They lost me when the company who prioritized safety throughout its life decided that putting everything on one shitty touchscreen Ala Tesla was a good idea. They can't design a good infotainment system for crap!
@fernandorocha-dx1wv I have fond memories of the V70 and later the XC70s we used to drive. It's just a shame those cars were always so fuel inefficient. It's part of the reason we stopped driving them.
Always been a massive fan of these cars, ever since 1992, when i first saw and heard it on tv, the sound of that 5 cylinder engine, is just heaven on earth, it will always be my favorite Volvo engine, very reliable and sounded awesome, even with stock exhaust, not many standard family cars like this can pull off that feat :)
The 850 has an excellent reputation. The engine and automatic transmission were bulletproof. Definitely one of the most dependable cars made in the last 30yrs. The interior was supremely comfortable. You don't know vehicle comfort until you drive an 80s/90s Volvo. They felt heavy, substantial, and solid. Like driving a bank vault down the road. I briefly owned a 1994 850 Turbo sedan. Bright red exterior with a black leather interior and a rear spoiler. The 2.3L 5cyl Turbo had 222hp, which was a lot for the time, and boy did it scoot! The first time I romped on the throttle it actually smoked the tires in 2nd gear on dry pavement. I wasn't expecting that.
I owned a '94 GLT sedan (bought when it came off lease two years later) and it had the leather seats and manual transmission. Only about 1 in 20 were sold that way, according to my dealer. I have to say that car was the best one I have ever owned. Sure, some people lust after super cars or flashy sports cars but I just wanted a simple, elegant, comfortable car with a hint of sportiness about it that wouldn't break the bank. The 850 delivered that and more, and was part of our family for almost 15 years. I parted ways with it after more than 250,000 miles, some things were starting to go wrong (like expensive climate control fixes, hard to find trim was peeling, etc.) and I needed something more reliable given the car's age. In some ways, it's still a decision I regret, the Volvo was that good of a car that I miss it all these years later. How can this video be more than 30 years old??
The built in child seat brings back memories. We had a Subaru from about this time that had one as well. If you only had one kid that needed a seat, at the right age, it was a great space saver.
I absolutely LOVE these years of Volvo. Gorgeous cars! I drove an S90 in dark teal. I was 17. This was back in the late 90's. Then the XC90 came out and I've been hooked. This has been a staple in my 4 car rotation since its introduction early 2000's.
@The1stRealVRope, the S90 has been out since 1997. Volvo named the 960 , S90 for my 97-98. But the name was to collaborate with the S70, S40. The S90 name was short lived; soon to be replaced by the S80.
I currently live in Connecticut, and my neighbor has the same exact one!! He's had it since brand new back in 1997, and he still drives it to this day!!
My roommate when I moved to Vail had one of those and other roommate had a Saab 9’3 turbo. I had an Audi 100cs. We all had FWD euro vehicles with good snowtires and none of us EVER got stuck in the snow. The three of us moved to Driggs Idaho where we were contracted by “grand Targhee” to build the ski area an employee/guest transportation system for the winter of 07/08. We had 555” of snow that winter and none of us EVER got stuck in the snow. Man those were the days. All had different euro cars, none were “fast”, but all performed perfectly in the worst snow possible. PS, I was ALWAYS jealous of the 5cyl engine sounds that the Volvo made…so much so that my next car was a 1995.5 fully RS2’s Audi URS6….unfortunately I rolled it down a 75ft embankment during a blizzard in 2009. RIP, I’d still have it to this day.
I grew up w a couple of Volvos. Not sure where the reliable image came from. They “felt” solid, but no where as reliable as a Toyota. And they’re not cheap to fix
@@Wasabi9111 interesting, my parents still have their 2003 Volvo XC70 nearing 300k mi. Yet my 2002 Toyota Highlander Limited was fairly problematic and I couldn’t wait to get rid of it. Will never own another Toyota.
@@dontelindsey5846 I know, my brother has a 2015 Camry XSE and the speakers have blown and the infotainment went black. Only 120k mi. Toyota isn’t what they used to be. If we’re going new, give me a Mazda!
A number of my friends had this in their households, growing up! I REALLY admired this car, and it got me thinking about what car I wanted when I got my license! I now have a 2021 Volvo V60 Cross Country!
