Faults:

Driver lumber support broke.

General Comments:

The good:

Brilliant level of specification and you can enjoy owning a big euro V8 sedan without looking like a poser simply buying a badge (BMW, Audi , Mercedes).

4c suspension on mine at least, works great, switching from rolling around like a ship to riding as if you're in a sports sedan.

Although this system works great, I still would not say the handling is impressive but rather more predictable/capable in the firmer settings.

The Dynaudio stereo is truly the best I’ve experienced in any vehicle; I have heard upgraded systems which customers have spent many thousands upgrading and these still cannot match the crisp and full bodied sound of the S80.

Performance off the line is exceptional! I live in a hilly highway area and my commute has a number of steep uphill passing lanes where the S80 blitzes past queues of slower traffic.

However at particular speeds the gearing is too long and it can take a moment for revs to build.

Love the air conditioned seats also.

Turning headlights are great.

The AWD system never lets the front wheels chirp under hard load, always fast to engage the rear.

Fuel economy I see is 11.8/100km consistently on my hilly commute with some motorway driving also.

The Bad:

Driving position!

I am 6,4” and find it lacks leg room for the driver, seat does not go back far enough.

Throttle pedal feels like it is in an uncomfortable place for me and I need to bend my ankle too far back to rest on the accelerator.

The seats although supremely comfortable are too short in the base for a taller driver and lack lateral support when cornering.

I felt more comfortable behind the wheel in the V70, S80 (2002) and 960 I’ve owned which is a shame.

Reliability:

Over 30,000km so far and aside from the lumber support failing, not a single hiccup or reason for concern.

I work in vehicle sales for Mitsubishi which has given me the opportunity to experience a wide range of models and makes through trade ins and through friends and family.

I’ve also owned many Volvo models such as 960’s, 740, 245, 850R, 940, V70 T5, S80 T6 (2002).

In summary the best car I’ve owned and IMHO still a much better car than what many new vehicles on the market today.

Shhh don’t tell BMW, Audi, Mercedes buyers, I like that the Volvo badge has zero poser appeal.

Faults:

I have had the car 6 months and have driven it about 4,000 miles. Nothing has gone wrong with this car. I have 2 years left on a CPO warranty, so I will let you all know in the future if I ever have to take advantage of that warranty.

General Comments:

This car is very comfortable. I sold my 2012 Audi A4 because the seats were not comfortable and my son was getting cramped in the back seats of the car. You can reference my past review of that car in the Audi A4 section.

The Volvo S80 is very pretty and elegant. I get many compliments. The color of mine is white pearlescent. This car is loaded with technology: heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, automatic bending Xenon headlights, a 600W stereo, pop up navigation, Bluetooth, etc.

The V8 has an amazing grumble when you start it. Check out clips on YouTube for proof. It sounds like a 60s muscle car, but becomes very quiet with highway cruising. The acceleration is very good and confident. The MPG in the city is not great, but this is a big V8. The highway mileage is more than acceptable.

The car is VERY comfortable. The seats are probably the most supportive I have ever sat in. The leather is very high quality in the Executive package. The premium floor mats feel great.

I could have bought a CPO E Class or 5 Series, but I chose the Volvo S80. It is a sleeper muscle car and very safe for my family to ride in. I shall keep you posted every once in a while on any problems I have, but the car still puts a smile on my face.

The bottom-line: These S80s with the V8 (especially in the Executive package) are rare and are becoming sought after cars in the Volvo community. I am not saying it is a collector car by any means, I am just saying that there is a high level of respectability when you tell a Volvo guy you drive one of these. Even my non Volvo-loving friends say "Wow, Volvo made a V8…? No kidding." Then they hear it rev up and we all laugh because it sounds awesome.