"Whether you're hauling kids or just hauling, life in the suburbs just got a lot more interesting." While it feels like this verdict for the Volvo 850R may have been decided before the car was even driven, it does indicate how significant the big, fast Volvo was: before that car - Audi RS2 aside - an estate simply wasn't fun. It served a purpose, it carried things around, but it was bought because you had to have one.
The Volvo was the start of those estates you might just buy because you wanted to. And, while they may have been superseded by SUVs today, the appeal of the fast estate to many hasn't waned. Here the 850R features in a Motor Week Retro Review, a series of videos that we're big fans of.
Why? Well, beyond the cheesy 90s-ness of pretty much everything, it's always nice to be reminded of just how a car was received in period. For the Volvo it's clear that the 850R certainly had the shock value we know it for, the ability to hit 60mph in 7.3 seconds - with a four-speed auto - completely unheard of in a Volvo before now. Even seemed to handle as well, and a 100-foot braking distance from 60 isn't bad either.
A final point to keep an eye out for too; if you thought the slacks were dubious, wait until you see the spec of this particular Volvo. You'd be mad to have light wood with light leather, wouldn't you?
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