|
Hammertime,
FWIW, This was written for the VCOA and CVC newsletters by myself sometime ago...
The Volvo 850 - A Retrospective
Five years have past since the last 850 rolled of the assembly line and it seems fitting to reflect back on the history of the 850, what it did and did not do for Volvo and the many impressions it made on owners including myself. I currently own a '94 850GLT that was purchased when it was three years old. Purchased from a Volvo dealership, it had just come off a lease with warranty still left. Having owned a 240 and falling in love with the Volvo make, it seemed appropriate to purchase a second Volvo for the family. It would become our daily driver. Our intention is to keep it for another two years at which time it will become our "second" car.
The late 80s were not kind to Volvo. American figures show sales dropping from a high of 113,267 units in 1986 to 57,229 in 1991. Some blamed the economy, others blamed Volvo's neglect to keep up with new innovations and styling. Regardless, the 850 was key to Volvo's future and it's ability to compete in the marketplace. In June of 1991 Volvo debuted the 1992 850GLT, heralding four unique innovations. They were the front wheel drive transverse inline five-cylinder engine, Delta-link rear axle, integrated side impact protection and the self-adjusting belt reel.
"The Story of Volvos First Forty Years in America" a Volvo publication, reveals some interesting things that happened to the 850 on its way to full blown production. The 5-cylinder engine was transplanted into a Chevy Citation for performance testing. Initial results were good and further testing included driving enthusiasts and race drivers. There was also significant input from women as 30 female Volvo employees were asked to test drive and give their feedback. The end result being lighter control efforts for steering, brakes, shifting and throttle. By 1990 the 850 was ready for production but some climate tests were still needed at a Arizona testing track. Shipped via air freight, the $500,000 U.S. prototype fell victim to an accident as the crate containing the 850 broke from the hoist. The 850 fell 15 ft landing on its roof. The 850 passed this unexpected crash test, Volvo head office were not amused. One bit of trivia, airport officials took photos of the 850 for insurance purposes which didn't sit well with Volvo. This highly kept secret from Volvo almost fell victim to early spy photos being released, however Volvo was able to acquire the photos before the press got hold of them.l
The 850 debuted as a GLT model with no other models to choose from. This was true up to early '94. Because there were no other models to choose, the GLT stamp was absent as it was a moot point. My '94 is a fully loaded GLT by today's standard with every option except wood-grain and rear heated seats. No where is there a GLT stamp to be found! Eventually other models were introduced starting with the GLE. In August of '93 the Turbo appeared with Volvo's most powerful engine to date. Output was 225hp with 300Nm of torque at 2,000rpm. With the recession nearing an end, sales began to increase, bigtime. In 1994 Volvo presented it's most powerful car to date, a 850 T-5R with 250hp. These cars did not come cheap, and to compete in the highly competitive market of automobiles, Volvo introduced a "cheaper" 10 valve engine in 1995. It was in this same year that Volvo rocked the racing world at the British Touring Cars Championship. Driving a sedan model, Richard Rydell won a series of victories, turning the racing world on it's collective head.
The 850 pretty much remained the same from '95 to '96 with the 1996 model seeing many safety improvements, many sight unseen, but also saw the end of the self diagnostic tool under the hood. 1996 also introduced a limited "Platinum Edition" which had a unique pearl white paint, 222 hp engine, 16" rims and power everything. By 1997, the last year of the 850, buyers had a choice of the base GLE @ 168hp, GLT @ 190hp including power glass sunroof, 15" rims, electronic climate control, power seats etc, T-5 @ 222hp with all the options of the GLT but with 16" rims and finally the "R" @ 240hp. Factory options also made available a sport suspension, TRACS and wood trim.
So how did the 850 do overall? The auto journalists loved it, the consumer folks didn't. This car was fun to drive, and my '94 still gives me thrills to this day. When asked by others on my impressions, I usually give them the pat answer that you either "love it or hate it". The 850 in my opinion was not for everyone, and many mistakenly purchased the car thinking they were getting a luxury touring sedan competing with the likes of a Mercedes or Lexus...not! Compared to these examples the 850 rode like a truck. It's stiff suspension, noisier cabin/engine and not as refined interior didn't allow the car to compete within it's class despite the advertising suggesting otherwise and the high sticker price combined. This is just my opinion of course and others may disagree, but I think a lot folks just didn't get the 850 for what it was, performance and all. From an engineering standpoint, there were some great innovations. I know for a fact for example, one individual who doesn't even own a Volvo, but had in his possession the complete repair manual for the 850 transmission. As he put it, "it is a great study of engineering marvel". It was exactly the stiff ride, great handling and performance, that drivers like myself embraced and continue to enjoy to this day. The engine compartment was easy to work on by today's standards and the self diagnostic tool (ending in '96) was an invaluable tool for the DIYer.
The 850 was not without faults however and I'll try to be as candid as possible with all due respect to Volvo. All cars break, and to be fair, many a 850 owner have enjoyed nothing but trouble free motoring. In fact, my neighbour Charlie enjoys his 850 (his eighth Volvo) so much that he went out and purchased a S70 for his wife. Both remain in his driveway today. After years of 850 ownership and spending far to much time on brickboard.com (VCOA official tech site) it became apparent to me that if you own an 850, some repairs were inevitable. Volvo being an environmental leader in auto design chose to use environmentally friendly glue for the many trim pieces found in the cabin. Soon after purchase, owners complained of cabin parts becoming unglued, the most famous one being the passenger side air-bag cover. This didn't sit well with owners considering the initial high purchase cost and undeniably solid reputation of Volvo. But the 850 would always get you where you were going. Few, if any complaints stemmed from the drivetrain, engine, brakes, steering and suspension. Electrical problems were another matter. One pesky repair seemed unavoidable, the Gear Position Sensor or PNP switch as it is sometimes called. Attached to the gear lever via a cable, this electro/mechanical part would shift as does your hand lever, mimicking the gear selected. The PNP switch would then sense that you are in "drive" or "reverse" and send a signal to the ECM who inturn would control the transmission and tell it what to do. This component was prone to failure especially in cold weather. The joke around the parts counter is you couldn't keep them on the shelf during the winter months.
Another popular repair was that of the rear engine seal. If care wasn't taken to maintain the breathing of the engine (clogged flame trap), crankcase pressure would build, resulting in a failed seal. This maintenance program went largely ignored by most owners, only to have the inevitable repair. Lastly, the 850 was prone to evaporator failure in the A/C system. Not to make excuses, but the entire auto industry is guilty of this and there seems to be no end in site with this costly repair. My next door neighbour put two evaporators in his Intrepid under warranty, only to find he needed a third. With warranty expired, he sold the car. This ongoing problem with A/C systems seems to be pointing at the change to R134A, but the jury is still out on that one. With the aforementioned "problems" Volvo this past year readily admitted to "quality control issues" and were taking note.
So with the demise of the 850 in 1997 and the new "S" series taking over in 1998, the hysteria has started all over again in this new decade with the S60 AWD. It's getting rave reviews by the journalists and consumer reports remain to be seen. Volvo has a sure winner here, and with attention to quality control, Fords resources and the never ending desire by Volvo engineers to break new ground, we the end consumer, will only benefit from our Volvo ownership. So with the 850 parked next to the 240 in our garage I can only dream of our next purchase. Cross Country anyone? S60AWD? C70 Coupe? decisions, decisions.
Tony Giverin
CVC/VCOA
April/2002
|
