View Full Version : Thoughts on an S80
So I have the pleasure of renting a Volvo S80 this week. Gotta love Hertz coupons. :D They actually have a few T6s on the lot, but I didn't get one of those.
My thoughts after about 300 miles: Quite nice. The interior is comfortable and the controls are laid out very well. Even in relatively base form, the car is well-appointed.
The throttle response is kinda weird, and it took me a little while before I got comfortable with it. The engine (I6 mounted sideways) is smooth as expected, though, and there's enough power to satisfy me. Highway cruising is AWESOME. I was regularly hitting triple digit speeds. The car is just so smooth and easy to drive that it felt like 60 in a Camry I had a few weeks ago.
Handling is good. There isn't much body roll and the car turns very well. The e-brake is also very, uh, entertaining. ;) Steering feels great -- not sports-car direct, necessarily, but perfectly in line with the rest of the car.
Overall: I like this car. It would be a great family sedan. I've never driven a Volvo before (other than a crappy S40 test drive) and I'm impressed. It's not the cheapest car out there, but it's still a pretty good value IMO.
SARAFIL
10-29-2003, 10:10 AM
Overall: I like this car. It would be a great family sedan. I've never driven a Volvo before (other than a crappy S40 test drive) and I'm impressed. It's not the cheapest car out there, but it's still a pretty good value IMO.
From what I've heard through the grapevine, they've had some big problems with earlier models, and Volvo has been buying lots of cars back. Our Volvo GSM runs the history on every S80 we bring over to him to be appraised, and if he sees anything suspicious, he'll come right out and tell us that he does not want the car for his inventory, and it is going to be wholesaled. Surprisingly, this has happened alot lately. Imagine hearing a dealer tell you they don't want your relatively new car as a trade because it's a POS. :(
I had a Hertz S80 a couple years ago for a weekend... My impression was that it was essentially a scandinavian Buick -- nice control layout and OK power, but it drove like a luxo barge -- very floaty ride...
The ride is not what I'd call sporty, but I'd certainly put it well above most sedans in the responsiveness department. I mean, I drive an SUV every day, but I still know body roll when I feel it. ;)
SARAFIL
10-29-2003, 10:29 AM
blee-- when do you expect the M3 to be completed? (or at least driveable?)
blee-- when do you expect the M3 to be completed? (or at least driveable?)
I'm guesstimating late November, but that depends on how free my weekends are. I certainly hope it's done before the end of the year.
clyde
10-29-2003, 02:43 PM
blee-- when do you expect the M3 to be completed? (or at least driveable?)
I'm guesstimating late November, but that depends on how free my weekends are. I certainly hope it's done before the end of the year.
Me too. http://www.lawair.com/bmw/spin.gif
lemming
10-29-2003, 09:13 PM
Overall: I like this car. It would be a great family sedan. I've never driven a Volvo before (other than a crappy S40 test drive) and I'm impressed. It's not the cheapest car out there, but it's still a pretty good value IMO.
From what I've heard through the grapevine, they've had some big problems with earlier models, and Volvo has been buying lots of cars back. Our Volvo GSM runs the history on every S80 we bring over to him to be appraised, and if he sees anything suspicious, he'll come right out and tell us that he does not want the car for his inventory, and it is going to be wholesaled. Surprisingly, this has happened alot lately. Imagine hearing a dealer tell you they don't want your relatively new car as a trade because it's a POS. :(
um, can you elaborate more? is it powertrain? is it electrical? chassis?
fascinating reading because you know saabs get clobbered in the press for not making a decent car and my own personal experience with two of them was quite the opposite.....
SARAFIL
10-29-2003, 09:27 PM
um, can you elaborate more? is it powertrain? is it electrical? chassis?
fascinating reading because you know saabs get clobbered in the press for not making a decent car and my own personal experience with two of them was quite the opposite.....
No clue what the problem is, but I know there is a problem. We brought over a mint black/black T6 with 20,000 miles for him to look at, and he didn't even want to take a risk with it. He found something in its past that wasn't good, and then he told us that they've been having troubles with alot of cars and the manufacturer has been buying them back.
Nick M3
10-29-2003, 10:12 PM
The S80 is comfortable, although the engine buzz is incredibly irritating. A friend's Mom asked me to test drive the one she bought. I didn't really want to tell her I thought it was a total POS, so I commented on how comfy the seats were. (Which is really the one good thing about the car as far as I'm concerned.)
The S80 is comfortable, although the engine buzz is incredibly irritating. A friend's Mom asked me to test drive the one she bought. I didn't really want to tell her I thought it was a total POS, so I commented on how comfy the seats were. (Which is really the one good thing about the car as far as I'm concerned.)
:dunno: No problems with the engine buzziness here. My only complaint is with the weird torque curve and questionable transmission. Everything else is pretty damn solid, if you ask me. I'd rather have the T6, of course.
Nick M3
10-30-2003, 07:27 AM
The T6's torque peak is above 5K. Not a very useful power curve.
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