1997 Volvo 850 SE review from Sweden

The thing that makes the door stay open (don´t know what it is called) does not work on the drivers side.

The drivers seat is a little worn.

Minor scratches.

I bought the 850 for two reasons. First of all it was in nearly mint condition, fabulous blue metallic paint work, fresh interior and seemed to had been properly maintained. I just could not say no to a car in that condition for the price.

The second reason is that Volvo is swedish, I live in Sweden and it is a very popular car, spare parts are easy to find and not that expensive, lots of mechanics know how to fix it etc.

Engine

Mine has the 5 cylinder, 2.5 litre, 10 valve petrol version, non-turbo and 144 HP. I read some articles and reviews about that engine model and some people say it is pretty slow off the line and needs to be reved to really wake up. Compared to other cars of similiar size with similar power the Volvo is not that slow. But going slow on low RPMs maybe isn't the best. My old 1988 Mercedes W124 acted better when you go slow, let´s say in the city.

The first thing I did was to change the stock air filter to a K&N filter that fits into the filter box. I noticed a small, but yet good effect. The car responds slightly better when you accelerate. We talk minor changes here, no sport car capabilities, but still worth the money. Recommended! 0-100kmh goes just below 10 seconds.

There are tuning chips available, but you just gain about 15 HP. I don´t find that necessary for the moment.

The engine runs smooth and when you stop at the red lights you can hardly notice it is running.

The 5 cylinders is a bit thirsty. 0,9 litre/10km.

Transmission

The 5 speed manual transmission is good and easy to drive. Nothing to complain about here.

Suspension

is very firm and makes the ride a little harsh on bad roads. On the other hand the handling is sporty and tight. Turning ratio is fantastic. I think the 850 is good on the high way, but not that heavy and stable like an old Mercedes :).

Comfort

Comfort is great. Wonderful front seats. Mine are manually adjusted, but I have no problems with my back even after very long trips. The interior is roomy even for the passengers in the back seat. One thing that bugs me is that you can´t adjust the neck rests. The rear sight could be better. The trunk is huge and you can open a hatch in the middle of the rear seat or take down the whole left rear seat.

Noise

The engine noise is not that bad (that 5 cylinder sounds sweet anyway). But road noise can be worse, particularly on swedish roads that are really bad. Wind noise is not disturbing like the 740/940/960.

Interior/Instruments

The interior is fresh, but a little dull. No wooden panels, just blue and black plastics. Nothing fancy, but solid quality. I like the instrumentation, easy to read and adjust. The SE edition has semi leather seats, electric windows and mirrors. No A/C in my car, but what the heck, I live in Sweden :).

Looks

I think you can either love or hate the boxy design of the Volvos. I think the 850 and 960 are the best looking ones. I don´t like curved soft lines on the recent models.

I got mine with original 15" rims and rear spoiler with brake lights.

Conclusion

+ Looks, ride comfort, handling, performance, low noise, big trunk, easy to find spare parts and service garages.

- Thirst, rear sight, boring interior, road handling at high speeds.