26th Feb 2004, 10:42
Fantastic car!! I bought the 1992 1.7es limited edition for £600 with just 60'000 miles on the clock.
The only trouble I've had is a loose nut on the passenger side "flip up" headlight that took about 2 minutes to fix!!
The leather seats are really comfortable and the performance is surprisingly good given the 4 speed auto box and the age of the car.
The insurance and running costs are superb and I would definitely consider another!
8th Feb 2005, 08:05
Bought my third 480, a 2-litre Limited Edition, last November. It's super, and much better than my first and second ES 1.7s. Nice clean paintwork, a few chips on the drivers seat and one or two electric problems (rear wiper and radio) but otherwise very reliable.
14th Sep 2005, 05:02
Hi! Have just (September 2005) bought my fourth 480. My first one about ten years ago I wrote off in a motorway accident from which I emerged with a slight nose bleed. Ever since then I've trusted 480s, but luckily had no more need to test them! I find them great to drive, and one of the nicest car designs on the road - still. Hopefully the one I've just bought, a 1993 480S, 2 litre, with 90,000 on the clock, and a regular Volvo service history up to this year, should last me for a few more years before I have to start hunting round for another one.
6th Oct 2005, 13:55
Hello 480 owners! I first wrote the review about my '93 480 Limited Edition about a year and a half ago. Unfortunately the car has now been written-off in an accident in Forfar, Scotland. Some idiot came out of a side road and ran straight into the side of me causing over £2,000 worth of damage.
My Father and I weren't hurt, but the accident caused us no end of hassle, and a two month wait without a car. To cut a long story short, the insurance firm refused to repair the 480, even though the damage was relatively minor (driver's door dented, and the panel before the rear wheel arch), and the car WAS easily repairable.
Talk about discrimination against older car drivers!! And all because it would cost slightly more to repair than the car was worth! This is like saying..."Well, you can be insured with us and have an older car, as long as you're not involved in an accident. If you are we won't repair it -even if it was not your fault!" Sound familiar to anyone? It completely defeats the object of being insured in the first place.
After a long wait the car was towed away on the back of a car transporter, along with other perfectly decent (but minor accident damaged), & repairable cars. The car was in excellent condition up until the accident in June '05 having covered a mere 79,000 miles, and I am sure it will by now have been crushed and/or stripped for valuable spares.
After wondering what I would replace my special 480ES Ltd Edition with, we luckily came across a '98 Volvo S70 2.5SE at a very good price, with 85,000 miles on the clock, and a full Volvo service history. The 5-cylinder engine is fantastic - smooth and quite economical for the size and weight of car. It seems to be better made than the 480ES, and feels even stronger (!) Let's hope it turns out to be as reliable...
After being involved in the first road traffic accident in 13 years of driving, I am sticking with Volvo for the time being. I don't want to drive a flimsy paper-thin hatchback after seeing the damage a relatively minor road accident inflicted on the 480 (but not me or my Dad). It's food for thought. Drive safely, folks...
22nd Nov 2005, 09:25
Bought my first 480ES in September this year. Very Impressed, smooth ride, good acceleration and amazing fuel economy for a 2 litre. Wife hates it, so I intend to keep it!
11th Feb 2006, 07:06
Just bought my second 480 the first is a 1.7 s my new one a es limited edition it is extremely slow for a 2L can any one help me.
1st Mar 2006, 09:50
For: "slow for a 2-litre"...
This is hearsay, but I've heard it twice: The engine management computer may be faulty, which means the car is running on the emergency back-up get-you-home computer programme. One owner told me that this happened to him, and there was no warning of it on the dashboard, although he said there should be.
12th Aug 2010, 19:38
I've just got my 93 480 ES limited edition back again after I sold it 3 years ago. Had the car for 4 years and was really mint. The car now has 137k and is worse for wear from the previous owner!
It was my second 480. Had a white 89 model before, which was a lovely car to drive, and seemed to have a lot more power, but the old rust demon had its claws in, so had to sell as a fixer upper, but was always sorry I sold the ES, and was amazed to find it lurking in the back of a friend's uncle's garage, waiting for a heater rad to be fitted, so I contacted the owner and had it off him for very small money! Score!!!
Sent it straight to the painter to have the dings and marks removed, and give it a freshen up. Looks great now, but the front spoiler was broken and can't get another anywhere! Had replaced it when I had it last time, along with dash panel and door pockets, which are now not available.
Interior is pretty good, apart from driver's seat leather worn on the outside, and a crack in the door pocket and dash panel!! Typical!!
So won't put the car on the road till it's "MINTER" again.
Now the hunt is on, front spoiler is a major priority, even if I could borrow one I could get one replicated in fiberglass, but can't even get a loaner!
So here's to many more years of ownership of a rare, well ahead of its time unusual/but sweet little Volvo coupe, which I first prepared back in 93 and always said " one day I'll have that car!!" and now I do again! Keep the 480's alive forever!!
16th Apr 2011, 13:10
In 2004 I bought my blue second 480 with about 42k on it for over £1000. It's an ES two litre, and now has done 101,000 miles with only the ABS controller misbehaving; oh, and I've also replaced rear brake pipes, an alternator and the starter.
The motor pulls as well as ever, although not in the same way as the red '89 turbo model I had before it (1994 to 2003). The ES is not as thirsty, which is nice now in April 2011 with juice at £1.35 per litre.
I could however nip past slower traffic in the Turbo as though I was back on my Norton Commando; a very torquey 850cc twin British bike, which has a similar devoted following to the 480 - nortonownersclub.org.
I guess I've been in 480s for over 16 years; wow!
Reading an earlier post above, I had an insurance company try to write off my ES for a crease in the offside rear wing donated by a 4x4 on a narrow country lane, so I told them to "go away". It is still totally roadworthy and good for MOTs to this day.
Needless to say they lost my business at renewal time. I should really do a filler repair, but I can't see it when I'm driving (ROFL). I will soon have to repair the rear wheel arches, but hey ho, there ya go!
If I could get a tow bar for it, I'd be as happy as a dog with two... tails!
19th Jan 2004, 07:54
Best car in the world for under £1000, can't go wrong.