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Volvo 850 Wagons

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#2 of 491 Just bought by FREDERICK May 24, 1999 (5:28 pm)
This weekend we bought a 96 850 Wagon with 34k miles from a So. Cal dealership. I've been a long time member of Edmunds Town Hall forums under the Hatchback Saab 9-3 title. I had to search quite a bit around the Edmunds forums to find the general information I was seeking about Volvo ownership expereinces before we bought one.   We shopped for a month in the Los Angeles area before we bought from a dealership in Orange County. I drove as far north as Ventura (1 1/2 hour) looking for quality used Volvos from dealerships. The day before we bought our car I even got a call from a San Diego dealership that had been alerted by an Los Angeles dealership that I was in the market looking for a specific wagon that they did not happen to have in stock. Our Volvo shopping experience in Los Angeles was generally been very positive. The only distastfull experince we had was at a dealership that also sold an American marque. Typical cheesy salesman sleeze! The farther North I went looking for Volvos outside of L.A. the smaller the dealerships got but their attitude was still very polite and the sales people maintained a no nonsense approach to showing and selling their cars. Our last car was a 1999 Saab 9-3 that we leased back in August. After seven months ownership I fell asleep at the wheeel and rolled this car out in the desert. I survived this crash with little more than some abrassions to my arm and a few stitches above my eye where I hit the open sunroof. We really liked the Saab but they no longer offered the same deal and the Vovlvo wagon was really our aspiration. We paid $20,500 plus tax & lisc. for our base 96 850 wagon with 34 k miles auto, cloth, pwr drivers seat, and premium wheels. They had a couple base sedans w/ loooooow mileage available that we could have gotten out the door for less than $20K but I wanted a wagon! Chase Manhattan provided financing on our car 7.35% w/ $2K down. We had a 720 credit rating. Replies to this message: boyatoo (Jul 18, 2006 2:34 pm) boyatoo (Jul 18, 2006 2:37 pm)
#3 of 491 basman by basman May 27, 1999 (11:51 am)
About the Volvo 850: please email me at: bdbergstrayahoo.com
#4 of 491 96 850 ESTATE by FREDERICK May 27, 1999 (5:49 pm)
I'm not aware of the "Estate" nomenclature on Volvos. If it is a base 850 w/ the 166 bhp engine I'd definitly recomend the stick. We own an auto and acceleration is a bit anemic and loud. Fuel economy is decent 20 MPG - 28 MPG but then I'm from the land of SUV's. $27,000 sounds "O.K." but I'm not privy to all the options on the car your talking about. If it is totally decked out with nearly everything your probably in the ball park on price. We live in a very large metropolitan area with more than half a dozen dealerships nearby. $27,000 on a decked out turbo w/ auto and low mileage would probably fly here in Los Angeles. Check Edmunds Used Car section to get a reasonable appraisal on the vehicle your considering.
#5 of 491 Basman by basman May 31, 1999 (9:56 am)
Thanks for your advise Frederick, I appreciate it. About the options, it indeed does have nearly everything so the offering price is competitive.   About the transmission, we do quite some commuting (traffic jams) so I think the automatic will be more convenient. Besides, the fuel economy you mentioned sounds fair enough. Does your car transmission have the option sport/economy and Winter? Is there much difference using one or the other in terms of performance and fuel economy? Thanks again.
#6 of 491 danf by danf Jun 07, 1999 (6:05 pm)
Hi! I'm going to get a `94 or `95 Volvo 850 Turbo wagon in about 6 to 9 months. I test drove the Audi A4, the Chrysler 300M, and the Saab 9-3. I loved the Volvo the most. The Saab was the closest competitor but it had too much turbo lag, though it was loads of fun on boost. The Audi's interior was too small for my height, and the 300M didn't seem very fast, even if it was. So...the Volvo wins. Anyway, I'm minorly concerned about having a car with a turbo. I would imagine Volvo has had the time to make a long-lasting turbo by now. Does anyone know how the 850 turbo holds up with 150k to 200k miles? A car under my care would have excellent maintenance. I would not be inclined to buy a car that generally needs a major service (turbo rebuild) at say every 100k miles. Thanks for any info someone might pass along!
#7 of 491 Chrysler 300M, Audi A4, and Saab 9-3 by FREDERICK Jun 09, 1999 (6:34 am)
Now here is a group of automobiles that is near a dear to my heart in one way or another, or maybe not. In August 14998 we leased a 9-3, our first Saab, and seven months later I totalled it in the California desert when I fell asleep at the wheel. The 9-3 (turbo equiped) had great accelleration and enourmous carrying capacity for a car of its size. I racked up one speeding ticket and was able to stuff increadible amounts into its cargo area. The car was not crisp though and it did not give the fit and finish sense I expected for a car at its price. The A4 is a very nice atractive, if not sensuos, car. Great exterior styling with a sumptious interior. The engine is anemic though its a V-6. After a five hour drive in the middle backseat of an A4 from Munich to Prague and back I very definitly catagorize the A4 as marginally a four adult hauler. The 300M looked very nice on the surface and was cosmetically a very attractive car. The engine was loud and unrefined at almost any speed. It had the typical American marque "you get what you pay for" feel to it and I personally believe not much of a contender. The Volvo base 850/V70 is a brick and its fels like one too. You get no where fast with this car. You do feel safe in this car and you always know just exactly what is going on between it and the road. The 850/V70 feel is a bit peculiar for the typical American but it does give you a strong sense of security. I've riden in /or extensivly driven the cars you've listed and for me most of them come close or exceed the Volvo in one or two areas but they don't over all make up for the safety, firmness, solidly built, or know depreciation of a used Volvo. Nice group of cars yes! But real long term contenders, no!
#8 of 491 jeffry by jeffry Jun 09, 1999 (5:32 pm)
Has anyone towed a light trailer w/ a Volvo-turbo?? They are supposed to pull 3300 lbs but I am not sure how well. I am considering a light travel trailer 1500-2000 lbs, a Casita or similar. I have an 850 Turbo and am considering the V70 T5-w/ my car the ground clearance would seem to preclude pulling anything as the front scrapes pulling into ANY driveway unless at an angle and slowly, so I am not sure how they consider it could pull anything. Any Feedback or experience is appreciated.
#9 of 491 Towing w/ a T5 by FREDERICK Jun 09, 1999 (7:27 pm)
Volvo offered a rear leveling suspension specifically for use in towing. Your T5 would have Volvo's sport suspension which when added with the lower profile tires you would inevetably be a very low slung automobile. The front scraping problem would most likely go away when pulling a trailer unless you have the rear leveling suspension. The weight on the rear lifts the front end naturally. Interesting note to the Volvo is that the head lights are easily re-adjusted for towing. There is a simple dial under the hood behind the head lights that will adjust your light quickly for towing. Your trailer is relatively lite but since you most likely you have the sport suspension you'll have to take it easy over any bump. I do not own a turbo version but I'm sure Volvo took into account the interest in towing when it built the turbos since the 162 bhp base engine really would be a dog under tow. Hope more enteries to your question will preceed since towing is a basic question to Volvo ownership especially in the wagon form. Best wishes for the family summer vacation!
#10 of 491 P.S. to Danf by FREDERICK Jun 09, 1999 (7:35 pm)
The Volvo wagons you're talking about are literal pocket rockets. They'll smoke the tires off most regular sedans in the market and haul all the stuff home too. The "R" version of these wagons is a serious contender. These cars were designed to be as solid as a brick but get up an hustle with any sedan that cared to try. The wagons look better than the sedan too!

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