I used to see it often in the mid/late 1990s, always parked along East Ridgewood Avenue in Ridgewood, New Jersey. The yellow Volvo wagon, with its (at the time) big, gray, wheels looked fast just standing there. In the heydays of loud Hondas, it was the sophisticated, grown-up, way to go fast. There was nothing else like it, and I wanted it, badly.
The 1995 850 T-5R was an experiment of sorts, a crazy single model year vehicle from a company predominantly known for safety. It made no sense – a fast Volvo wagon, it would be an oxymoron at best. And yet, people loved it and were willing to pay a lot of money for it; $37,000 in 1995 is equivalent to over $78,430 in today’s money.
The T5R experiment was so successful that the fast Volvo sedan and wagon came back essentially unchanged a year later, but with a new name – the 850R. That model, sans its yellow paint, created a path for the later S60R and V70R.
Yes, there were other fast Volvos, such as the 240 Turbo, 740 Turbo, the recent T8 eAWD Polestar Plug-in Hybrid, and even a V8-powered S80. But none of those have quite captured the street performance aspect as the original badass T5R and 850R.
It’s not often that we get to meet our heroes. When an opportunity presented itself to drive an original 850 T5R, one that is owned by Volvo corporate, I jumped on it, almost literally. I kept expectations low, as this is a 30-year-old vehicle. I did not expect it to be as fast as, or even handle like, a modern-day crossover. But that did not stop me from geeking out, as you see in this video.
Volvo Cars USA acquired this vehicle from its original owner. This unmolested wagon is one of 49 Cream Yellow US-spec wagons. Aside from maintenance, it is in its original condition. And this got me thinking – with Volvo Headquarters located in Mahwah, New Jersey, what are the chances that this is the same wagon that always saw parked along East Ridgewood Avenue all those years ago?
SPECS (U.S. model):
- Chassis: Front-engine, FWD, 7-pass, 4-door wagon
- Engine: 2.3L turbocharged DOHC 20-valve inline-5, 240 hp, 221 lb-ft
- Transmission: 4-speed automatic
- Curb Weight: 3,387 lbs.
- Length: 185.4 inches
- Width: 69.3 inches
- Height: 56.9 inches
- Wheelbase: 104.9 inches
- MPG: 19 city/26 highway