual transmission models can be found for reasonable prices and in very good to excellent condition. Be willing to look outside your area for a good one. If you find one, drive it to make sure you aren't going to be dissapointed with the lack of acceleration.

As I recall, the automatic transmission in the 96-97 850 Turbo models performed very smoothly. And there is that acceleration difference!!!

Before making any decision about the one you found; take it to a good mechanic and get the car checked out. Take the owner's records with you for the mechanic to reference. If it proves to be in good shape, I'd consider buying it. For that price you could afford to gamble a little.

 

thanks again for the info. acceleration is really not a concern to me. what i'm looking for in a car, and in a volvo 850, is 1) lots of space mixed with decent fuel economy and 2) dependability. added bonuses are super comfortable seats and european design. if i want acceleration, i wait until summer and ride my motorbike. most cars can't really compare to that.

 

benny802 266K is a whole lot of miles. I do absolutely agree that volvos are "very" reliable cars, it's a major reason we own 4 of them. As an example.. I bought my 96 NA wagon with 136K on it for $3300(not a perfect car but clean interior and well taken care of, cloth seats, basic NA wagon) about 5 years ago. I drove it to 215K. I changed the timing belt and water pump only(myself ...no idlers, tensioners etc. say $150, did have to weld the exhaust and had free access to a lift and MIG welder). If you do the math it turns out to $0.0437 per mile + normal service). exceptional if you ask me.

If I were you I'd look for a lower mile car and pay a bit more for it. NA's are great if you don't like driving at 75MPH and want real power to pass. Turbo's can be nearly as good on gas if you don't put the pedal to the floor all the time.

So unless you want to do real serious rehab, I'd keep looking. They are out there it's just a matter of looking.

 

I purchased an 850 Sportswagon in 1995. New. From Volvo. I still own it? Yes, it is a Turbo, 5 spd. It is not an after market anything.
Why do know-it-alls rarely know anything? 850 SPORTSWAGONS do exist (perhaps not in the USA, but then there is an entire Planet outside of the USA.

 

I guess you would get tired of folks in the USA not understanding what is going on.

 

This thread is from 2010.

And

Carrots

Senior Member

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My 94 850 wgn has M56 and no turbo and 236K. doesnt burn any oil, compression not great. not very fast, mileage 28-29 on long highway trips. it will cruise at 75-80 without any problem. Ferrita stainless steel exhaust is at least 15 years old. i like it better than my 07 V50 T5 AWD M66.