Just curious if anyone here has gone from a 850 to the S70. Did Volvo iron out any glitches with the 850. Were there many major changes and such. I understand there is no more flametrap in the S70 also?
What are the pros and cons of each?
Thanks

I have a 95 855 and 98 S70 in the garage.

Biggest difference is the ride quality of the 70 series is
much improved.

I find the 70 series inerior is better then the 850 (but our 850
sees a lot of time with the kids in it and they are hard on the
inerior). In either case, the interior materials are pretty good
and with a bit of shine they both look good.

The 850 is a wagon and has a lot more rattles -- it also has a much
stiffer suspension that induces the rattles.

Rreliabilty wise I'd say they are about the same. Both have
needed some work and I would not say one is more reliable then
the other (75K on the 95; 83K on the 98).

My choice would be a 98 70 series.

I own a 96 850 and a 99 S70. The 850 is better quality interior hands down! The s70 is cheapo on the inside. Besides that, they are pretty much the same.

Hey AudiMan (nice name btw)

I have owned a 96 850 GLT Wagon and now own a 98 S70 sedan. So i think i have a pretty decent idea when it comes to comparing the two models.

As mentioned in the earlier post the S70 is a revamped version of the 850, BUT this is what i think.

1: Suspension: The S70 has a MUCH gentler riding suspension than the 850. So much so, the only thing i ever hated about the 850 was the rough ride on bad roads and that is why i finally sold it. I was bracing myself for every bump. I went so far as changing the tires, and front and rear suspensions in hopes for a smoother ride, but that never happened. If you ever read the 850 forum it is filled with complaints about the harsh ride. The S70 is MUCH MUCH smoother and comfortable all around and does not give up that much of cornering performance.

2: Engine: The motors are basically the same. I feel (and this my personal opnion) that the S70 is quicker. But that may also be because the S70 is lighter than the 850.

3: Body: I felt the 850 was a stronger/sturdier built Volvo, not to say the S70 is not but it felt heavier and therfore more safer.

4: Electronics: This one is up for discussion. The ABS/TRACS model is defective on both of them but is not a cheap fix. $600 or so depending where you go. The one on my 850 died, and i had it replaced. The one on my S70 is going bad but i am milking it as much as i can. The fan blower module has gone bad twice on my S70. The starter went bad on my 850.

5: Maintainance: Timing belt on the S70 need to be replaced at 70000 miles. I would recommend replacing the water pump at 140,000 when you do the belt again.

Otherwise, the S70 is (IN MY OPINION) a better built version of the 850. Volvo took the same car changed the looks and made it smoother.

Good luck!

There is a flame trap in a normally aspirated S70, and there are pluses and minuses to both cars. The S70 is just the 850 "slightly" revamped. The door panels are weaker on the S70, as is the quality of the seats (and yes, this is an opinion). I've replaced NO ignition lock cylinders on 850's; I've replaced several on S70's. The evap is slightly easier to do on an S70, but you'll still be doing it. I love that they moved the window switches to the door; I hate that I can't save old switches out of old master switch set ups. The glovebox light problem hasn't shown up on the S70's as yet. The turning radius seems to be a bit better on the S70's than the 850's, but it seems the inner tie rods are more cheaply made since I've replaced as many on S70's as I have 850's. I've also replaced many blower motors on S70's. The timing belt interval is longer on an S70; the S70 seems a bit smoother than the 850, but in writing this I think I've decided that the S70 is a more cheaply made 850, and again...this is just my opinion.

Chris

Thanks for the replies!
Well I finally took each for a test drive today. Yes the suspension in the 850 seemed a little harsher. But the S70 was no Lincoln either. I guess I could get used to that. It seems the car is too heavy for the suspension as it tends to "wiggle" a bit. I was amazed at the pick up ie acceleration!!! Compared to my 97 Audi A4 "turbo" Not much turbo about it, if you ask me. But cripes, these heavy bodies seem to have a very strong and solid engine and will go when demanded. They did not corner as well as the Audi, but I am looking at the safety aspect. I found the shifting in both models to be a bit rough. Is this normal? (automatic) especially from first to second. I must admit though that the S70 does look better, especially the rear end and I was amazed with the power from these Ikea machines (:
Thanks again

Really shouldn't have "wiggle", get a pre-buy. As far as the cornering abilities go...IPD anti-sway bars and Bilsteins will solve that problem with a quickness.

Chris