Overview & Reviews

Among luxury sedans, the Volvo S80 has always been something of an alternative choice. Through two generations, Volvo's largest sedan has spurned outright luxury and serious performance in favor of cutting-edge safety features and in-cabin technology. And, in a class dominated by rear-drive sedans, Volvo continues to tout the virtues of front-wheel drive, while offering all-wheel drive as an option.

There are plenty of premium-brand sedans that feel more upscale than the S80. There are just as many that surpass its balance and grip on a winding back road. Yet the Volvo S80 is certainly one of the safest cars money can buy. It also boasts some of the industry's most supportive seats.

For luxury sedan buyers whose tastes diverge from the mainstream, the Volvo S80 is an interesting car to consider. And with a price tag that undercuts many European and Japanese-brand competitors, it can be a sensible option as well.

Current Volvo S80
Despite its appearance, the Volvo S80 is only midsize in dimensions, which means it can seat four adults comfortably but doesn't have yards of legroom to spare. It's about the same size as the Acura RL, the competitor it most closely resembles in personality and performance.

There are two versions of the S80. The entry-level S80 3.2 is front-wheel drive and is adequately motivated by a 3.2-liter inline six-cylinder with 240 horsepower. Buyers seeking performance more befitting a luxury car will undoubtedly prefer the S80 T6, which uses a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 good for 300 hp. It uses the same six-speed transmission as the base S80, but power goes to all four wheels via a standard all-wheel-drive system.

Both Volvo S80s come standard with the usual luxury amenities, including leather upholstery, wood trim, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, power-adjustable seats and dual-zone automatic climate control. Major options include front/rear park assist, heated front and rear seats, an excellent 12-speaker sound system, a navigation system, a rearview camera, a dual-screen rear entertainment system and (T6 only) a sport-tuned suspension.

On the safety front, the blind spot warning system and collision warning system (bundled with adaptive cruise control) are worthwhile options for long-distance commuters to consider. The City Safety system -- which can detect an impending low-speed collision and then automatically apply the brakes to avoid or minimize it -- is standard. Although the Personal Car Communicator (PCC) is basically a glorified security system, its transponder has a heartbeat sensor to let you know if someone is still in your Volvo after the alarm has been activated.

Useful features like these are the main reasons someone might want to buy a Volvo S80. The utter comfort of the front seats and a reasonable price tag are additional points in the car's favor. In other respects, though, the Volvo S80 comes across as tepid compared to its luxury sedan rivals. It rides comfortably, handles predictably and stops short, but otherwise does little to engage its driver. And although its cabin has all the expected amenities, it lacks the unrestrained elegance and exacting quality of competitors' interiors.

Used Volvo S80 Models
The current S80 represents the second-generation Volvo S80 that debuted for the 2007 model year. Although it didn't change drastically in size or appearance compared to the first-generation model, this newer S80 moved to an all-new platform and adopted a new pair of engines -- the base inline-6 and the V8 -- not to mention an impressive array of safety technology. At the time, the available 4.4-liter V8 produced 311 hp.

The following year saw the addition of the turbocharged inline-6, then rated at 281 hp. Strangely for a luxury sedan, the S80 didn't offer standard Bluetooth or xenon headlamps prior to '09. A mild face-lift with a revised grille (sporting a much larger Volvo logo) and chrome accents took place for '10, which would also be the last year for the V8 model. For 2011, the remaining two versions got slight power increases (the base version from 235 to 240 hp and the T6 from 281 to 300 hp). Not much has changed since, apart from those earlier S80s lacking the current version's newly standard Bluetooth audio, multifunction color monitor and City Safety system.

Driving enthusiasts should also know that the S80 V8 could originally be equipped with a Sport package, which provided 18-inch wheels, Volvo's sport-tuned "Four-C" adaptive suspension, speed-sensitive power steering and ventilated front seats. These items became stand-alone options on the V8 for 2010, while the sport suspension could be had on the T6 via a new Dynamic package.

