Volvo 850 - TDI: Any comments on that ?

Hi

I am planing to buy a replacement for my 16 yrs. old Audi 100.
Since I have 3 children it will have to be a large car.
And since I live in Denmark where the car taxes are extreemly high (180 % on
top of the cars price) it will have to be an used one.

I have been giving the Volvo 850 some thougt. I don't know the car, but
everything I have read about it points in the right direction (except for
the price).

In Denmark the seems to be only a few with the TDI-engine so I was wondering
if there's any of you who could tell me something about it.

economy ?
is the engine (140 HP) strong enough ?
does the engine have a long life ?

and so on

thanks in advance

Knud

 

The 850 series are generally a sound second hand buy and the VW Audi engined
TDI is a good choice. These cars will run to a high mileage but some of the
850s are quite old now and you will need to be careful what you buy, being
particularly careful to verify such items as mileage and service history.

 

I have a 1999 V70 2.5TDi - which is the later version of the 850 Estate Car
(Wagon). The diesel engine is very responsive, and performance is good. I
frequently tow a caravan weighing nearly 1000Kg with no problems whatsoever.

As regards economy, the overall fuel consumption of my car is around 40
statute (UK) miles per imperial (UK) gallon (not to be confused with US
miles per US gallon!). [You may have to convert this into the units (litres
per 100Km, or whatever) in use in Denmark]. Consumption is not affected all
that much by journey type - slightly more economical on a long journey
compared with around town - but not dramatically so.

I would recommend buying an estate car (wagon) as opposed to a saloon
(sedan). It is a much more useful vehicle for family use and, in my opinion,
looks much better. [Volvo never quite worked out what to do with the back
end of their saloon cars - although the S60 and S80 are slightly better than
the S70/850].

 

Hi,

I have a 1996 855 TDI, currently just over 80,000 miles.
Terrific to drive, and very comfortable.
Ideal for wife, 2 kids and luggage etc.
Economy - I get 40 - 44 mpg on a long motorway run, speed 80 mph
Around town and short runs only 34 - 36 mpg
I recommend changing the water pump next time you change the timing belt
(80K mile service) - I have just had a nasty experience - my water pump
failed just after the service - required new cylinder head, crank,
valves etc.

Other than that, I love my car.

AB