The Car That Changed Volvo FOREVER - Volvo 850R

The 1995 Volvo T5, T5R and 850R were revolutionary, they were the company's first cars that were good to drive and changed the image of Volvo forever. A fantastic turbocharged 5 cylinder engine with 250hp, passive rear steer and a more modern look made this the best Volvo yet.
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[@MS-yy2dh]

I have owned my 850 for 30 years. The reason I was attracted to Volvos was for the reliability and durability. My first Volvo was a 1981 244, in which I covered more than 300k miles. It is so easy to forget how all the competition was rusting away back then.

[@peteglanton9259]

Do you still drive it on salted roads in winter? How’s it holding up rust wise? Would you get it undersealed or is the factory rust protection still working?

[@MS-yy2dh]

@@peteglanton9259 Yes, I drive it in all weathers. I'm on 220k miles now. My experience is that these 850s don't tend to rust. The only areas where I've had any rust have been the right front wing, which I replaced (fairly easy job, just bolts on) and the rear wheel arches, behind the plastic liners. I'm going to inspect that this summer and treat as needed.

[@Dan23_7]

30 years ??!!!!! Blimey mate you must love it. Good on you 👍🏼

[@miljororforsprakpartiet290]

850s/early s/v70s have awesome rust protection. This can't be said about 2 Series though

[@beatglauser9444]

@@MS-yy2dh mine never showed any sign of rust. It was thanks to electronic nonsense I had to get rid of it.

[@drumtum]

That glorious 5 cylinder sound is classic.

[@henrikcarlsen1881]

...and he didn't mention that by a word. KZbinr error.

[@zensamui2409]

Especially when you lifted the foot of the throttle . Blub, blub, blub

[@onecookieboy]

Back when I was still working as a mechanic (1990's) I used to drive a pair of 850T's that we serviced regularly and I always thought that they were a nice, comfortable and refined car, certainly a cut above the Holden, Nissan, Mazda and even Alfa's that came through our doors most of the time. They were practical cars as well, built in kids booster seats and a 3rd row in the estate/wagon and plenty of room inside. The star of the show was undoubtedly the engine, that 5 cylinder offbeat sound made it addictive to drive and they had good torque and power even if they weren't the fastest car ever. In short, I liked them.

[@KarlHamilton]

In 1995 the 850 won 4 races and was pole positon 13 times, a record at the time. Not bad at all.

[@christian-van-e]

It was not (quote) “horrible at racing”

[@lennyvalentinoSchiaretti_lvs]

Exactly, it was relatively successful!!!

[@esolthailand7439]

@@christian-van-ewas going to say the same thing, unless there’s been a huge Mandela effect at work here!

[@duncanhamilton5841]

@@christian-van-e and '95 was peak BTCC - everyone and their dog was out there, with the best tin top drivers - BMW, Alfa, Vauxhall, Ford, Renault, Audi, Volvo, Toyota. Even finishing in those days was a massive achievement

[@alfm388]

Although in saloon form

[@Jeffrey_M]

A common misconception is that the Touring car was a turbo. It was a tuned normally aspirated 2 litre which used very clever rule bending engineering by TWR in its cylinder head design. The cable throttle of these can go stiff with age. A squirt of penetrating fluid on the cable solves the problem.

[@trevorockwell8764]

Thanks Jack. Great review, I enjoyed watching it. I have a new throttle cable that I had made that I plan to fit. Loved doing the drive-by shots. A pleasure to meet you.

[@davesmith60]

Thanks for sharing it with us all Trevor.

[@flavioc5389]

Beautiful car! A couple of questions: what’s the brands of the diff and the suspension?? Thanks

[@trevorockwell8764]

@@flavioc5389BC Racing BR coilovers and Gripper LSD.

[@trevorockwell8764]

I’ve changed the throttle cable today for one that I had custom made as RHD ones are NLA. It is so much better now. 😊

[@martinda7446]

Beautiful car. Loved seeing it here and Jack is about as old Top Gear as it gets. Very, very good. Apart from him missing praise on the five pot sound. I run a modernish Volvo V50.

[@ScrewwyLouie]

Can you somehow help me source one for mine🤣🤦🏻‍♂️ im in uk

[@markbray2988]

As a Volvo for life guy for over 40 years, it's brilliant to see you feature one of the icon's of modern automotive history Jack, thank you 👏🏻 I still miss my T5M to this day.