Prior to this, Volvo sold the first-generation S80 from 1999-2006. This car was similar in dimensions and focus to today's S80. It heralded a new styling direction for Volvo's sedans, as its curvy body lines were a dramatic break from the company's boxy designs of the '80s and '90s. Even today, the original S80 has a Scandinavian coolness that keeps it from looking dated. However, significant concerns about reliability have driven down its resale value -- good for bargain hunters, but not so much for owners.

Volvo offered the S80 with three different engines, two of them turbocharged. The most interesting of these was the T6, a twin-turbo inline six-cylinder rated for 268 horsepower. (Initially, the T6 displaced 2.8 liters; in 2002, Volvo enlarged it to 2.9 liters with no change in output.) Volvo claimed a 6.8-second 0-60 time for the S80 T6, but even with a standard four-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels, the car felt quicker than that. Serious torque steer was the major knock against the T6 model. Volvo discontinued it after 2005.

From 1999-2004, a naturally aspirated 2.9-liter inline six-cylinder good for 197 hp motivated the base Volvo S80. It, too, was available only with a four-speed automatic and only with front-wheel drive. In 2004, a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder known as the 2.5T joined the lineup. Rated for 208 hp, it offered significantly more torque than the 2.9-liter, while engaging the services of a more sophisticated five-speed automatic transmission. The 2.5T was the only engine that could be had with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. And in '06, it was the only engine you could get on the S80.

Acceleration was modest with either of the lesser engines, but otherwise the driving experience was agreeable in the S80, with a comfortable ride and sure-footed handling. Those seeking added control should look for an S80 with the Four-C adaptive suspension, which was offered as an option on 2004 and later models. Dual-zone automatic climate control, a CD audio system and a telescoping steering wheel were standard throughout the run. Options ran the gamut in the first-gen Volvo S80. In addition to expected items like a navigation system (DVD-based from '02 onward), a high-quality Dolby sound system and xenon headlamps ('02 and up), Volvo offered a rear-seat refrigerator, a dual-screen entertainment system and even a fax machine ('01 only) in certain high-line T6 models, which were called Executive, Elite or Premier depending on the model year.

Still, the best reason to consider buying a used Volvo S80 is its high level of safety. It earned five stars in all government-administered front- and side-impact crash tests, as well as a "Good" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Additionally, a full menu of side airbags and dynamic front head restraints were standard throughout its eight-year run. The one feature to pay attention to is stability control: It was standard on T6 models but optional on all other S80s.

User Reviews:

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  Great Value for the Price - 2008 Volvo S80
  By max Perkins - February 3 - 7:03 am

  This is a great car! We looked at BMWs/Mercedes and decided on this Volvo as we felt you pay a lot for a BMW/Mercedes name. This car drives like a dream and is SO comfortable to ride in. Have take it across country and had no back/muscle fatigue. It is very responsive, has great power and gets much better gas mileage then we expected. The T-6 is the features we were looking for in a "sports" car. The body design is very nice and we see people looking at it all the time. 4WDs are hard to find but we wanted that for the extra security when driving (lots of rain where we live). We hope to get at least 200,000 miles out of this car. Would highly recommend.

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  Good car but a little disappointed - 2006 Volvo S80
  By JEdl - January 31 - 5:23 pm

  The car is fun to drive and nice to look at but the quality of the interior is a bit poor especially the leather seats which tend to wear quicker than most other vehicles with leather trim. Volvo could pay better attention to maintaining their reputation of producing a quality vehicle. Reliability rate low for this model due to transmission noise when shifting from park to reverse

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  I love my Volvo S80 - 1999 Volvo S80
  By Lawguys - January 16 - 2:00 am

  I have a 99 S80 2.9. What a great car this has been. I put a lot of miles on my cars and have absolutely no complaints at all with my 1999 Volvo S80. My Volvo is currently at 92,000 miles, not far from 100,000 miles. Might I add trouble free miles. One repair only which was covered by the warranty and was pretty minor. I would recommend this car to anyone.

