Volvo 850 vs. Rover 827 – Double Test – From the Old Box

The introduction of the Volvo 850 was one of the most important news in 1991. AutoWeek drove it for the first time in July of that year and was immediately impressed. You can hardly imagine it anymore, but among the then formidable competitors was also a British middle class: the Rover 800 series. Specifically the variants with the larger engines, since the 850 standard had a smooth five-cylinder engine on board. You then ended up with the 825 and 827. We put the latter in AutoWeek 40 of that year next to the 850 GLT.

While Rover may not have a good reputation among many when it comes to reliability, especially compared to Volvo, it was not bad at all in the late 80s and 90s. The secret of the quality improvement compared to earlier times was of course the collaboration with Honda. The Rover 800 series was a sister model of the then Legend. By the way, we are talking about the reliability of the technology, because the finish, the use of materials and to a certain extent the electronics sometimes left something to be desired.

However, a brand new Rover 827 did not have much to fear from that and that was quite a distinguished appearance for its time, despite its somewhat older age. The combination of British chic and a Honda V6 made an impression. The block pulled on fine and effortlessly and did its job clearly more quietly than the almost equally strong five-cylinder that was in the Volvo. The interior also made a warmer impression – the walnut wood should be your taste – but the Rover would prove while driving that probably few customers would really doubt very much between a Rover 827 and a Volvo 850.

The Volvo 850 generally just had a different character when you went out with it. It had a much more direct steering, more effective and stiffer damping and more support in the seats. A car that threw it more on dynamic driving than the Rover and combined that with a more robust appearance. Those who conjured up the unmissable rumble with a solid game of steering could also continue in the bends with the Volvo than with the Rover. The 850 was all in all just a more lively and – despite its no-nonsense lines – somewhat more youthful car. The choice would therefore mainly come down to taste and how much confidence you put in both brands. Despite its higher price, the Rover was not a bad choice, but in the end we concluded: ‘the Volvo is just that little bit better’.