850 Versus S70

Post by **mecheng** » 10 Jun 2014, 09:48

I now am the proud owner of 2 Volvos and we sold our Honda Accord. My Dad gave me his 97 850 GLT (Turbo) because he wanted a new car to enjoy retirement. It only has 160,000km on it and he is the original owner. He is more anal than me and it is in mint condition.

I've been driving it around and I was shocked at how different it is from my 98 S70 T5, it feels like a different car. I thought I would prepare a little write up of how they compare:

Steering Feel: Hands down winner is the 850, the steering has a heavy weighted feel which I love. You have to put a bit of muscle to steer it. The S70 is over assisted IMO. Its comfortable feeling but not sporty. This is a night and day difference between the two cars; the 850 got the feel perfect.

Handling: The 850 feels more agile and suffers from less roll. The S70 has Bilsteins in the front, the 850 is all original suspension with 15" rims versus the 16" in the S70

Visability: The cowl on the 850 is lower, and is easier to drive. My wife does not like driving the S70 because it is "hard to see the road" as she describes it. It makes the drive feel sportier in the 850

Braking: The 850 stops quicker, but I think I can chalk this up to different quality of brake pads. Tough to say for sure

Acceleration: The 850 feels quicker and off the line it is. There is zero lag, it feels like a V8 but on an open stretch of road the S70 comes alive. It reminds me of my old Prelude VTEC, around town it felt
like a Civic but on a country road it would explode and the power never seem to end.
The power in the T5 is simply not usable in daily driving. I like the LPT, I heard the HPT in the "Turbo" 850 models was a happy medium.

Styling: This is subjective, but I think the S70 wins. It is boxy but modern at the same time. The 850 looks much older

Build Quality: The 850 feels more solid. The doors close with a deep thud. The interior switches feel like they are better quality and the materials looks more high end.

All in all, I have to say as much as I love my S70 T5, I think the 850, is a better car, especially considering it is an older design.

Post by **cn90** » 10 Jun 2014, 10:04

Mechanically, they are the same.

Take a brand-new 1997 850 from the showroom and a 1998 S70 from showroom with the same engine.
They drive the same way because all suspension (strut, spring etc.), drivelines etc are exactly identical.

The main difference is cosmetic.

Post by **mecheng** » 10 Jun 2014, 10:09

I don't understand the steering feel difference; if they are identical.

As for the handling: Maybe the suspension has more wear and tear on the S70 or the Bilsteins on the S70 are tuned for a soft ride

AVIP · Post by **AVIP** » 10 Jun 2014, 10:10

This is a weird thing to compare. As said they are the same mechanicly and all the s70 was was improvements :p so honestly I have to say s70 is better. Hard to compare the to because they are the same and one is an improvement.

Post by **cn90** » 10 Jun 2014, 10:12

I'd not say S70 is better, it is just different cosmetically.
One some days, I like the S70 look, on others, I like the 850 look.
Mechanically identical.

Post by **rspi** » 10 Jun 2014, 10:12

LOL, this is funny. I have told a few people that the 700+ improvements on the x70 cars were simply changes.

My daughter has a '98 S70 GLT and I have the '95 T5. My findings are just about opposite.

Steering: My steering is soft while her's is stiff.

Handling: They are close but the S70 is more comfortable. The S70 has HD Bilstiens while my R has original equipment. Mine is harsher and the S70 is pretty nice and firm as well.

Viability: Not any difference that I can tell.

Braking: The S70 wins. New brake lines, better pads, new rotors.

Acceleration: S70 off the line, 850 over 70 mph.

Styling: S70, looks a lot newer.

Quality: I agree, the 850 has a lot less issues, especially in the interior.

I think the S70 is the most comfortable car I have ever driven. I like the quality of the 850 more.

Post by **mecheng** » 10 Jun 2014, 10:45

I own both so I am completely unbiased. My adrenalin gets pumping in the 850, the S70 is very comfortable.

I will take a video of the sound the door makes when it closes. . It is not due to wear as even the rear doors have a more solid feel. In the 850 it feels and sounds like you are closing a bank vault.

Post by **hausmeister** » 10 Jun 2014, 11:26

I have an s70 and 850.

The s70 feels better to drive on all accounts - which is most likely due to wear on the 850 (older, still some maintenance to do). Rustproofing is better on the s70.
But I guess most of this is because the s70 is younger, better maintained and has less km.

Post by **taxi** » 10 Jun 2014, 14:36

My first shock when switching from -97 850 to -00 V70 was also the steering! Night and day difference!
The next thing was the feel and sound of the engine, the 850 was by far more "sporty", and therefore more fun, as the V70 is a little more dignified. The VVT I guess is responsible for the power available in lower RPM:s, making it more a everyday car which is more pleasant to drive, I guess.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 10 Jun 2014, 15:20

I think they all have their own personality and it transcends both the model year and the 850 / 70 series changeover. All 5 of my Volvos have a very different feel to the steering. Even the two '96s are totally different.

...Lee