The Volvo S80 is a brand new car with significant improvements in every sense. The new S80 is built on the Ford EUCD platform along with other Ford models - the S-MAX, Mondeo and Galaxy, although these are very different models. The S80 has new 3.2 L 6-cylinder or 4.4 L V8 engines and can be all-wheel drive. The V8 has 316 hp and 440 Nm of torque. Developed in conjunction with Yamaha, this engine is one of the cleanest V8 engines in the world and was first introduced in the Volvo XC90. The interior of the S80 is considered one of the most comfortable in the entire car industry - the car is much more luxurious than the previous generation and boasts an atmosphere of "Scandinavian design". The car is undoubtedly renowned for its superior safety features - it is rated excellent for front, side and rear-end crashes and is better than its German or Japanese competitors. In addition to many common safety solutions, the car also offers a BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) system to help keep track of blind spots invisible to drivers, as well as a system that checks vehicles in front and alerts the driver if they get too close. All in all, it's an extremely safe, comfortable, solid and quite good-looking car, the only question is whether it will attract younger buyers, which Volvo has been struggling with lately.
I own this car for 2 years. Produced in 2008 it has a 2.5 litre turbo petrol engine, gearbox: automatic. It was brought from Germany with 90.000 miles. Currently it has passed 150.000 miles. As I make from 25.000 miles to 30.000 miles a year, I know this vehicle very well. It brings enough comfort for the driver, it has soft suspension and good sound isolation. The one I own is poorly equipped and the fabric interior is very unpractical besides it gets dirty easily. A friend of mine has the same Volvo S80; however, the interior is made of leather which makes it a lot more attractive and practical. Technically, it’s a great car, no serious damages have ever occurred, simply don’t forget to change oil in time and you’ll have a smooth ride constantly. Trips on the highway are fantastic: no discomfort or tiredness is felt. It has as much spacious interior as Audi A6, BMW 5 or Mercedes-Benz E-Class, though Volvo seats are more comfy.
Performance
A 2.5 turbo engine should be enough; nevertheless, it’d say it is meant for those drivers who prefer calm driving. I personally would like a more powerful variant; the vehicle is quite large and heavy. Average fuel consumption approx. 30 mpg. Technically after 2 years and passing 55.000 miles the engine caused no problems.
Reliability, running costs
Maintenance costs won’t surprise you. The newer the car, the more powerful engine is, so the less problems you should expect to encounter. Next autumn I’m planning to sell my Volvo and look for better 2009-2010 year with only 60.000 miles. Since I travel a lot, it’s not a good idea to wait till it passes 210.000 miles because then it’ll become more complicated to sell it. I’m gonna look for a model having automatic transmission and leather interior :). Some time ago I tried a D5 diesel run vehicle and a 3.5 bi-turbo engine. The former didn’t satisfy me at all due to possible audio problems in winter. The latter works flawless but it’s difficult to find such. Also what I’m planning to try is a 3.2 litre engine. A 4.4 engine with 8 cylinders is a bit too much for me :)… Fuel consumption is not so important. I follow the rule that it’s better to pour another extra litre of petrol rather than to pay much for an expensive repair of a diesel vehicle.
Recommendations to buyers
The most important thing is to buy a well-kept car. My dealer once said: if anything needs to be changed for these Volvo S80, it will be done only once. Car parts are cheap, my advice – buy only high quality and original parts, then you won’t have any worries. Look for a vehicle with automatic transmission, leather interior and xenon lights. At least it’s important for me since I travel at night very often. Navigation system in Europe works great.
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