volvo S80

[markD]

hey all. i decided for the first time in 12 years to NOT buy a cadillac. for the last 2 and a half years i have been driving a cadillac STS. i LOVE the car, but it is getting high in mileage and is getting ready to need some MAJOR service. SOOOO, i replaced it.

saturday i bought a volvo S80 sedan. it seems ok, but i was wondering if any of you have one that you could tell me about....i read all the reviews online and it seems to be a mixed bag.

i have been MORE than happy with my cadillac's...i have had a '95 deville, a '96 concours, and an 02 STS - except for the '95, the rest were purchased after coming in off of 24 month leases. the volvo is an '04 S80 that came in off of lease as i was at the dealer on saturday. i am still driving the cadillac and i am having a hard time giving it up, but it is time to move on....

any of you have any experiences with a volvo, or more specifically, the S80? thanks!!

[Spivonious]

My mom has an old Volvo 960 wagon and it still runs great with over 200k miles on it and nothing major has ever broken since she bought it with around 60k miles.

Of course, that was before Ford bought them, so who knows what they're like now?

[SouthernXer]

I am in the same process as you. I am about to buy a 3 year old XC90 for my wife and a 2 yeard old Land Rover LR3 for me. Volvo has always been a great car and just look arouind and see how many from the 80's are still on the road. Maint. is my only concern. I almost pulled the trigger on Caddy CTS. Those look like great cars, too. The crazy thing is that the Land Rover LR3 is cheaper to buy Used Certified than the XC90.

[Norton]

Volvo is the most solid car in accident situations. Period.

[VinceV]

I am in the same process as you. I am about to buy a 3 year old XC90 for my wife and a 2 yeard old Land Rover LR3 for me. Volvo has always been a great car and just look arouind and see how many from the 80's are still on the road. Maint. is my only concern. I almost pulled the trigger on Caddy CTS. Those look like great cars, too. The crazy thing is that the Land Rover LR3 is cheaper to buy Used Certified than the XC90.

There is a reason it's cheaper LandRover/RangeRovers depreciate like a rock.

Are you sure you want a used Land Rover. I know a few Range Rover owners and reliability isn't a word that many would associate with those vehicles. I have heard more than a few stories that remind me of Jaguar stories from the 80's. Car in shop more than has been at home, etc..

They put up with the problems, cause it's a "Range Rover", and when it works it's so nice, and here in L.A. there are quite a few dealers, but if you are in an area where there is 1 dealer you may want to reconsider that.

[SouthernXer]

Yep Vince, I have considered all that. The 2005's were prone to the hiccups that were associated with the Jag engine. Supposedly, they were all cleared up in the 2006 models and later. I have an inside deal for one through an old Fraternity brother back in college that is GM of a Land Rover Dealer. After my trade in, I am looking at about $21k OTD for a 2006 LR3 with 19K miles. This includes the 100K warranty. Quite frankly, I am glad it has depreciated this much considering it was a $50K SUV two years ago. And if it does fall to shit pieces on me, I have two Dealers within 20 miles of me here in Dallas. The three year old Volvo XC90 I am looking at for my wife is going to run about $29K without a trade-in. As said earlier, Volvo's rep for living through a crash is unmatched. I just don't want to test that theory. :ROTF:

[Archtop]

Volvo is the most solid car in accident situations. Period.

Unfortunately, I know this first hand.

[ABSOLUT CHARVEL]

i just cant get past a car named after a female girly part ...

[VinceV]

i just cant get past a car named after a female girly part ...

Yeah they might as well named their company Penas.

[CharvelRocker]

My mom has an old Volvo 960 wagon and it still runs great with over 200k miles on it and nothing major has ever broken since she bought it with around 60k miles.

Of course, that was before Ford bought them, so who knows what they're like now?

Say, what color is that Volvo wagon? Brother went to highschool with a friend who had an brownish old Volvo wagon with around 180k on it at the time IIRC. Would be funny if its still going.

EDIT: Our neighbors also had an ncie Volvo Sedan awhile back... nice car, but like all the ones they buy it had a screwed up engine and never ran right.

[Spivonious]

Say, what color is that Volvo wagon? Brother went to highschool with a friend who had an brownish old Volvo wagon with around 180k on it at the time IIRC. Would be funny if its still going.

EDIT: Our neighbors also had an ncie Volvo Sedan awhile back... nice car, but like all the ones they buy it had a screwed up engine and never ran right.

Nope, hers is dark gray.

[shobet]

I used to sell Volvos for a living and I've driven my fair share of them. The S80 came out a short time after I'd moved on to another franchise but if they are anything like the car they replaced, the 960 they should be very comfortable and go on for miles and miles.

Volvo is the most solid car in accident situations. Period.

Not entirely true, SAAB used to get better ratings in the crash test statistics, I don't know about these days but back then they did.

Having totaled a V40 I can personally say they are very safe cars. If I'd had rolled any other car like that I don't think I'd be here today. I should have known that car was jinxed with the number plate, P45 DEJ iirc, the Brits will get the reference. Funnily enough even though it was a total loss, someone bought it off the insurance company to put it back on the road to only write it off again.

I'd have a T5 again if I could afford one, nothing like passing M3 drivers flicking the V's in an estate car!

[markD]

thanks for the info so far. Spivonious, i will take some pics later and post them. so far, i really enjoy it. the STS crushes it in EVERY possible way, but i am happy with the purchase so far!!!!

i am a bit surprised at how poorly it takes corners and how heavy the gas pedal is...with the turbo i feel like i am trying to burn-out at every green light. i guess i will get used to it.

i kinda wish it was a little quieter on the highway. my STS is like a vaccuum chamber....close the door and you hear NOTHING unless it is deafeningly loud!!!!! the S80 has a lot of wind noise which will make long distance driving VERY fatiguing for me.

the STS has a Bose stereo system that is totally phenominal. it has DSP and everything. the S80 has an ok sounding stereo, but it seems to lack midrange. today i was blasting gamma ray's "blast from the past" and it seemed to be all bass and treble...and YES, i know how to adjust the tone controls!!!

my S80 has the premium option package, but it still isn't as decked as the STS.....

hahahahaha, i sound like i am complaining!! i'm not. if cadillac didn't go to the angular CTS styling on EVERY model, i would have bought another. i will just have to get used to a different type of car after so many years of one brand....

please continue with any information....