Volvo 850 Saloon (1992 - 1997) 2.3 T5 S Turbo 4d (1996/N) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

What people think of my car is of little concern to me, but most people liked it I reckon.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Family hated it simply because of the hassle that I had with it. Friends loved it because it was uber fast in a straight line.

Would you buy this car again and why?

For sure, but I'd make sure I have £1000 over the budget for the car this time in case something does go wrong.

What are you likely to buy next?

I've sold it and replaced it with two cars. A track-spec Rover 216 GSI for going quickly (where safe and legal to do so, of course) and another Volvo 850 2.0 Auto for cruising up and down the motorway in.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Independent

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£1,500

When did you buy the car?

November 2007

Did you get a good deal and why?

Nope. I got a shockingly bad deal, it was a bad'ne dressed up as good'ne and it didn't take long for things to start going wrong.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

I'd already had an 850 2.0 Auto and wanted to upgrade to a T-5.

What was the dealer like?

He seems like quite a nice bloke actually.

What's it like to drive?

Before it broke and after I'd fixed it, it was great. Effortless performance on the motorway although a bit brutal in first and second.

What's it like to park?

Easy peasy, although with the heavy clutch on the manual gearbox there was a tiny bit more to think about than my old auto.

Have you had any problems with the car?

Yup. Cylinder head gasket, turbo, gearbox, ABS, brake servo, PAS pump.

What's most practical about your car?

It had a big boot and plenty of rear legroom.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

The Premium Sound System was quite impressive for a 12 year old car.