[@TheGreatDotfish]

Nice to see an 850 review, I had the T5 variant and throttle was not at all heavy. I suspect this needs a new cable. This example also needs some suspension fettling as I've not seen one bounce and look quite so jittery. Even with upgraded suspension and springs. I'm surprised the engine hardly got mentioned, the glorious 5 cylinder sound is one of the key things that makes a T5 special.

[@sailingspark9748]

I had a standard 850, the sound that came out of that I5 was sonorous. As it climbed the rev band it culminated in a wonderful howl at full tilt.

[@aussiebloke609]

I suspect the suspension "upgrades" have been overdone. over-stiff springs, and especially too-stiff dampers will make just about any car bounce. It's harder than most people give credit to engineer a setup that actually works on a broken surface.

[@trevorockwell8764]

It has BC Racing BR coilovers with 6kg.mm springs.

[@nuttycommuter3718]

I had a 850 T-5 (which I would argue is the car that changed Volvo forever, rather than the R) and the noise was mind-blowing. When I first picked it up from the garage, I got it warmed up, put some go faster petrol in and found somewhere to accelerate. Put my foot down and thought, yes this is good and then it hit 4k rpm and everything went blurry and the noise filled my head. It was intoxicating. I’m a die-hard SAAB fan but I miss that noise. The 900 T16s sounds good, but no other Saab comes anywhere near sounding as good as the T-5.

[@taxus750]

@@aussiebloke609 My thoughts too - a sports-y set-up with a bit of give would've been how Volvo set these up, not crashy.

[@Birmingham_racing]

The Volvo that made me love Volvo and will never get bored of that 5 cylinder sound

[@honda4185]

Rickard Rydell and his 850 is still magic and was awsome to look at on tv.!!!👌

[@glenhowell3420]

I had an 850R many years ago and I absolutely loved it! The throttle was fine on our one. It was certainly the fastest way to get your fishing gear to the lake !

[@artmccartan4911]

Having owned a 95 Gul yellow T5R and a black 96 850R this was a welcome video. Both cars were the 854's and my only regret is not owning a wagon. Currently own a 2020 S60 T6 R design/polestar but would buy an updated version of the 850R in a heartbeat

[@andrewpreston4127]

Thank you. Love that dashboard, and the 5-cylinder sound.

[@Floorguy1000]

Very nice review video! I owned a 1995 850 T5R. Had very young kids at the time and the car had an integrated child seat in the middle of the second row....was absolutely great. I also had as an option two rear facing jump seats that were put to good use. Car was very quick, and I just loved the tubo lag when I put my foot down at around 40mph....actually pushed me back into my seat. The car was very practical as the back seats folded forward completely flat giving you a huge area for cargo.....flat folding was something the much more expensive Audi Estate did not do. I will also say I had a poster of the racing Estates in my garage.

[@alaricbragg7843]

Thank you for this video! Great historical and racing footage! Not a strong seller in New Zealand but local motoring journalists regarded the 850 well.

[@AVM-Music]

Lifelong Volvo fan, so it’s pleasing to see the 850R Older Volvos were awesome Gotta get myself back into a 240

[@damianfuller74]

That engine sound! Delicious 5 cylinderness! Lovely cars. Cracking results in racing. Cheers

[@guldtegel]

Love the 850, I’ve known my 850 wagon since 1995 and I still have it! It’s a great car that saved the brand indeed 💪 🇸🇪 I really enjoyed watching this so thanks so much!! -Tim G 🇺🇸

[@razvanlupu7507]

Hi there.Nice video.I used to have a 850 GL sedan,which was a 2.3cc,aspired engine,two camshaft,5 cylinder 144hp,automatic,a pleasure to drive.And the "sport" button did work,made all the difference.

[@lil4bugsy]

Ive got a t5 s60 - same engine, love it. KZbin videos sound compilations were a key factor in my decision - and btcc

[@paulfixdivcars5614]

I really enjoy your channel 👍 In 1996 I bought a T5R , green, black inside and automatic. It was very fast even fully loaded with dog I passed many BMW’s 😊. It was indeed a bit bumpy on the B roads. Sold it in 1998 😬

[@markchip1]

I went from a 960 3 litre to a T5 (dogs & windsurfing) and I loved it! Never had any issue with the throttle pedal and it was an absolute blast, routinely showing up many a sports car - even when toting all the windsurfing gear!

