the 850 wagon was produced from 1994 until 1997. The V70, a slightly restyled 850 was produced from 1998 until 2000.

I've had V40s as service loaners, in fact I had an S40 loaner today. I thought the performance, even with the automagic, was pretty sprightly, but I have a heavy foot. I think you'll be disappointed not by the preformance but by the load-carrying capacity. The old 245 was a benchmark of sorts.

I have developed a sense of ambivilence about Volvos. I think my V70 T5 5-speed is a hoot to drive. OTOH, my wife has a Honda Odyssey. Not as much fun to drive, but by the time my Volvo was as old as her car, I had over an inch-thick stack of repair invoices. Her's has two mailings from Honda about an extended warranty on the EGR valve and the automatic transmission to 100,000 miles, gratis, and nothing else. That's nada, nil, zilch, zero problems. The closest to a problem was (apparently) due to "operator error" involving the automatic transmission (failure to read the owner's manual).

If you want/need a wagon, want a stick shift, and want "bulletproof" reliability, look at the Subaru wagons.

-bill d cat