I was in this exact same MY, same color and type of Volvo in 1998 when I was nearly killed by a t-bone collision with a pickup truck much taller than the Volvo. I survived but with several broken bones, couldn't walk for three months. I'm sure that if I wasn't in that Volvo I would be dead.
My 1994 850 5-speed is by FAR the best car that I have ever owned. I've been driving Volvo"s since I was a teenager. I currently own 4 of them. None of them have ever been as bulletproof as this car. At 300,000 miles, the engine is not even in need of anything major. It had it's original clutch until 200,000 miles, still shifted perfectly. I only replaced it because the mechanic was replacing the rear main seal, so we figured might as well give her a new clutch since we had it open.....
An epic Car in it's own right and it has a cool factor of the scale... I drove this car for 1600 Kilometers with only 2 stops for fuel from Holland to the South of France and you still feel totally relaxed because it was just one of the most comfortable cars ever build.. This was the first Volvo that basically overshadowed Audi, Mercedes and BMW and everyone knew. It's building quality surpassed all the German cars. And the engine, that 5 cylinder vroom roar sound was unmatched.
I remember the first time I saw this car in real. It was early 1993 at Kobenhagen airport, exhibited in the passenger's lounge , the exact same colour . It was really an attarctive modern Volvo by those days standards
From the UK, I loved my 2.0 20V SE 850 it never let me down as with all the Volvo's I've had. You didn't mention that the front passenger seat also folds down allowing extra cargo room. The trouble with the 2.0 20V engine is that it needed thrashing to get anywhere, the 2.5 10V in the phase 2 850 was a much better everyday engine in the 850.
I had one of these. It was a fantastic car. Mine was also turquoise - I'm convinced that 90% of the 1993 models sold in North America were this colour.
This car was a game changer for Volvo. It was in development since the late 1970s and the money invested in research and development was huge for Swedish industry. They also raced the wagon version of the 850 and it was very competitive.
My 6th grade teacher had a 1993 Volvo 850 GLT in the indigo blue with the lace style wheels back in 2006. She sold her Volvo for a new Toyota Corolla LE with the 5speed manual.
I had the wagon version. Very comfortable. It had its quirks. It ate tires and seemed to always need brake work even though I didn’t drive it hard. I still miss the seats.
You know it's a good car when the lack of voltmeter and oil pressure gauge make it to the list of misses. I had a couple of Volvo sedan Hot Wheels as a kid, and I looked forward to one day putting on a suit and driving to work in my classy, boxy sedan. (Yes, I was an incredibly boring child.)
Remember the Phil Donahue show in 1980s,ad for Volvo sedan drives head 1st off a 3 story parking garage ,very impressive ad for a decade...other car companies had no guts for same ads, Volvo sedan ad shocked auto world 1980s🧱🧱
The T5 version of this was (actually, still is) a very cool and desirable car. And one that would run to spaceship milage if looked after. They might not have been truly sporty but they were certainly rapid and second only to Mercedes and possibly Lexus for sheer durability. You certainly can't buy a car like this today!
All the comments about this car not being reliable as a Toyota or Honda are wrong these cars can go for 300,000 miles no problems at all more solid better build than any Japanese brand
The first car of its size to have a passenger airbag standard in 1992. Too bad one of the first well known deaths happened a few months later in one of these.
The only problem this car has is the 5 cylinder engine. I will never ever consider any vehicle with an engine with an odd number of cylinders. And I do mean never!
I grew up (and growing old) with MotorWeek. Before the internet, I’d base all my new car purchases on the reviews. Still watching the new episodes.
I haven't on the second episode of the first series while channel flipping one Saturday afternoon. I have been watching MotorWeek since.
This car and its wagon variant are bulletproof. I still occasionally see these cars on the freeway to this day, and they still look good.
I had my 98 wagon up until last year
im 27, driving my 1996 850 GLE and loving every moment of it, father is a Volvo freak!
@@howmuchdoesitcost69I sure am, son.
I see them regularly where I live, and them having 300k miles on the clock is anything but unusual
Terrific car, brought Volvo right into the modern era. I miss those analog gauges and simple climate controls.
They lost me when the company who prioritized safety throughout its life decided that putting everything on one shitty touchscreen Ala Tesla was a good idea. They can't design a good infotainment system for crap!
