I went from an 86 240 to a 97 855na and found it to be a great upgrade. Even after the rear main seal. It does cost money to operate any of these cars, but you'll get the finite list of common 850 problems on this site. The hunk of junk posts are few and far between. It will be nice to feel the significant performance improvements in the 850. They run to high mileage and there are many DIY fixes. The turning radius is much less in the FWD. It's harder to parallel park with less visibility. It has soft paint and body panels. But you'll be happy to actually go when you step on the gas and you might be tempted to race people at toll booths, even without a turbo. After seven years, I've switched from 'I love this car' to a sublime smile, and off I go. I've toyed with the idea of a V70 but have deferred to keeping the 850 until over 200K mi. or until the little annoyances (like the ones on the aging 240) overtake the enjoyment. Try for a '97. '98 70 series non turbos are slightly less zippy. At least the one I drove was. When you drive an 850 you might think it needs a muffler, and some front suspension, but they're all like that. Good Luck and Have Fun.

97 855na 168K, various IPD items, K&N, Mobil 1