1995 Volvo 850 T5 GLE review from UK and Ireland

Driver door stay rusted (fixed by removing it - not the door - the stay).

Suspension knocking on rear drivers side. Volvo replacement part was £125.00, now good as new.

Heated seats not functioning (Apparently not a bad thing as they like to overheat).

Seat leather cracked (like that when purchased due to some numpty using leather paint).

Air con has failed, but it just may need gassing up (not that much of an issue if you live North of Watford).

Nothing mechanical has failed over the 5 years I have owned this high mileage car.

The most comfortable car I have ever driven, and all who use it agree. I recently drove 900 miles over 2 days in a 2008 top spec Audi A6 Avant. No matter which way I adjusted the seat, I could not get comfortable and had to stop constantly to ease the numb feeling in my backside. My passenger also experienced the same problem and my dog was sick in the back.

Two weeks later did the same 900 mile trip in 16 hours in my 14 year old Volvo T5... total comfort...I rest my case. Oh! and the dog wasn't sick either. The interior layout, driving position, seating all combine to reduce driver fatigue.

I know I'm labouring the point here, but these seats have done 160k and are still superbly comfortable.

Very, fast for a family car (130mph - 0-60 around or just under 7 seconds when new) and still going strong after 160k.

Described in the motoring press shortly after it's release as a 'hooligan in a suit' My advice is to only turn off the traction control if you have waterproof seat covers.

The handling inspires confidence and steering is very precise without being 'twitchy' with excellent brakes. Apologies to Ladies generally, but even my wife who normally bases her like or dislike of a car entirely on the colour says it's lovely to drive and will use it in preference to our other car mentioned above.

This T5 has a factory upgraded sound system, which has a six CD thingy and sounds better than the one in our other the top spec... blah... blah... get the picture.

It has character in the way it sits on the roadside, the way it drives and even the 'feel' of the interior decor. All done with a degree of subtlety you wouldn't expect from a Volvo. Unlike our other... fill in the gaps you know where I'm coming from if you've got this far.

OK, so it hasn't got a metal wheel in the middle of the dashboard which you can use to conjure up a million different combinations of useless information on a huge LCD display like our other car previously mentioned etc... but I find the quaint if somewhat old fashioned use of knobs and dials on the Volvo dashboard more efficient and a lot safer.

Economy is not normally a word used in the same sentence as 'petrol engined Volvo estate' (unless you're American) However, considering its two and half grand price tag in 2003, minimal service and maintenance costs... so far. The facility to swallow wardrobes, large dogs, numerous children. Its ability to embarrass motorway fastlane tailgaters - you know who you are... blackberry, matching cuff-links, unsuitable sunglasses, jacket in the back window, on the phone at 110+mph - I'd say overall it is economical except... when you put petrol in it... 28mpg overall, not bad really.

The T5 is not perfect (read...character enhancing virtues)

Volvo's attempt to tame the 225 bhp of the 5 cylinder 2.3 litre engine is traction control and huge springs with uprated shocks on each corner.

Under normal use the T/C is more than adequate, but can be overcome when driven hard (but that's a good thing isn't it?).

The suspension is not subtle, and the ride can feel quite firm in town and on bumpy roads, but it has a habit of coming up with the goodies when needed, and keeps all four wheels firmly planted.

Most drivers will run out of bottle long before the T5 gives up its grip on the road.

Crude compared with EBD, ESC, EBA, ASC, ABC, ACC ASC, etc. But a tenth of the price of our other blah... blah.

Driver, passenger and side airbags. Side impact protection system (SIPS) - which I believe is the reinforcement of door panels - and all the usual Volvo stuff goes to inspire more confidence in this 14 year old car.

If (IF) anything does go wrong it's worth spending the time and money on repairs as you know that a Volvo has the build quality - if cared for - to run (reliably) for a long time.

Spares, both Volvo and aftermarket, are readily available, and there is a thriving secondhand parts industry.

So if you need a fast car with a lot of room, and you've reached that time in life when comfort is starting to move further up your list of daily requirements, but you still feel the need to put your hat on backwards and bust a few moves occasionally, this is the motor for you.

There are plenty of good 850's around for sensible prices (UK). A good one is easy to find because they start off better than most in the first place, and are generally owned by conscientious mild mannered intelligent drivers like myself (boring old farts to the under 30's).

Obviously the usual car buying rules apply when looking for one, but as I say it should be quite easy to find a good'un.

Good luck, and thanks for reading this waffle.