@@MaGiKRat420The Volvo 850 sedan and 850 wagons is best cars of Volvo from 1990s
@fernandorocha-dx1wv I have fond memories of the V70 and later the XC70s we used to drive. It's just a shame those cars were always so fuel inefficient. It's part of the reason we stopped driving them.
Why not get one again!? They still work great I daily a 366k mile 850 had it 8 years has been on a tow truck once!
@@98lincolnmarkviii Finding a good used one would be hard, the owners keep them forever - with good reason!
I have owned the 850 T5-R and 850R and they were rocketships. I wish I hadn't sold them.
I have that same 5 cylinder in my '01 V70, great engine. Wish they still made 5s great sound and decent power.
Always been a massive fan of these cars, ever since 1992, when i first saw and heard it on tv, the sound of that 5 cylinder engine, is just heaven on earth, it will always be my favorite Volvo engine, very reliable and sounded awesome, even with stock exhaust, not many standard family cars like this can pull off that feat :)
Absolutely loved that car in the 90s
Same here! I have a 15 year old XC-70 and am going to drive it as long as possible. I'm not much of a fan of new cars with all the digital gadgets.
@@civlyzed agreed 👍
I love Volvo classic cars
The 850 has an excellent reputation. The engine and automatic transmission were bulletproof. Definitely one of the most dependable cars made in the last 30yrs. The interior was supremely comfortable. You don't know vehicle comfort until you drive an 80s/90s Volvo. They felt heavy, substantial, and solid. Like driving a bank vault down the road. I briefly owned a 1994 850 Turbo sedan. Bright red exterior with a black leather interior and a rear spoiler. The 2.3L 5cyl Turbo had 222hp, which was a lot for the time, and boy did it scoot! The first time I romped on the throttle it actually smoked the tires in 2nd gear on dry pavement. I wasn't expecting that.
I owned a '94 GLT sedan (bought when it came off lease two years later) and it had the leather seats and manual transmission. Only about 1 in 20 were sold that way, according to my dealer. I have to say that car was the best one I have ever owned. Sure, some people lust after super cars or flashy sports cars but I just wanted a simple, elegant, comfortable car with a hint of sportiness about it that wouldn't break the bank. The 850 delivered that and more, and was part of our family for almost 15 years. I parted ways with it after more than 250,000 miles, some things were starting to go wrong (like expensive climate control fixes, hard to find trim was peeling, etc.) and I needed something more reliable given the car's age. In some ways, it's still a decision I regret, the Volvo was that good of a car that I miss it all these years later.
How can this video be more than 30 years old??
The red one in “Mrs.Doubtfire”. 😍
It was the spiciest thing in Miranda’s life!
Still own my 96' 5-speed wagon, love these cars!
You sir, drive a unicorn!
For curiosity’s sake, was your car purchased in Canada?
@@a.person7825 Nah it's spent it's whole life here in utah
The built in child seat brings back memories. We had a Subaru from about this time that had one as well. If you only had one kid that needed a seat, at the right age, it was a great space saver.
I love how John always emphasizes the lack of oil pressure gauge.
The oil pressure gauge gives him a sense of well being
I absolutely LOVE these years of Volvo. Gorgeous cars! I drove an S90 in dark teal. I was 17. This was back in the late 90's. Then the XC90 came out and I've been hooked. This has been a staple in my 4 car rotation since its introduction early 2000's.
@The1stRealVRope, the S90 has been out since 1997. Volvo named the 960 , S90 for my 97-98. But the name was to collaborate with the S70, S40. The S90 name was short lived; soon to be replaced by the S80.
Classic Volvo styling. Still looks good and I still see them on the road.
When Volvos were still awesome and indestructible..
I currently live in Connecticut, and my neighbor has the same exact one!! He's had it since brand new back in 1997, and he still drives it to this day!!
One of the 90' best looking Volvo
I convince two neighbors to purchase this Volvo, and they both love them.
John Davis is an absolute legend
Still a good looking car 30 years later.
Oh I loved this car. August 1994 issue of C@D with the 850 Turbo was one of my favorite issues bc of how much I loved the 850.