[@James-ld2jc]

I really appreciate these videos Jack. Volvo 850 is another car I like...

[@gkjsooley]

Thank you for this!

[@mehrzahl2219]

I can recommend the 850 and the first gen X70. I have owned an 850, V70 T5 and now a C70 T5. So much fun driving these, nothing like the modern disconnected driving experience. Easy to maintain, maybe a bit heavy on fuel but hey - no depreciation! Get one before they really get expensive or just disappear.

[@Oldsmobile69]

It's funny how Volvo handling just plummetted after that and hasn't really recovered.

[@Weazelmania]

The bubble has already burst on P80s, especially 850Rs. They're not going back up in price any time soon.

[@sebastiend.5335]

Favourited police car in Dutch police. Epic machine! Greetings from the Netherlands

[@JoeAchilles1]

Ohh yes, would love one of these one day 🙌 Great video buddy 🎬

[@Number27]

Thanks dude!!

[@dusandestanovic5884]

Thank you for this review.

[@busybee3141]

Love the sound of those 5 cylinders!

[@richardprice7763]

I only had a lowly 2.5 20 valve but that engine had a lovely sound especially when you lifted off the gas....

[@gonncalomariamonteiro4176]

Had one of those, ten years ago...regret selling it ever since. Not at all a B-Road special, more like an autobahn family rapid cruiser. Although it was never the fastest wagon out of the mark, from 3rd upwards, on full boost, man that thing could go ! Mine was manual and in 4th it reached 200kph...and then there was 5th... Drunkard on petrol, but that 5cyl growl still resonates in my memory as one of the best sounds produced by mankind. Nice review, pitty about the weather and location...on fast sweepers it would probably changed your mind. One last thing: Volvo's first FWD were the 400 series ! Try a 480turbo if you have the chance. Cheers

[@paullondon5332]

I had one as a company car for a while and it was mad! Best thing most other drivers just weren’t expecting it

[@vilhelmiina.]

When i got my license i bought myself the cheapest, closest car i could find that was a 98 S70.. that started my journey to volvos and 6 years of owning an R i am still loving the car. Most people i meet and speak to don't see what i see in the car they only see the kms/miles it has done and the age of it, but for me it brings enjoyment and gives me hell of a grin when they realize its not a boring slow volvo.

[@jackburtonstwin]

The volvo five-banger has a lovely off-beat sound when you put your foot through the throttle. Sounds far more sporty that it has any right to and, according to a guy I knew who developed race and marine applications of these 2.5 engines, they could handle some serious power with just off the shelf upgrades and insane power if they were seriously worked over.

[@rubyremi3832]

Couldn’t find a decent t5 r so just purchased a p80 v70r AWD , no regrets

[@VinDieselS70]

Thank you for the video and finally an 850 👍🏼 Now the first front wheel drive Volvo was the 400 series introduced with the 480 which was introduced in 1986. When it comes to the 850R, TWR was involved working on the engine but initially, the 5 cylinder engine is derived from straight 6 which was introduced with the 960, was indeed designed and developed with the help of Porsche including the exhaust to get the right sound from it. The TRACS, traction and stability control on original cars only works up to 40kph or 25 mph and works really well. All Volvos pedals are stiffer compared to other cars so that's something one gets used to. The T-Red as it was called in Sweden, was sold with the light wood interior as standard but you could also choose other interior options. The suspension had softer springs as standard but stiffer shock absorbers as the previous 850T-5R had even stiffer springs so Volvo made the R model more comfortable 😅

[@malcolmlane-ley2044]

I had a V70 T5 new in 1998, the plus points... so comfortable, so fast, so delightful aurally, so practical. The bad points? it (me) shredded front tyres at 10k miles, it was very frightening if the turbo boost cut in when you were going round a roundabout in the wet and finally, all my colleagues wanted to keep borrowing it.

[@diegaulle9143]

This is the one that I was waiting for!

[@michaelpegasiou4531]

I had an s60 t5 manual saloon,throttle pedal was soft as anything and gear lever was the aluminium ball type had a lovely action to it.

[@johnireland1629]

I remember those well. Paul Newman had a Volvo wagon but with a big V8 shoved in it. It must have been a rear wheel drive model. Wasn't sure if it was the sun in your eyes or something about this car...but you usually are smiling more on these drives. A fun video. Thank you.

