1996 Volvo 850 Turbo 2.3 5 in-line watercooled turbocharged

Summary:

Performance sedan with boxy silhouette

Faults:

Central lock malfunction - lock or unlock the doors suddenly when the vehicle is in motion. But this does not happen when the vehicle is parked.

Background light for the on-board computer is out of order.

Annoying sounds from the console, cause unknown.

General Comments:

Volvo's brand value is low in Hong Kong. It is generally agreed that Volvo cars are "vehicles for aged/retired/outdated persons" due to their boxy design. Even in 2006, some people are still considering Volvo cars will encounter the problem of overheat!?

However, thanks for the existence of such school of thinking as I could buy my first Volvo 850 Turbo at a relatively low price (£821 or US$1474)!

From its outlook, no one in my place would think the car can go fast. People in my age range are addicted on fancy sport cars made in Asia countries. But the fact is that I always smoke away from those so-called sport sedans in the highway.

The engine picks up very well and its ability in sudden speed up most fascinates me. Not many cars can run away from my 850 in rolling start except those heavily modified monsters. I want to add that S70 T5 was used by the Police Force in Hong Kong as their spy cars for catching law breaking drivers on highway. This proves Volvo car is not a crap.

The cabin is roomy and the equipment is more than enough. It comes with TCS, ABS, dual-zone auto climate control, Supreme audio system with 8 speakers, AT with 3 driving modes (though Winter mode is not necessary in Hong Kong), all leather interior, dual powered front seats with 3 position memory for each of them, 4 air bags and SIPS chassis structure...wow, what do you expect? I believe a similar sized car with same equipment package by other car makers will cost much.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th August, 2006