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  Overpriced, overvalued, and just not worth it. - 2002 Volvo S80
  By ihatemyvolvo - December 29 - 8:35 am

  From when I first bought the car it had problems. Normally these things happen, such as fixing the brakes. However because it is a Volvo, the parts are almost always double the cost of any other vehicle part! Unless you have the money to sometimes be dropping $1000 to fix the car, youll find yourself regretting the purchase whenever a problem does arise.

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  worst vehicle ever - 2000 Volvo S80
  By ex volvo owner - December 19 - 2:03 pm

  Got to be the worst car ever made take heed of all these poor reviews theyre not making this stuff up, Suspension, electrical, AC the list goes on. Seat leather worn through, constant software problems or so the dealer says. The user who said 187/mo maintenance isnt exaggerating. Weve got extended warranty and still shell out a thousand a year. One positive note, Ive decided to buy a jaguar knowing it couldnt be any worse and I wont mind putting money into a car that has a bit of class. If you need a reliable car get a Camry.

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  Buyer Beware - 1999 Volvo S80
  By dummy - December 19 - 2:00 am

  I bought my S80 T6 on eBay (I know-what was I thinking). In the 8 mos. Ive had the vehicle, Ive dumped over $3000 in repairs. Seems like every time I take it to the shop (which is often) it costs $600. Its really too bad, because this is a great driving car with exceptional comfort and interior features. I wont buy another Volvo because of this, and its dissapointing.

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  Solid and Staid - 2001 Volvo S80
  By jlgcpa - November 24 - 10:00 am

  Terrible radio. Cumbersome to use, reception is the worst I have ever had in 50 years of driving. Turning circle too wide. Service is expensive at dealer, I get apprehensive when the bill is prepared. I wish I could get those billing rates. Memory seat has amnesia or Alzheimers. Trip computer needs a timer.

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  good, bad and ugly - 2001 Volvo S80
  By ronia1 - November 7 - 3:56 am

  i sometimes refer to my S80 as my $40,000 bucket o bolts, but i was spoiled by my 94 960 sdn with 170000 trouble free miles. the S80 is gorgeous BUT: both struts noisy (mind you at 60K miles; that may be their life span), head seal leaking, sunroof noisy when opened because suspension is SO tight, windows squeak when going down (always on pass side, sometimes on driver side), and the finish put on plastic panels inside scratches...but I love Volvo!!!

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  Get the extended Warranty and enjoy! - 1999 Volvo S80
  By docbrad - October 22 - 2:00 am

  I love its styling, interior size and performance. I quickly found out its a good idea to buy the extended warranty. My Volvo was 3 yrs. old w /50K miles when I bought it for $22K. I have put 20K more miles on it in 10 months. with four trips to the shop. New front end/steering system, new headlight (twice),repeated front end suspension issues. The good news, the warranty saved my butt from $3-5K in repairs. The mileage is great 26-29 hwy, a dream to drive for long trips. I love the looks, hate hassel of dealing w/ Volvo dealers for oil changes,tune ups and their VERY EXPENSIVE fees for normal maintenance. IF you buy this car GET the Warranty.

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  EXTREMELY high maintenance - 1999 Volvo S80
  By Ext HIGH Maintenance - October 17 - 10:00 am

  Maybe they have worked the kinks out by now, but after my experience with my S80 I will NEVER own another Volvo again. It has been EXTREMELY high maintenance, in the shop for warranty repairs over 30 times in 4 years and drives poorly. It does not "hold the road" and over-sensitive steering makes it almost dangerous in hairy situations. I would sell it but the resale value is NOTHING!!! $16K for a low mileage car I paid $42K for... I bought it because I loved the way it looked and I have been regretting it ever since it went to the shop for the first time with only 800 miles on it.