1997 Volvo 850 Review
Fuel Economy
19 - 21 mpg
Consumer Ratings & Reviews
Great Car
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 10 | Fun-to-Drive: | 9 | Build Quality: | 9 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 8 | Reliability: | 9 |
| Fuel Economy: | 6 | Exterior Design: | 9 | ||
Vehicle
1997 Volvo 850 4 Dr T-5 Turbo Wagon
Review
I have owned this car for 12 years and it has been fun to drive gets good gas mileage and is very fast. The seats are fantastic and the stereo is very good. I have had one incident and that is the ABS light comes on. The first time it happened was in the first year of ownership and no cost to me (dealer cost $1000). It occurred again this year and I found a guy on the internet who fixed it for $50. I love this car. Find a good Volvo mechanic and save yourself a lot of money
Favorite Features
The seats and the turbo. Paint still looks like new..I use Zaino Bros products. If well maintained will last forever.
Suggested Improvements
Cup-holders could be better. Ergonomics take some getting use to but you will adapt.
proud to own
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 8 | Fun-to-Drive: | 9 | Build Quality: | 8 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 7 | Reliability: | 8 |
| Fuel Economy: | 8 | Exterior Design: | 7 | ||
Vehicle
1997 Volvo 850 4 Dr T-5 Turbo Sedan
Review
My 1997 850 T5 has been a reliable and fun drive, providing good power and handling. Heading past 200K miles, it has had no extreme engine problems and has performed beyond my expectations. The 5 cylinder provides adequate power and a reliable 25 mpg, glad I found it.
Favorite Features
Suggested Improvements
cold air intake or exhaust($$$)
Beware of hidden problems
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 6 | Fun-to-Drive: | 6 | Build Quality: | 6 |
| Comfort: | 6 | Interior Design: | 6 | Reliability: | 3 |
| Fuel Economy: | 5 | Exterior Design: | 6 | ||
Vehicle
1997 Volvo 850 4 Dr GLT Turbo Sedan
Review
Bought a Volvo that looked clean in terms of cosmetics - body, seats, etc but let the dealer talk me out of getting an independent inspection. Bad mistake. Heater core was later found to be leaking inside the car, radiator had small leak and after a few miles water hose to cool turbo split open. $1,200 later I learned my lesson. Labor is expensive on these cars and parts are too. Pay the $75 bucks for an inspection and be prepared to walk away from your dream car.
Favorite Features
Love turbo power for getting on freeway onramp.
Suggested Improvements
Better intrior leather quality.
Nearly 12 yrs old, and still pretty nice
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 7 | Fun-to-Drive: | 7 | Build Quality: | 8 |
| Comfort: | 8 | Interior Design: | 7 | Reliability: | 6 |
| Fuel Economy: | 5 | Exterior Design: | 4 | ||
Vehicle
1997 Volvo 850 4 Dr GLT Turbo Sedan
Review
Nice car for casual driving. Turbo gives some oomph, but responds better to steady application of throttle than stomping on pedal. Decent torque at low RPM makes it adept at city driving - even in hills. Nice leather interior, except for odd control layout. Has held up well, over time. No major problems with rattles, except sometimes from sunroof. Handling is not great. In spite of repair shop insisting suspension components were in good shape, I found cornering far worse than newer, sporty European sedans (including newer Volvos). Interestingly, car isn't as heavy as you'd think. Bought in 2000 w/ 50k miles. Now, at 185k, still surprisingly nice. But then I stayed up-to-date on service!
Favorite Features
Spacious trunk & decent size back seat are nice. Turbo is fun. Comfortable seats. Some plastic has chipped or cracked, but leather interior holding up well. Note: don't know about the first owner, but I have no kids and 99% of my driving is by myself. Stereo is pretty good, especially speakers.
Suggested Improvements
Road feel seems good, but cornering could be much better. Suspension doesn't damp bumps as well as it could. Some sticky drinks eventually dripped into front seat window controls (right beneath cup holders!). They no longer work well and I don't lower front-right out of fear of up switch failure!
Love It but Hate Repair Costs
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 8 | Fun-to-Drive: | 9 | Build Quality: | 4 |
| Comfort: | 8 | Interior Design: | 8 | Reliability: | 2 |
| Fuel Economy: | 9 | Exterior Design: | 7 | ||
Vehicle
1997 Volvo 850 4 Dr GLT Turbo Sedan
Review
Bought this car new. This is the car of choice to drive for all members of my family. It is great on long trips and carries a ton of luggage. Good fuel economy. Comfortable and safe. I would love another just like it but with fewer expensive repair bills. The standard bill is around $700 and have had a couple of $1200 ones. The A/C bit me for $1200. Struts are a weakpoint in this car. Cooling system was a source of a lot of repairs. Still, even with 153k+ miles on it, I hate to give it up. Have to pick it up at repair shop with $1200 of brakes, struts, timing belt, etc, for this year's (I hope) maint.
Favorite Features
A pleasure to drive on trips. Many safety features. Good gas mileage.
Suggested Improvements
Improve quality: A/C, struts, cooling system, cup holders, even sun visor, radio all broke during ownership. The 850 GLT is no 240 DL believe me! I have owned both and Volvo quality has slipped.
3 out 4 people found this review helpful
View Pricing for Other Years
- 1997 Volvo 850
- 1996 Volvo 850
- 1995 Volvo 850
- 1994 Volvo 850
- 1993 Volvo 850
Research the 1997 Volvo 850
Buying & Selling
Vehicle Details
Multimedia
Ratings & Reviews
- Model Review
- Road Test Ratings
- Road Test Reviews
- Consumer Reviews
- Awards History
- Reliability
- Consumer Discussions
Payment Calculators
Helpful Tools
