Should I buy this 850R?
 

-204K
-original owner - did some work himself - records for everything else
-fair/good interior
-good exterior

He wants $3700 for it

I'm definitely concerned about the 200K, but is this a good price for a car with that many miles? Thoughts? I've never owned an "R" before...

RE: Should I buy this 850R?
 

Have you gone to KBB and check what that used car usually goes for with that criteria? If not do it.

RE: Should I buy this 850R?
 

i bought mine for $3500...with a newer engine installed nonturbo though =(

RE: Should I buy this 850R?
 

His is an R he is looking into so his is going to cost more even with the high mileage.

RE: Should I buy this 850R?
 

No. I would NEVER ever pay that much money for a 200k mile car.

RE: Should I buy this 850R?
 

I would.

I looked it up on KBB and he has it priced about $1,000 under it's value if it's in "good" condition. In excellent condition it would be worth a little over $5,000. There is one on autotrader.com for $4900 with 124K on it. It's in Oklahoma though. I would have the car checked out by a certified Volvo mechanic. He/she will know exactly what to look for on these cars. The R's are getting harder and harder to find. Most of us who have them now know what we got and are not getting rid of them.

RE: Should I buy this 850R?
 

R or no R, we're talking about 200k miles here. It's a 11 year old car minimum and at 200k, parts are going to start wearing out.

RE: Should I buy this 850R?
 

Mine is actually at 187k miles and I picked it up for just over $3k. Well taken care of wagon with all records since new. In checking KBB and NADA I think I picked up a pretty good deal.

RE: Should I buy this 850R?
 

Thanks for the advice! I think I am going to get it checked out by a volvo guy here. Are there some some obvious warning signs I should look for right off-the-bat though (other than normal car buying stuff)?

RE: Should I buy this 850R?
 

Check the stickies. There is a very good thread to read.

RE: Should I buy this 850R?
 

I drove that car tonight. The front suspension made a tapping/knocking sound at times. The owner said that he didn't remember ever having any suspension repair/replacement done.... He didn't seem to recall many repairs other than radiator and turbo over the years that he's owned it. I think I'm going to pass on this one. He didn't seem like much of a "Volvo guy".

Thanks again for the help. My search for an 850R continues....

RE: Should I buy this 850R?
 

If you are having a guy who knows Volvos he should know what to look for. Like RedTurbo said thereare plenty threads here about what to look for.

Hopefully the guy will find very little wrong with the car, but there are defiinitely going to be some things wrong with a car that age with that many miles. If he does not find anything major, like the Rear Main seal or a bad Tranny, use the information he provides to barter down the price. If he is asking $3700, chances are he will take less.

Good luck.

RE: Should I buy this 850R?
 

If you can do some repairs on your own, 850s are great cars. If not, the repair could be a bit of headache as they are accumulating mileage & age and in such case I would go for some newer models such as S/V70 or even newer.

https://volvoforums.com/m_48928/tm.htm

Twoof the important things to test are the engine & tranny. The engines on 850s, at idle,should be as silky-smooth & quiet as a Lexus, and the tranny should shift smoothly. If either is in questionable condition,leave it.

Other parts are usually consumables such as fluids, belts (the timing belt & its pulleys & tensioner MUST be replaced at every 70,000 miles or 5 years), suspension, brakes, etc... Whatever model you decide, make sure to test drive & have it inspected by a reputable, ASE-Certified Master technician specialising in Volvos.

Good luck to you,


JPN

RE: Should I buy this 850R?
 

A "gut feel" that you should not buy a car to me is reason enough to not buy it.