[@mjohns5944]

I will always remember my 850. Great car. Well built. Never a moments problem. I then went on to a V70 T5 then later had the new V60 T5 and now on a XC60 T8 polestar engineered. None of them sounded like the old 5 cyl engine.

[@antn8387]

I bought a clean title 850R Saloon in rough shape, but I knew she was a gem. I put some work into the 850R and it's been a really nice project car.

[@martinereeves]

Re your comment about throttle, ours did 223000 miles before selling it, no problems with the throttle being stiff, you were correct about the brakes upgrade, it certainly needed it. Ours was top of the spec range and had everything on it, nothing ever needed fixing. The only bill apart from normal servicing that I carried out myself was the air conditioning clutch. My wife however broke the roll torsion bar, evidently the only one broken in the UK..! Overall an amazing car well done Volvo!

[@kennykarlsson6691]

This car is still relevant today. One of few cars that couldnt flip over. Great looking aswell. ❤

[@ernestomorales2487]

Best Volvo ever! And that 5 cylinder sound!

[@chefluvfood]

Simply iconic a car it's generation,still as handsome as when it first showcased 👌❤👍

[@deadkemper]

❤ there is a guy in Norwich driving one of these with the Omega livery !!!....legend

[@dantheman7357]

Hi Jack, very nice car. It reminds me of the Volvo Wagon that actor Paul Newman had built with a V/8 engine in it. He loved it and he suggested that they should build one for his friend David Letterman who is a big fan of all cars. Dave ordered one and he really loved that car. I always thought that a Volvo Wagon with V/8 would make a wonderful performance car that was also practical and comfortable. I really wanted to get one built for myself but the Children wanted clothes and shoes and groceries and my Wife needed copious amounts of BonBons and shoes to fill her closets just in case she needed some for special events etc. so there was no money left over for my cars and necessities like V/8 conversions. I still want one, thanks for the great review.

[@cruachan1191]

Remember seeing one of these on Wheeler Dealers and Ant Anstead raving about it as he'd driven the police version a lot in his days with the TFU.

[@IMTHEBIGGESTCUNT]

A friends Dad had a N-reg in Green, black leather. Brand new at the time! We all loved it!

[@housey4297]

Now THIS is a cool car. My dad had the saloon 850T back in the day. Comfiest seats ever and lovely sound. We both took the yellow 850R out for a run when that arrived and that, back then, was seriously rapid for the time.

[@Number27]

Yep, serious mid range grunt!!

[@psykoklown874]

I've always wanted, but could never afford one of these. There's just something really sexy about the 850 wagon that Volvo lost after this generation.

[@333mystic]

We had the 850 T5 and then the C70 T5 and both did over 150,000 faultlessly in 3 years each. Such a joy to own and drive

[@benmarshall787]

Great video again as always. The 850 "Terminator" is one of my 90s favourites, and yes you're right it changed Volvo's 'boring' image forever. The T5 started the now ubiquitous badging , T6 then onto the diesel phenomenon D5. I have to say as a younger lad other than the T5 I wouldn't have looked at a Volvo, impressions were also gained (warning dad/,kid story coming). My dad bought a brand new 343GL in mint green, the car was finished superbly , had some great features but alas was a bit boring, despite the various parts in it. Renault 1.4 engine ok, alot of weight to lob about mind, and as I recall had a lovely stubby short throw 5 speed gearbox. You might say it ticked all the boxes. However in the winter of 1982, the Volvo despite it's "Swedishness" had all the grip of a jelly. To my delight SVH14X was traded in for ........our first family foray into the Ford stable!(sunburst red XR3i, A602HCX) Back to the 850, it really did well, the hotter versions had all the pukka options including as in your example Ash wood dash inserts and big wheels. They are capable of massive mileages and I think I'm correct in saying the Diesel versions used Audi powerplants. The final endorsement is of course West Yorkshire Police had Saloon T5s AND estate versions. As an aside to this , 30 years on to today, we have a fleet of 9 litre Volvo single decker buses at our depot, they have clocked up 750000 miles, and I can testify they pull like a train, I'm very jealous of the truckers with 700bhp plus to drive! Great video, lovely example of an R , but looks too low and feels it as you said. Just one observation, stiff throttle? Press harder Jack 😂!!!! Best wishes, and Seasons Greetings, Ben ☃️🇸🇪🧑‍🎄🦃🚌🚍

[@bartzijp8159]

I own the successor of this car, a 1999 V70 R AWD. Beautiful car, remapped to 300 bhp and fun to drive. ❤

[@v8will]

I never owned an R but had a couple of T5's years ago. Throttle wasn't heavy on them. Serious appetite for front tyres though, especially with a Rica remap.

