Don't know about "cheater" way to replace the evaporator without taking the entire dash apart. (That was a great way to deal with the 240 heater blower.)

The 5 cylinder is an interference engine. That prompted the earlier than recommended replacement of the timing belt on my car (S60) two weeks ago.

Is the car harder to work on? It's more tightly packaged than my old 740, but as I get used to it and understand how it's put together, it all seems logical and reasonable. It just takes more time at first. I was pleasantly surprised with the timing belt replacement. The coolant and power steering reservoirs simply lift out of the way (after removing and clamping off the coolant hose), and there actually is sufficient room to work. (And I've got large hands.)

The biggest change with the newer models is that the replacement of electronically actuated parts must be accompanied by software downloads to match the new components to the car. Anyone can subscribe to VIDA, Volvo's online system that provides diagnostics and downloads, but the costs are so high that only dealers and high volume independents are going to bother. However, this is not a concern for a pre-1999 850 or S70.