My roommate when I moved to Vail had one of those and other roommate had a Saab 9’3 turbo. I had an Audi 100cs. We all had FWD euro vehicles with good snowtires and none of us EVER got stuck in the snow. The three of us moved to Driggs Idaho where we were contracted by “grand Targhee” to build the ski area an employee/guest transportation system for the winter of 07/08. We had 555” of snow that winter and none of us EVER got stuck in the snow. Man those were the days. All had different euro cars, none were “fast”, but all performed perfectly in the worst snow possible. PS, I was ALWAYS jealous of the 5cyl engine sounds that the Volvo made…so much so that my next car was a 1995.5 fully RS2’s Audi URS6….unfortunately I rolled it down a 75ft embankment during a blizzard in 2009. RIP, I’d still have it to this day.
It was either this,
or the German offerings from the old continent.
But there was also the '93 Honda Legend, which was definitely a legend!
The last unkillable Volvo
I grew up w a couple of Volvos. Not sure where the reliable image came from. They “felt” solid, but no where as reliable as a Toyota. And they’re not cheap to fix
Ive killed 6 of these
@@Wasabi9111 interesting, my parents still have their 2003 Volvo XC70 nearing 300k mi. Yet my 2002 Toyota Highlander Limited was fairly problematic and I couldn’t wait to get rid of it. Will never own another Toyota.
@@DoSum4Me people have more problems with Toyota than they admit.
@@dontelindsey5846 I know, my brother has a 2015 Camry XSE and the speakers have blown and the infotainment went black. Only 120k mi. Toyota isn’t what they used to be. If we’re going new, give me a Mazda!
3:29 John: BUT THERE IS NO OIL PRESSURE GAUGE GAUGE OR VOLTMETER! LOL
A number of my friends had this in their households, growing up! I REALLY admired this car, and it got me thinking about what car I wanted when I got my license! I now have a 2021 Volvo V60 Cross Country!
I was in this exact same MY, same color and type of Volvo in 1998 when I was nearly killed by a t-bone collision with a pickup truck much taller than the Volvo. I survived but with several broken bones, couldn't walk for three months. I'm sure that if I wasn't in that Volvo I would be dead.
Legendary Volvo safety.
I remember when Wheel of Fortune had offered Volvo 850s along with other Volvos as a bonus round prize back in the day.
Probably my favorite Volvo sedan ever!
One of the best cars ever made
My 1994 850 5-speed is by FAR the best car that I have ever owned. I've been driving Volvo"s since I was a teenager. I currently own 4 of them.
None of them have ever been as bulletproof as this car.
At 300,000 miles, the engine is not even in need of anything major. It had it's original clutch until 200,000 miles, still shifted perfectly. I only replaced it because the mechanic was replacing the rear main seal, so we figured might as well give her a new clutch since we had it open.....
One of the best engineered cars I’ve ever owned
An epic Car in it's own right and it has a cool factor of the scale...
I drove this car for 1600 Kilometers with only 2 stops for fuel from Holland to the South of France and you still feel totally relaxed because it was just one of the most comfortable cars ever build..
This was the first Volvo that basically overshadowed Audi, Mercedes and BMW and everyone knew. It's building quality surpassed all the German cars.
And the engine, that 5 cylinder vroom roar sound was unmatched.
I love the certain features and design choices that you can only find on Swedish cars.
What a machine... 29/30 yo, but still superb machine. Volvo built the same head-rests in these last 30 years.
As they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
1992 isn't 29 years ago...
Miranda drives a red one of these in the movie ‘Mrs. Doubtfire.’
I remember the first time I saw this car in real. It was early 1993 at Kobenhagen airport, exhibited in the passenger's lounge , the exact same colour . It was really an attarctive modern Volvo by those days standards
From the UK, I loved my 2.0 20V SE 850 it never let me down as with all the Volvo's I've had.
You didn't mention that the front passenger seat also folds down allowing extra cargo room.
The trouble with the 2.0 20V engine is that it needed thrashing to get anywhere, the 2.5 10V in the phase 2 850 was a much better everyday engine in the 850.
I have a 98 V70 5spd love it
I had one of these. It was a fantastic car. Mine was also turquoise - I'm convinced that 90% of the 1993 models sold in North America were this colour.
I had a 98 V70XC which is similar to this and I miss it
I wanted my first car to be a Volvo 240 but unfortunately I couldn't get it when I did drive it I loved it it felt so solid
This car was a game changer for Volvo. It was in development since the late 1970s and the money invested in research and development was huge for Swedish industry. They also raced the wagon version of the 850 and it was very competitive.
