I'm looking at a 96 850 wagon. Only hesitation is that I would need the third row seat put in (I have a mini-van currently that I am not happy with). It would cost me $1300 US and I'm not sure how accessable or comfortable it would be when all is said and done. Anyone have any comments regarding comfort, accessability, etc? Does it face forward or rearward? Thanks.

Thanks everyone for your insight. I don't think I am going to pursue this vehicle in place of a mini-van. I will probably look for a replacement to my current (Chev. Lumina APV) people mover instead.

The third row seat is for children only. There is an 80 lb. weight limit per child, or a total of 160 lbs. I believe. So use by adults is out of the question. It is no substitute for a mini-van with seating for 7 adults. Just wanted to make sure this was clear.

Dave H.

93 854GLT 96 855

Those rear facing 3rd seats are nothing that ANY larger kid or adult would ever consider using. They're very small with almost no leg room so they're designed for smaller kids but IMHO, there's only a period of a few years where it'd be useable if you're one who keeps a car for many years.

I'd also consider finding one used somewhere if possible. It's a very overpriced accessory considering its limited usage.

and the seats are fairly easy to come by, used, out of wrecks, I'd expect at much less than $1300. They don't look terribly comfortable. Another consideration is safety; SAAB and BMW refuse to offer them, Volvo and Mercedes do. Volvo claims they're safe. I have my doubts. I wouldn't consider them for anything other than occasional use. We have center-facing jump seats in our old Colony Park wagon, and they've been used, maybe, twice in 175,000 miles.

Why are you unhappy with your minivan? If I needed a minivan for similar $$ I'd probably look at a Toyota Sienna or Honda Odyssey, previous generation. The old Odyssey was also sold as the Isuzu Oasis, it's identical and probably a bit cheaper used. I don't dislike my Volvo wagon, but it's no substitute for a truck.

Good Luck!

-Groundhog