2008 Volvo S80 User Reviews

Pros

Beautiful exterior, world class interior, all weather safety

Cons

A little more rear seat leg room would nice

This is our sixth Volvo, and it is by far the best! We appreciate our 2009 in that it came with integrated Bluetooth connectivity. It is a true all around performer and does so well in all things. It's the first car we'd rather have than a Porsche 911. It's that good!

Pros

Value, safety, build quality, comfort, beauty inside and out

Cons

Runs better with premium gas, tires have weak sidewalls

I have owned a 2008 S80 T6 for about six months and use it mainly on weekends and for trips. I have not experienced one defect. The car is solid as a tank and has precise handling characteristics, more-than-adequate performance on the highway, and a short turning radius. Although the car is advertised as needing regular gas, I've found that highway mileage improves from about 23 mpg to about 27 mpg using 93 octane; acceleration improves as well. The standard Michelins perform well, but I split the sidewall of one just scuffing some masonry while backing out one day. My car has few options, but standard equipment is very good and if you're careful, you can get into one for many thousands less than BMW, Audi or Benz models, with which the S80 is often compared. I am a very satisfied customer....read morehide

Pros

Great Safety features, High torque passing power, amazing Stereo, butter soft leather.

Cons

A little lag off the line, MPG, Complicated controls for Navigation.

Let me start by saying that Volvo has not been on my wish list since high School with the 850 Turbo that I could not afford, but this generation S80 with it smooth lines and torquey engines attracted me. The interior is very nice, however subdued in the luxury department compared to Mercedes. That said I love the leather seats they are very soft and comfortable. Controls are well laid out and for the most part intuitive, however I had a hard time setting the cruise cntrol the first time (read the manual insdie the house and then tried it on the road) also I have used mostly japenese Navi systems and Garmins and I found this system to be very frustrating to use without going through the manual. You cannot simly cancel a route once you initiate it, and you have to go back into the main screen to make most selections. Overall it provide good information, but looses allot of points by not being hard-drive based and lacking features that are common place among even the near-luxury segment.
The engine so far has been allot of fun. Off the line the car (the first second or so) the car feels a little confused before taking off (if this could be rectified the car would be running under a 6 second 0-60 I think). once it starts moving the passing ability is great and it feels likes a true sports sedan. I have to say the gas mileage is as expected off teh window sticker, but dissappointing when you think that it is running a pretty good 6-speed, a small engine and turbocharging, all of which I thought would have brought it into the realm of 18/26, but it is teh firat year of teh T6 so I assume it will evolve into a direct injection model which should get close to that milage with 300 + horse. Overall with the current incentives and great Safety performance this is a good alternative to any of the other luxury brands when Performance or over the top luxury are not your prime reasonings for buying a car. I will be starting a family and after watching the You-tube video of the 5 series, S80 and 5 series the S80 sold itself. I would prefer to be able to walk away from a crash then to only cash performance of Luxury. I will take a bit of both and a ton of Safety...read morehide

Pros

Safety features, cooled seats, fit and finish

Cons

Could use more acceleration from stop

I have 3.2 2008 S80 with climate, sport and Dynaudio packages. I got it at invoice minus $5000. The price was at least $10000 less than comparable MB and BMW. Unless, you have a problem with your ego and feel that you need a german car, this Volvo is quite impressive. The best value in the market, period. The car is very elegant, handles very well. Acceleration from stop could be better but I have the base engine and I think it is sufficient. Mileage is 16 mpg, mostly city driving. Japanese cars have stronger engines and better mileage. Apart from that, the car is perfect.
The cooled seats are the best, especially in Texas. Has every important safety feature and plus.
Very elegant outside and inside with real wood and soft leather. Tan interior color is the most beautiful I have seen....read morehide

Pros

Quality, interior, features

Cons

Fuel economy

Volvo S80 is an excellent car and it has a high level of luxury. Its seats are of excellent leater quality and blind spot detecting feature is really useful.

Pros

Best looking car ever! If it had wings it would fly.

Cons

None

Great Styling - understated elegance, oozes class, and world class performance. What more can I say.

Pros

Extremely safe, very fast, good handling, amazing stereo system, very comfortable seats

Cons

MPG not that great, cupholders small, no Bluetooth (except with accessories)

This is a wonderful vehicle- and a great value with Volvo's current incentives. The T6 is smooth and powerful, the handling with Sport package is good (although not great), and the adjustable suspension is useful. The Dynaudio stereo system is as good as it gets- 650 watts of crystal clear surround sound music. The heated/cooled perforated seats are very comfortable and great for long trips. The interior materials are also very nice- clean, simple, and elegant. The MPG isn't great so far, but I didn't have high hopes for a 281HP AWD vehicle.

At 10-15K less than competitors like the 5 series and E-Class (and $200 a month less to lease), and with significantly better crash results than those vehicles, it's really worth test driving the S80 if you are in the market for a midsize luxury sedan....read morehide

Pros

Handsome car, stylish and functional interior, ample power and responsive handling.

Cons

Ride is a little stiff, but perhaps due to the factory 40-series tires. No other cons.

This is our 1st Volvo. Overall, we are very satisfied. The interior is simple, yet refined. Smooth leather and real wood trim. Seats are comfortable (particularly the front seats with their headrest placement). Guages and controls are user-friendly. Car handling is sure and steady. Power is sufficient, and the 6-speed transmission provides seamless acceleration. Exterior styling speaks for itself - sporty elegance. Not sure if it's the Volvo's reputation for being a safe car, but we definitely feel safe driving it....read morehide

Pros

Driver comfort is outstanding and gauges, switches, etc., make sense and are easy to use.

Cons

none whatsoever

The ride is very tight on even the most bumpy of roads. There is little road noise. It's a road car. Stereo system is fabulous. BLIS is a must for busy highway driving.

Pros

Fast and comfortable

Cons

not as smooth of a drive as a Lexus

This car is great. It is great in bad weather and I feel very safe. I always thought Volvo's were just safe and no fun, man was I wrong. This car has lots of power and great handling.