Sometimes sarcastic bloke with almost 5 kids, not a lot of time and now a TV in the bedroom too. Ea...
Sometimes sarcastic bloke with almost 5 kids, not a lot of time and now a TV in the bedroom too. Easy going likes good stuff that works and classic stuff from my childhood(s).
Member since:14.01.2007
Reviews:3
THE GOOD BITS
The performance is quick and if you bear in mind it's a big heavy car it's quite surprising. The four wheel drive system is good, pulling out in damp or wet conditions is surprisingly quick and safe. Cornering in the wet is probably the most surprising yet. With it being a big heavy car you would expect it at the first sign of water to be a bit slippery whilst cornering. Nope not my 850 maybe its the 4wd maybe its the 850 in general but it seems to grip and grip. The abs works as abs should, and stops the car effortlessly.
The interior is half leather and there are signs of wear on the drivers seat, the usual wear on the gear stick , pedals and steering wheel. All the electric windows work, the electric sunroof does now i greased the runners.
THE BAD BITS
The stereo, double din radio cassette (double width). Finding a double din cd player is going to cost me about £100.
The heated seats do not work, but I haven't checked the fuse yet. The rear door panel rattles and is loose, a common fault due to age I believe, although there is a repair kit on a well known auction site for approxiamately £10 so it isn't going to break the bank.
This car will comfortably seat 4 adults, 2 smaller children and a toddler on the arm rest booster seat. The only concern I had was a rear end crash with the kids in the boot, I assume that Volvo wouldn't have allowed the seats to be there without stringent testing first.
THE COSTS OF OWNERSHIP
As I said I have recently had some work done to it, which may seem expensive but in my mind isn't bad and I'll explain why.
Two front tyres were low, new ones fitted balanced. £70 the pair.
Car was stuttering when driving and squealing when pressing the clutch.
New clutch plate, pressure plate, release bearing and slave cylinder. Cost £335 fitted in about 5 hours.
Clutch didn't seem like it was going but the bearing was making an annoying noise. Turns out the clutch was low, the pressure plate wasn't applying pressure, the bearing was shattered and the slave cylinder was leaking. So for 3 months it has been faulty.
New spark plugs and ignition leads. £20.50 for the plugs and £89 for the leads. Volvo parts I might add. If I could have afforded the time to wait for the local parts place then it may have been cheaper.
Distributor cap and Rotor Arm £20 and £12 respectively. The rotor arm in mine had shattered, according to a mechanic friend and the bloke at Volvo 2 days later, it shouldn't have even been running. Yet it drove me home at around the speed limit.
So far it has cost me approx £494 in repairs, there is still a few niggely faults the main one being the rear panel which I will get done sooner rather than later as it's annoying. After paying only £570 anyway its still a bargain, as I shouldn't have to change the clutch again for a long time.
THE VERDICT
The car is amazing, 21 years old and still feels like new. Full service history, well maintained and an absolute pleasure to drive. It makes you feel safer and more relaxed. You can get an astonishing amount of junk in the boot, and when you put the seats down, it can be a bed.
From the owners crash stories on the internet (search Volvo Forums) I don't think I will be venturing far from a Volvo anymore.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Saloon - Front (FWD) - 6 Speed - (Man) / 6 Speed Geartronic - (Auto) - 2401 cc - Max Speed: 143 mph - 185 bhp - Diesel - Available Trims: S, SE, SE Lux, SE Sport, Sport
Estate - Front (FWD) - 6 Speed - (Man) / 6 Speed Geartronic - (Auto) - 2401 cc - Max Speed: 140 mph - 185 bhp - Diesel - Available Trims: R-DESIGN, R-DESIGN Premium, SE, SE Lux, SE Lux Premium, SE Premium, S, Sport
Advantages: You can burn off a Porsche 911, or load it up for a summer camping trip, either way a very useable car! Disadvantages: Some problems on some models are possible, eg Turbocharger can suffer from severe driving.
andy5000 15.07.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Volvo 850
Advantages: You can burn off a Porsche 911, or load it up for a summer camping trip, either way a very useable car! Disadvantages: Some problems on some models are possible, eg Turbocharger can suffer from severe driving.
andy5000 15.07.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Volvo 850
Advantages: Reliable, cheap on fuel and great fun with the carrying capacity of a removal van! Disadvantages: None, except perhaps getting a little old in the tooth!
Bigbadbob 23.10.2002 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Volvo850 TDI
very helpful by (100%):
