Hey.

I'm shopping for another car. I've always been a 240 fan. I'm currently driving an '84 GL. It's fine but boring to drive. I want something much quicker. I was thinking about an 850/S(V)70. Around here (Portland OR) a late-model low-mileage 240 is as much or more than an early 850. The 850's are way more fun to drive, more effient, better looking, have more safety features (usually)... My wife has a '94 850 wagon and its pretty nice. So, what should I buy? I haven't decided on a wagon or sedan yet. I've heard the '97's are a good year to buy. I'd like a 5spd too. I know - hard to find. I drove one for the first time last week. It was unimpressive. It wasn't running well and needed a new clutch so maybe that was the problem. It seemed considerablly slower than my wife's wagon. Are they usually a bit more spirited? I don't think I want to spend money for the real Turbo, but I wouldn't mind a GLT with a low-pressure Turbo. What year did they start those? Are they that much faster? Do they need premium like other Turbos?

Any input would be much appreciated, things to look out for etc.

Thanks

For the 850 you can find manuals with normally aspirated engines. You would enjoy the Turbo much more, so much more fun to drive. 1995 was a good year for the 850 later years will have issues with the ABS module. Almost all 850s will have leaking evaporators, thus the AC will fail..at least this is true of 95 and older models, but I have heard it is also true on later models and S70s. If you want to avoid expensive repairs then you might not want to consider S/V70s from 1999-2001 as their electronic throttle control module fails and costs 1K plus to replace and can fail again. If you want a manual turbo then you can find those in the S70 series starting in 1998, but they are rather rare. Typical things to ask/look out for:

1) Is AC functioning? If not it will cost about 1K to repair..not really a DIY project unless you have lots of patience and time, you have to remove the entire dash to get at the evaporator.
2) RMS leak between transmission and engine...This will cost 700+ to repair, requires removing the transmission to replace a $20 seal.

The things above are the bigger problems, there are many other things that will need attention, but they are typical..brakes, suspension, etc.