[@bobphillips2188]

I LOVE the sound of that 5 pot unit! Even my 16 year old diesel 5 banger sounds good when pushed, but the petrol jobbie sounds wonderful. I'd love a late model 850, but the fuel consumption of the petrol units was dire. And the 5 pot diesel was the VAG unit, and it was trouble waiting to happen, in terms of durability and reliability. I'll keep my late Mk 2/2006/7 D5 though, 50+ mpg and an unburstable motor that'll do, maybe 3-400K before a rebuild (read scrapyard). But so good to hear that R5 growl, thanks.

[@jnijborg]

Great roar, this 5 cyl! 😍

[@theguycalledgerald]

Really loved them in the pale yellow and the dark green metallic

[@IanSixbikes-by6ei]

Great to see you reviewing an 850 R , I owned a T5 & a T5R , loved them both , they were proper Q Cars (wolfs in sheep clothing) as for the throttle and suspensopn, I don't remember either of my cars having stiff throttles and unforgiving suspension, as far I can recall both cars were easy to drive very quickly , they handled beautifully for an estate car and most of all they both put a smile on my face every time I drove them, I can only assume the 850R you tested was a little tired.

[@trevorockwell8764]

It has BC racing BR coilovers. I wouldn’t say it was tired though, I’ve done an awful amount of work on it. Every service item has been replaced and more. I need to drive another manual to see if the throttle pedal feels the same. I have got another throttle cable but it has been like that 3 years.

[@sam85f]

Great video thanks! I owned one, I don’t remember the throttle being stiff. Mine was a US spec (they only sold them as sedans here with autos only) otherwise I believe they were the same. I do remember it having an old school laggy turbo, and a very primitive traction control. To answer your question I think the manual said something about the traction control working at low speed. I think it might have been meant for snow? Maybe it was just a locking diff. I can’t remember but it certainly isn’t like modern ESC, or even first generations of ESC. Regardless, it was a lot of fun. Wish I still had it. Go Swed Speed 🇸🇪 🫎!

[@MGman100]

I'd love one of these cars. Years ago I had an 850 AWD which didn't have as much horsepower and ran a low pressure turbo but that 5 cylinder engine sounded fantastic. A pity it turned out to be a lemon! I remember going to see the Touring Cars at Brands Hatch with Tim Harvey and Rickard Rydell driving for Volvo. Fantastic!

[@EuropaSman]

I always associate Rickard Rydell with the Volvo in BTCC. It was around 1994, when the estate was being raced, that I really got into following touring cars. A great era of tin top racing.

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

that boxy body shape! Reminds me very much of my dad's old '03-08 model of Honda Accord Tourer with the 2L petrol engine and flat back instead of the protruding _'shooting brake'_ style boot. He loved the Honda but it wasnt ULEZ compliant so it unfortunately got sold as scrap. I still remember reading the brochure of it in the car one day and Honda was calling the body shape the *"Aero Wedge"* . I dont think Honda do many estates in the UK now. There is a Civic Estate but there isnt an Accord Tourer/estate.

[@danielmoberg4758]

Had a black 850R manual wagon 1997 a couple of years ago. It was a dream car for me and it did not let me down meeting my hero. I think it also had a remap and it had 3 inch downpipe.The car was the most happy when passing cars going 50mph from 3 gear it pulled hard and there was many modern cars that this sleeper just walked away from. The car was sold to a nice guy but he lost control of it and it burnt to the ground. He got away without injuries so i guess volvo safety worked.

[@brianchan9931]

The Traction Control works by applying brakes individually to the front wheels to limit wheel spinning, which would have worked very well in conjunction with the factory fitted LSD to the manual 850Rs.

[@theoriginalmattman]

The '97 850R, was the best car, I've ever owned.

[@DoubleDeckerAnton]

I've owned my 940 2.3LPT for 16 years and its a beautiful drive, even though its heavy. Volvo's have a quality feel about them and the 850 T5, T5R and R were game changers for Volvo.