My 6th grade teacher had a 1993 Volvo 850 GLT in the indigo blue with the lace style wheels back in 2006. She sold her Volvo for a new Toyota Corolla LE with the 5speed manual.
Volvo mechanics $$$ we knew ours very well. He knew our 264 GLE very well.
I had the wagon version. Very comfortable. It had its quirks. It ate tires and seemed to always need brake work even though I didn’t drive it hard. I still miss the seats.
I love how he's like "This is a new Volvo." I guess that means it's a slightly less bricky brick.
1:22 Anyone remember when cars were repairable and serviceable by shadetree mechanics? I miss those days.
Always loved these, though the blocky shaped was mocked by many automobile journalists, it still proved “hip to be square”
I own t5r wagon, beautiful car!
You know it's a good car when the lack of voltmeter and oil pressure gauge make it to the list of misses. I had a couple of Volvo sedan Hot Wheels as a kid, and I looked forward to one day putting on a suit and driving to work in my classy, boxy sedan. (Yes, I was an incredibly boring child.)
You sound like me as a child. lol
@@palebeachbum Me too!
I just added Mr.Wendell to my spotify hours before watching this video
This car in 1996 in Puerto Rico was selling new for almost 50 thousand dollars ! All Volvos in P.R. were expensive ...
Remember the Phil Donahue show in 1980s,ad for Volvo sedan drives head 1st off a 3 story parking garage ,very impressive ad for a decade...other car companies had no guts for same ads, Volvo sedan ad shocked auto world 1980s🧱🧱
I miss mine often...
De beste Volvo ooit ontworpen en gebouwd
Wow, I actually know the song that was playing on the radio. 😂
Ooooh. Blue Green Metallic- BGM.
The Best Volvo 850
My old boss had a '98 with a spoiler...I think I liked it more than he did lol
Thanks
The T5 version of this was (actually, still is) a very cool and desirable car. And one that would run to spaceship milage if looked after. They might not have been truly sporty but they were certainly rapid and second only to Mercedes and possibly Lexus for sheer durability. You certainly can't buy a car like this today!
Great car
3:53..”Mr. Wendell”
Wow I remember these cars when working at hertz in 1993 when Volvo wasn’t Chinese owned
All the comments about this car not being reliable as a Toyota or Honda are wrong these cars can go for 300,000 miles no problems at all more solid better build than any Japanese brand
I. Love. Volvos.
I still daily drive my 97 850R turbo.
I have a 1998 Volvo s70 glt with 148,000 miles on it, I don't drive it much it drives and rides like new. It's garage kept.
Hmm. I never noticed how much they resemble the 700/900 series. I always thought they were totally different. Just somewhat different
The first car of its size to have a passenger airbag standard in 1992. Too bad one of the first well known deaths happened a few months later in one of these.
the wagon is better
Ahhh the elusive volt meter and battery gauge
Hatch's new car - Hideaway 1995.
I would rather have the previous generation. But I'd still take it over any garbage crossover
What drivel. Must be on drugs, as this is the first generation in 1992.
Wow, Volvo was selling this car and the 240 in 1993.
No disappointment this time, John Davis complaining about the absence of a Voltmeter and an Oil pressure gauge ☺️.
44000 USD basic, test car 26500 USD. SMT went wrong
I think it's a shame volvo went to front wheel drive. Great car nonetheless
Much of this car is General Motors, correct?
I loved the 444 and 544 styling and bulletproof reputation...and 122s look fresh all over again.
Nothing to do with GM. This is all Volvo.
No, that was SAAB that GM ruined. Thankfully they had nothing to do with Volvo.
God these cars are so sezy
Power of a 4, mileage of a 6!
8.5 seconds for the time was pretty similar to most v6s of the time outside of Japanese cars. Not sure what you're talking about
Not at all. 168hp from a 2.4L 5cyl and 0-60 in 8.5 sec were very respectable numbers for the time.
Volvos were never known for fantastic mpg. They were average for their segment. The tradeoff was superb safety as they a tank
The only problem this car has is the 5 cylinder engine. I will never ever consider any vehicle with an engine with an odd number of cylinders. And I do mean never!
The OM617 and OM602 would like to talk with you
@@Marklin15 I'm not changing my mind on this. No one can make me. I have decided that and it will never change. Ever.
@@johnnymason2460 What's wrong with an odd-numbered cylinder engine? Do you think they are inherently bad?
Best car!!!!!!!!