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850 or 960?

1K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  gdill2 
#1 ·
I just wanted to ask what was better ( in terms of longevity, and engineering) a 850 or a 960. I had a 940se before and it gave me no grief at all, but i now have a 850 and it seems to always have something broken on it. my question is are the 960/s/v90's the same way? at a certain point (about 94) did volvo just loose it? i know that the 960s are based on the traditional volvo rear wheel drive, but what upgrads were made to it, and do any of these upgrades reduce its reliability?
 
#2 ·
Re: 850 or 960? (georock)

The 960 (I prefer the wagon) is the last RWD Volvo product and received many upgrades and improvements in its last few model years. Some folks like pre-'96 for more hp but the later cars have better low-end torque.

The 850 can be a good long-term car if all recalls, repairs and services are kept current. This is true of a Kia also. 850 parts are very $$$ in some areas like ABS and FWD components.

A one-owner 960/90 in perfect shape can be had cheap in the Dallas, Texas, market between $3,500 and $9,000. The 850 cars are ADAD as many owners have given up and sell just to be out of the problem cycle.

If you have snow/ice winters then the 960 will need four dedicated snows and can handle any situation just like the 850 with FWD including a "Winter" trans setting.

George Dill
 
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