Let’s talk Heated REAR Seats
Read about MVS Forum user Findude’s very unique Volvo 850 and how he bought it. Or read the Volvo 850 Forum thread about heated rear seats from the beginning. It’s one of the most interesting 850 threads I’ve ever seen here.
I recall the rear seat heaters being a $300 option when we ordered the car.
Our car sort of has an interesting history. When we decided we were going to buy an 850, we couldn’t agree on color (me white, wife red) so we let our 3-year-old choose (black). The car will be his now that he is getting his license.
Of the four Volvos we’ve owned, we like the 850 best (though the 740 Turbo wagon was also an awesome car). The factory sport chassis makes a big difference (stiffer springs and fatter sway bars) and we’ve never missed the turbo with the manual transmission. Also, we had had problems with the unit on the 740 Turbo and were somewhat hesitant to buy another turbo. Since the 850 T was not available in US spec with a manual transmission when we ordered it, it was not an option for us.
We ordered this car through TDS (Tourist and Diplomat Sales) and this option was on the TDS option sheet but not on the North American option sheet. We also ordered the Sport Chassis without the rear spoiler (they were bundled for the North American market).
The heaters work great, and the kids love them. They complain that our other cars don’t have seat heaters in the back.
The switches differ from those for the front seat heaters in that they turn on and then rest in the off position with the indicator light on–then they time out like the defroster switch. I think it’s a 15-minute delay. This is good, because the driver can’t see the switches. I can’t recommend doing a retrofit with switches that don’t time out.
Ours can’t be the only 850 in North America to have this option, but I’ve never seen another one.
Last Updated on September 30, 2024
