Ok, been skimming through the forum and other websites doing research on these cars. In the next couple of months I will be looking to pick up a car that I can use to haul stuff from home depot (buying a house) and drive daily with good gas mileage (and pay cash for, don't need another car payment). I have always liked the looks of the 850 wagon. My soon to be wife will need to be able to drive it, and she has some kind of phobia against driving standards. I am leaning toward a base model or GLT simply for the mileage.

So I have a couple of questions. I will probably be looking to get an auto, and due to the age, will more than likely have 100k+ miles on it. Any worry on the auto transmission holding up? Obviously, would be changing the fluid/filter as it needs it, but do they need rebuilds every "X" number of miles on average? Coming from mostly VW products, I know the auto's in mid 90's Passats are hit and miss, but usually won't last much over 100k without a rebuild. From what I have seen, it appears that the tranny's are pretty well built.

For a GLT/base model, non-turbo, EPA mileage is listed at 20/29, what is typical of the car in actuality? I found some info in the search, but it was all for the turbo models.

I see the stickies at the top of the forum, which seem like they are common problems, is there anything else I should watch out for while looking for one?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Seth

 

The tranny's are pretty much Hit and miss on these to.
No specific milage.
The sticky's pretty much cover most of the common things. The others get asked every so often

There is almost no problem we can't help get fixed.

 

Thanks for the reply. From what I have seen, it seems as if there are less problems than a similar year Passat (lots of electrical gremlins in them, on top of transmissions and other stuff). I have no problem working on the car myself if needed, and it will be our 3rd car, so that should not be a problem.

I will probably start looking early July, once we are settled down in the new house and stuff. Hopefully I can find a lower mileage one, but we will see. Just wanted to see what I was getting into, if I end up with the Volvo.