I want an 850R!

[aftershock]

Hi all,

I just discovered this site!

So after a major catastrophe with a V70R! (story to follow)

I'll wait for the right 850 me thinks!

I need an Auto estate.

Any tips or hints or advice greatly appreciated!

I'm browsing the site as I type!

Cheers,

David

[AndysR]

Welcome to the fold, good choice of car to replace the V70 too. If you keep an eye out on here, ebay and autotrader they do come up from time to time. Personally your best bet for one is Pistonheads classifieds as they seem to more abundant there.

[Flatout Phil]

What can I say - I have never looked back! Mind you, mine is a manual - suits my driving style. History, history, history is my advice. You should get a superb auto 855R for less than 2k at the moment, a more average one around £1200. There was a great looking one on Ebay the other week with the AP big brakes, chipped, well kept went for £900 or so (and had tax and ticket!!!)

Usual 850 issues of oil leaks, cambelt, etc.

[Porcine_Aviator]

We have two T5s neither being an R, but Mrs PA wants an 850 T5 R so I'll have to work harder.

[Tomcat]

My T5-R is for sale.....But it's a manual.

[RollingThunder]

Now is def the time to buy - the market is lower than an ant's knees. I paid £2800 for my 850R auto estate about 6 months ago - values have plummeted since then.

Be ready to spend lots of cash on initial maintenance - I've spent over £1k already (tyres, radiator, full service, transmission fluid) and I now need a new MAF at £200 plus rear discs & pads...

I'd recommend that you buy from either this site or the VOC as it will have been looked after better. There were an awful lot of dogs about when I was looking - and over 50% were insurance write-offs so get them HPI'd before you buy.

One item unique to the autos which you need to be aware of - the radiator has three cores - engine oil, engine coolant, and transmission fluid. They tend to rust around the transmission fluid matrix allowing coolant into the gearbox. While the gearbox can be recovered, generally by the time you notice the problem its too late, so get it changed as soon as you buy the car. A genuine radiator costs around £100 from FRF Motors (Rufe).

Having said all that, the 850R is a superb car. I wasn't that enthralled when I first bought it I have to admit - the ride is very firm, it didn't seem very fast, its thirsty... but the more you drive it the more you appreciate it. Its still firm bordering on harsh, the economy is pretty poor at an average of 23mpg (but I'm hoping this is due to my failing MAF), and the speed is deceptive - it really is indecently rapid, even in economy mode The estate is as versatile as any 850 estate - just last week we picked up a freezer in the sales and just stuck it in the boot. You'd be hard pressed to do that in many estates, let alone any car capable of over 150mph and 0-60 in around 7 seconds!

A few final points that many 850R newbies don't realise - the auto version is slightly less powerful than the manual version (240bhp vs 250) and has T5-R injectors and a 15G turbo. The manual gets bigger injectors and a 16T turbo. The 850R has firmer dampers and springs than a T5-R but thinner anti-roll bars, so the T5-R rides a bit more comfortably but the 850R handles marginally better. Just a few pointers to help you decide which you'd prefer.

[aftershock]

Well the V70 was a nightmare as it was a buy that all went horribly horribly wrong!

Looking around at the moment there were no cars about!

I stumbled onto this site yeterday .. hello all .. and think I have just bought the perfect car from an advert on here!!

More anon

[aftershock]

ohhhh kinda a hello and goodbye as the car I have bought is a V70R from an ad on here ...