Christine-

Personally, based on my own experience, the 850's seem to be far more maintenance intensive and more costly to repair than a 240. You will hear both positive and negative stories about these cars here on this site. My 1996 was less than stellar and suffered from every single one of the commonly known repair/failure items they are known for with the exception of the A/C evaporator problem. Rear Main seal, ABS module and heater blower motor. Also blew an alternator, starter, radiator fan, water pump, upper engine mount, air cannister, brake rotors, antenna, syncros in the manual transmission, leaky sunroof, peeling door panels, peeling roof rails, loose molding around the windshield, wipers that didn't make contact with the windshield, squeaks, suspension rattles, etc, etc, etc.

My belief is that the 850 is a hit or miss car. If it's a miss, it's very costly. The S70's were known for electrical issues related to the lighting system, but many of the other quirks were worked out.

Good luck in your search.
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96 850 GLT 5-Speed- Sold due to astronomical repair costs.