[@guygrenke266]

I had the immediate successor to the 850R the V70R. Throttle was smooth and progressive

[@davidbrear8642]

The strength of 850s is legendary. There's a video somewhere on KZbin of a French guy in a scrap yard driving an 850 estate staight into the back of a Peugeot hatchback. The Peugeot is flattened, but the Volvo looks fine. The guy goes on to smash the 850 into several other vehicles. I think he even rolls it using a ramp. No matter what he does to it, the 850 holds its shape and still drives.

[@gazzafloss]

A bit like the Top Gear Toyota Hilux then...😮

[@davidbrear8642]

@@gazzafloss I've just found the video (titled: 'volvo 850 crash test'), but I remembered wrong. It seems to be Russian, not French. However, the guy is using mostly old French hatchbacks as the targets for the 850. He slams into a Citroen at what looks like 50+ MPH. The Citroen folds up like a cardboard box.

[@gazzafloss]

@@davidbrear8642 I remember years back watching a KZbin vid of some guy running a Volvo engine flat out throttle wedged full open and feeding beach sand into the air induction tract and oil filler. The old Volvo, (4 cyl 244), just kept on revving until it ground to a halt a fair bit later. I feel a lot of "mechanical empathy" so I really dislike seeing people treating any vehicle this way, or purposely crashing them, but older Volvo's were notoriously tough cars.

[@davidbrear8642]

@@gazzafloss We bought an 850 tdi estate around 20 years ago, to be used as part of a pony club business. It was is time warp condition, even though it had 240 000 kms on the clock. The 850 is still going strong today, and looks quite smart, with around double that. Regularly serviced by ourselves and a friendly neighbour who is a mechanic, it has only ever broken down once - when a guide pulley on the accessory belt seized. Everything still works, except the heated seats. Along with the original engine and gear box, as far as I know, it retains its original: alternator, air conditioning compressor, exhaust, clutch, etc.

[@Inspireforchange]

I miss my 850t5 estate very much…best car I’ve had and I work in the motor trade! ❤

[@martinlagrange8821]

My late father explained its use in racing, in terms of a huge aerodynamic advantage - a perfect long body and roof leading in turn with a near-perfect Kamm-tail to produce a very low Cd without needing much in the way of spoilers etc. However, I also remember the Alfa Romeo 155Ti racers with the same enthusiasm as I do the racing stationwagons...

[@neilturner6749]

I’m afraid your father was recounting an urban myth and not the facts. TWR dumped the wagon for racing as soon as Volvos marketing department let them, and then enjoyed much more success racing the saloon versions in subsequent seasons. AutoSoort magazine articles at the time mirrored Jacks version in that the aerodynamic advantage was tiny, not huge (and it was straight-line speed not downforce, because Volvo weren’t allowed to fit a big rear spoiler to the wagon, unlike its saloon rivals) and more than negated by the lack of rear wing and extra weight.

[@Levenstone132]

Mine's a 97 V70 T5SE wagon. It's just a laugh to floor it sometimes when these young'uns in their SUVs see an old bloke in an old (saga insured)car!

[@mre7862]

Don’t care about it’s shortfalls… it’s still cool as fupp and I want one. Got a modern day V60 T5 R Design to keep me going in the meantime. Dynamically, it’s not a patch on the F11 535d it replaced, but it is leaps and shoulders better for reliability and standard fit tech.

[@ryanmccormick2150]

My next door neighbour has one, it's a very light metallic green/blue lovely car! Unfortunately my next door neighbour has had his wallet well and truly pillaged by the 850R on multiple occasions 😂..... He loves it tho!......oh I'm now a member Jack 👌👍

[@luiscarlosvieira3966]

The racing 850 was done by Tom Walkinshaw which, years earlier, had a sticker on his Jaguar XJS saying "Real Men Don't Drive Volvo"...

[@TheLincolnshireFlyer]

I’m a huge fan of Volvo estates. I was lucky enough to drive the T5 estates for over a decade as a Traffic Cop. Nothing but praise for them.

