According to the seller, today’s Nice Price or No Dice Volvo, “Runs and drives and looks like it has 91k miles.” That would probably not be particularly praiseworthy if it weren’t for the fact that the car actually has 391,000 miles on the clock. Let’s see if there’s life left in this manual-equipped estate, and what such life might be worth.
There are two types of people in the world: those who think of Honda as a maker of motorcycles first and of automobiles second, and those who picture the opposite. I guess there is a third group that, when the Honda name is brought up, thinks “lawnmowers,” but they’re just annoyingly magisterial hipsters.
Those of us who considered last Friday’s 1992 Acura Legend L sedan probably didn’t take the time to bother about what parent Honda’s primary product might be. That’s because we were preoccupied with the seller having set $13,000 as the car’s asking price. Nice as the Legend appeared in the ad, and despite its appreciably low mileage, you all felt that was way too much for an XXL Accord. When the dust settled, that resulted in an 80% No Dice loss.
Wait, how many miles?
One of the attractions of last Friday’s Acura was its low miles. At 86,000, it probably still had whiffs of that “new car smell” detectable in the cabin. In contrast, today’s 1996 Volvo 850 (a car, it should be noted, is fully four years newer than the Acura) has had a remarkable 391,000 miles to amass all kinds of interesting and perhaps frustratingly unidentifiable odors. What is that, sweat? A collection of communal farts infused into the upholstery? Maybe it’s just decades of fast food and grocery-getting that imbues the old car with its olfactory identity. Or maybe it doesn’t smell at all. To be honest, it’s difficult to tell from the Craigslist ad.
Regardless, this Volvo looks to be in amazing shape for its age and those impressive miles. It also appears to be a poverty-spec edition, at least based on the velour upholstery inside and the plastic full wheel covers on the outside. The paintwork looks to be original and in very good nick, and aside from some sun-aging of the black plastic trim—and a chunk of that missing from the rear passenger door—it all appears perfectly serviceable.
Still some life
The interior, it should be said, is a bit jankier. The dash cap has gone all wavy-gravy from the sun, and the driver’s seat wears an ill-fitting cover that makes it look like it’s the sloppiest dresser of the family. What’s underneath that might be worse, but just for comfort’s sake, a better cover might be warranted.
The remainder of the interior looks to be in great shape. Both the passenger and rear seats appear clean, and the door cards seem free of any broken trim. There is evidence of a spill on the carpeting in the load area, but that’s excusable since, after all, this is a wagon that has gotten some use. It should be noted that there isn’t a third row back there, which is a bit of a disappointment.
No disappointment should be found under the hood, however. According to the seller, this Volvo runs and drives like a much less-well-used car. It’s touted as having cold A/C and to be “Super reliable and comfortable.”
Adding sport to the utility
As we discussed, this is a low-end 850, so the 2.4-liter inline five under the hood has to make do sans a turbocharger. Naturally aspirated, the 20-valve engine made a meager 168 horsepower along with 162 pound-feet of torque. That’s routed to the front wheels through this 850’s party piece, which is its M56 five-speed manual gearbox. That’s right, this is a right-sized wagon with a stick. Per the seller, it shifts without issue and gives good gas mileage. Other pluses here include a new battery, fresh oil and filter, and the replacement of both the fuel pump and filter. The tires are not new, but are claimed to have plenty of tread. The title is also celan, so tehre’s that.
Using the “more ads by this seller” feature on Craigslist shows that this Volvo’s purveyor has three other cars up for offer: an old non-running Subaru, an auto-equipped Miata with hail damage, and a janky Accord that needs a new driver’s door window. Suffice it to say, this Volvo is both the best and most interesting of the lot.
Estate sale
The asking price for this 850 is $4,500, and the seller advises that they will only do cash deals, so those looking to trade an old amp from their failed band or masseuse services (happy ending implied) in trade for the car should probably look elsewhere.
Now, it should be noted that in any other timeline of the multiverse, the high mileage and age on this Volvo would make it at best a $2,500 car. We don’t live in any of those existences, however, and these days it seems that five is the new two.
With that said, what’s your take on this Manual-equipped wagon and that $4,500—cash on the barrelhead—price tag? Does that seem like a deal for a car that still might be in it to win it? Or do you think this Volvo is vastly overpriced?
You decide!
Nice Price or No Dice:
Austin, Texas, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T Phillip G. for the hookup!
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