Getting the turbo engine's considerable torque to the ground through the same wheels that also steer the car presents difficulties. What's known as torque steer (the tendency for the front wheels to pull strongly to one side or another during acceleration) can happen when you tramp on the accelerator - but often it's not overwhelming, even to the inexperienced driver. Volvo's optional traction-control system (TRACS) smooths this process considerably, allowing the driver to apply the throttle fully without having to worry about front wheelspin or torque steer. Once under way, the car is a paragon of smoothness. Its 4-speed automatic transmission has three selectable modes of operation: economy, sport (holds rpm longer before shifting) and winter/wet, which keeps the transmission in the gear that has been selected to help takeoffs or towing on slippery surfaces. The gearbox also offers virtually seamless upshifts and nice, crisp downshifts. A manual transmission really isn't required for sporty driving. The Volvo 850 is plenty fast with the automatic. Much of Volvo's appeal is in ride quality, and the 850's road manners come pretty close to impeccable. Body lean is very evident during tight cornering, but the vehicle sticks beautifully without the wallowing that afflicts most cars with suspensions tuned toward the comfort zone. Extra-firm shocks and a larger stabilizer bar can be ordered as options, but there is little reason to want a car that races through the bends any faster than the stock 850 Turbo. Its wheel-and-tire combination is one of the best original engineering setups offered, and that contributes as much to the car's sporty demeanor as the turbocharged engine. The power-assisted steering is also among the best in the business. However, although the brakes perform admirably, a certain amount of nosedive during panic braking can lead to a moment or two of uncertainty. Compared with its competitors, the 850's underpinnings rank just below those of the best German makes. The 850 can feel choppy over freeway expansion joints, and extremely rough road isn't absorbed with quite the aplomb of a BMW, Audi or Mercedes. However, the 850 offers the sort of chassis feedback that the Europeans excel in and that the Japanese seem eager to engineer out of their suspensions. We were pressed to find any surprises in the 850's behavior; it consistently goes where it's pointed, carrying itself through the sharpest of corners with ease.
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