[@steveelliott3591]

I had a 96R Wagon in the US. I bought it new the last day of the year. I kept it till the mid 2000’s and still to this day regret ever letting it go. Black over the blonde interior, loved 99.9% ownership of the car. The rubber band tires offered the 7 spoke wheels zero protection. I had to have them repaired more than once. The car was comfortable, good gas mileage, plenty of interior space for everything. I don’t ever recall the throttle being still at all.

[@rivaterrier]

Test drove a T5 at Millbrook in period and it was fab. No issue with a crazy stiff throttle. Driven back to back with some other similar metal and I was genuinely impressed. That R sound wrong if the throttle is so horrible.

[@andrewkatz3845]

I had an 850R and I never noticed anything odd about the throttle. That needs looking at. It's good that the brakes have been upgraded. I had a very sticky moment once when braking hard after a speedy run, and the the brake fade was so bad that the I completely lost braking when entering a roundabout. Luckily there was no traffic on it. I also (in theory) had traction control on mine, but I never detected it operating.

[@danieleregoli812]

Another great car, from the greatest of all KZbinrs!!! Although within my small car fleet I try to content myself with a pristine 480 Turbo, deep inside I long for a canary yellow 850T5R.... 🌟

[@Number27]

Ha 🙌 yes.. Canary Yellow would be awesome!!

[@danieleregoli812]

@@Number27 Exactly. And my 480 is... white. Yeah.

[@Tinovodanovic]

Such a beautiful car.

[@KarlHamilton]

Yes! Mine has been off the road for a few years, but still the best car I've ever owned.

[@terminal-velocity111]

Don’t worry M8, you’ve still got the beast 😅. You’ll get it back on the road in the spring 😊

[@KarlHamilton]

@@terminal-velocity111 that's what I keep telling myself haha.

[@robbwatson2088]

The light birch interior is original. I thought it was so ugly at the time, now I would look for one with it. Lol. Thanx for the trip down memory lane Cheers

[@RapideWombaticus]

Always wanted one of these

[@nickfarrow9032]

Wondered when you were going to get one on the channel! I have a 1997 V70 T5 (about 10 less BHP, but essentially the same shape) and it's awesome. You get two cars for the price of one: it's an absolute luxury barge at low revs, but when you press the loud pedal and the turbo cuts it, it takes off and you get that inimitable 5 cylinder warble. RE: throttle pedal, that's exactly how mine is! I thought there was something wrong with it when I got it, but I'm pretty sure that's how it's supposed to be. For the first week of ownership I thought there was something wrong with the engine as it seemed so slow, until I realised you had to push the very heavy pedal down further! IMO Volvo introduced the heavy pedal to try and promote some kind of fuel economy. These cars are thirsty to say the least. I struggle to get over 20mpg in mine and that's not a R!

[@trevorockwell8764]

Interesting! I’m used to it now too.

[@charlottedecorday]

If you are only getting 20mpg, clean your mass air flow and *replace* your front O2 sensor -- it can be out of spec without throwing a code. These cars should be able to get 26-27mpg on the highway.

[@nickfarrow9032]

​@@charlottedecordaymine will get 30 mpg on the motorway if that's all it's doing, but much of my driving is around town so 20-23 mpg is fairly normal. I think you might be US based (as you said highway!) and our gallons in the UK are different to the US gallons for some weird reason!

[@charlottedecorday]

I am US based, good catch! Yeah, combined I get about 21-22 mp(US)g when I can keep my foot out of it. Planning a manual swap soon which I hope will net me a bit more efficiency along with a lot more fun. Over here we only got slushboxes with our turbos and Rs 😕 But FWIW, treating the O2/Lambda sensor as consumable has been the key to good performance for me @@nickfarrow9032

[@martybelfastsri]

Ive had several of them inc the t5r in black in my user pic mostly manual.. accelerater never an issue or heavy sounds like needs a cable..had the newer version 70 series car even the s60R my t5r was the best of the lot.. traction control in the 850s and 70 series cars is useless lol just the way they where on standars suspension always found them lovely

[@xsduprwd3937]

I still run a Manual 850 T5 as a daily in NZ, was a UK import. I have put the larger 16t turbo and injectors on it with a chipped ecu. Also the 302mm front brake upgrade. Its a bit of sleeper, actually flies! I did also have a olive green 850r which was auto. I love the Manual, but just have to say that 4spd auto in the R was the best auto box i have ever had on a car. The ratios were spot on for the torque that the old 5 pot delivers... I am now subscribed :)

[@TheZachary1971]

thanks for the comment...what bhp is it running now?

