Volvo 850 owners

[tzijlstra 11]

Hi all,

 

Before moving to the UK we used to drive a Volvo 850 estate, marvelous car and had we stayed in the Netherlands we would have kept it. Due to the practicalities of having a left hand drive we decided to sell it.

 

Now some 7 years later I will be looking for a car to replace my run-about and I am wondering if an 850 is feasible. There are still some nice examples for sale and I am fortunate in having a mechanics branch in the family with experience of Volvos so I would be able to get it checked through proper before buying.

 

I am however worried about a few things, I know that the engines have largely been 'upgraded' over recent years(we had a 2.3 5 cylinder, that would be my preferred engine) and as such it might become more and more difficult to run it (maintenance/parts) over the coming years.

 

I do intend to drive it as my main vehicle, probably well over 10K miles a year which is a major factor in my consideration.

 

Is there anybody here who still owns one and could they share their experiences with me? For example where do you get it services, what things should I look out for in particular?

[auzilink28 10]

On 02/07/2013 at 14:26, tzijlstra said:

Hi all,

 

Before moving to the UK we used to drive a Volvo 850 estate, marvelous car and had we stayed in the Netherlands we would have kept it. Due to the practicalities of having a left hand drive we decided to sell it.

 

Now some 7 years later I will be looking for a car to replace my run-about and I am wondering if an 850 is feasible. There are still some nice examples for sale and I am fortunate in having a mechanics branch in the family with experience of Volvos so I would be able to get it checked through proper before buying.

 

I am however worried about a few things, I know that the engines have largely been 'upgraded' over recent years(we had a 2.3 5 cylinder, that would be my preferred engine) and as such it might become more and more difficult to run it (maintenance/parts) over the coming years.

 

I do intend to drive it as my main vehicle, probably well over 10K miles a year which is a major factor in my consideration.

 

Is there anybody here who still owns one and could they share their experiences with me? For example where do you get it services, what things should I look out for in particular?

One of the most reliable cars ever built...

You would be hard pressed to find a better "old" car

My son has a 26 year old 850 estate and it still drives like new.

I have the upgraded model an S70 saloon and that too has prooved to be an exelent car which is now 22 years old.

Best wishes. Ray.

[tzijlstra 11]

4 hours ago, auzilink28 said:

One of the most reliable cars ever built...

You would be hard pressed to find a better "old" car

My son has a 26 year old 850 estate and it still drives like new.

I have the upgraded model an S70 saloon and that too has prooved to be an exelent car which is now 22 years old.

Best wishes. Ray.

Bit of a blast from the past! Thanks for reminding me We did end up sending the car back to the Netherlands. Now an S60/V70 family.