[@xsduprwd3937]

Good question! I haven't had it on a dyno, but id guess 280ish. Has a great deal more shove than my 93 Audi 100 S4, also a 5 cylinder 20v turbo@@TheZachary1971

[@AnagramAutoclassics]

From my conversation with Tom Walkinshaw at the time, "The wagon was used for aerodynamic reasons. At speed the centre of pressure moved rearward and increased downforce on the rear wheels."

[@RandyJM21]

Love Volvo Sleepers. Here in the U.S. Volvo wagon plus Chevy or Ford small block V8 is relatively common . The Movie star / Race car driver Paul Neuman was fond of building V8 Volvo Wagons with manual transmission and LOVED them . He built one for David Lettermen the late nite host or essentially told him he needed one and Dave said he was so adamant AND PAUL NEUMAN so couldnt say no ( I believe it was not a gift , he just said OK my guys wil build it ) as they are the ultimate sleeper / sensible fun car for street for laughs . The ultimate expression of the smart sleeper and great for a famous person to move about having a pisser without drawing attention and blowing off people in flash cars and of course you have added safety . Of course for a commedian its the perfect car to mock people and make a joke. Paul new cars and of course had money and access to people who knew how to build them to work , go fast , stop and turn . But he thought they were humorous and I agree . A V8 Volvo wagon is a top choice of a cool car for me as I am fond of sleepers as well as safety and if your gonna overpower a sleeper car starting with a Volvo makes a lot of sense . You get the safety and of course you get the practicality along with the EXQUISITE fun of the most egoless design to shatter the ego of people in look at me cars and make them question everything they think they know. If I remember ,( this is how I like it done) he had them built with the quietest exhaust possible but with dumps to open pipe and not a whole bunch else to hint at potential besides some ride height and meats . I should refresh my memory before posting this but tired. But any Volvo fan either knows this or should look it up . With the quiet exhaust it just is the best way to hoon and not draw attention . You can make a ruckus and close the cut outs and the cops looking for the holligan go speeding past you looking for the guy in the hot rod . Pulling up to porsches , camaros , 308s ( sorry) and so on is just a pisser in a fast Volvo wagon .

[@redsidebiker]

Jack, the reason that they took the 850 SW racing was the aerodynamics, it did not generate "aerodynamic lift". As someone previously has said, it wasn't exactly unsuccessful. I wanted one, but the Mrs at the time said that she wouldn't get into it, let alone drive it!

[@777jones]

All 850s handled and braked wonderfully. The Turbos had major midrange speed, as well.

[@markotango54]

I thought it was a Mobile Speed Camera van in the layby at 6:20 at 1st Glance 😂

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

Jack you should buy one, these are super cool cars.

[@foxstrangler]

I test drove an 850 T5R auto once....and found out the brakes do seem a bit lacking...but it did go right round the roundabout ok! Life at that time didn't allow for the Flying Banana that I was offered then. But now...I have a C70 T5 GT. I love the surprised look on the faces of the hot hatch brigade in the mirror. Lovely cruiser on a sunny day with the top down. Even BMW drivers say it has class!

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Wonderful cars - what’s not to like about a quick Ovlov estate? Personally though I like the 960/V90 (the late 90s facelift for the 960, not the recent one) - good looking, amazingly comfortable and plush inside, and utterly fabulous to drive, with a straight 6 engine and a decent auto-box. RWD, and decent handling for such a big barge. One of the best cars I’ve ever driven.

[@kamrankhan-lj1ng]

Ovlov! Did u really mean it!

[@flavioc5389]

Imagine that 960 with a T5 and a manual.

[@karldobbie2483]

Love the mobile phone of the time

[@bodifix-acheiveyourpotenti8247]

Another great video…also demonstrating that randomly tuning a car (especially suspension) can ruin it!

[@arthur850_]

What a lovely 850R. Also stick shift would really make it for me! My own T-5 is also manual. The throttle should not be so stiff really, so a new throttle cable would be nice. The suspension indeed needs some tuning, but it's coming somewhere. I like the blow off valve a lot!🥰 Combined with the small upgrade of power, it's magnificant to drive. But I would leave it at 300 hp. More hp and you will really get in trouble with traction. The 850's are none for not having extreme grip... And also the engine will need some serious attention to handle all the power