by Brian K. White
I first became a fan of Volvo in 1998 when my sister bought an all-new S70, and loved it to bits. I'd had rich, suburban milf-moms who drove Volvos throughout the 80s because their cash-laden hubbies (who could never give them the wealth of my "auto" experience). My sister's rich as Rockefeller, and today she's still driving the same car, and she still loves it. Folks of means don't usually cling to a brand, let alone a single car, so I automatically gave Volvo an extra ounce or pound of credence.
The Volvo S80 was a whole new idea for the age-old brand in the 90s, but has been criticized for its failure to innovate over the past decade. It's a great car, in its own right, but it's facing ever tougher competition.
Volvo used to be the big "safety" brand, but today the federal safety standards are so strict that we're standing at the top of the curve, where the headroom for safety improvement has grown ever-harder to come by. The S80 has safety in spades, but sadly for Volvo, these aren't spades vastly above and beyond their competitors like in generations past. They've still taken it to the extra level, but now that last 5% of safety doesn't compare to the 40% extra margin they used to embody.
Cars are safe these days, and this one is exceptionally safe, but it doesn't really show when your Kia Rio has a half-dozen airbags, anti-lock brakes and zones more prone to crumpling than my old gym shorts after a hard day's sweat.
Volvo hasn't been claiming themselves as the pioneer in safety anymore, and that's unfortunate, since they really invented the concept. Now they promote themselves as Scandinavian luxury, which is a concept I can't even begin to wrap my head around.
The car comes optioned with great new whistling bells like flashing lights in your vision when you're about to hit another car, collision pre-tensioners for your seat belts, head-rest anti-whiplash protection and yet more airbags than you could have imagined. It even has passenger seat knee airbags to keep your passenger from busting a shin, which is uncommon, and exceptional too.
Another (understated) option is the blind-spot protection, which gives you a radar actuated warning light if you're about to change lanes into a car you might not notice. Beyond that, the traction control is smart, the ABS is brilliant, and the vehicle security system is beyond exceptional.
But at forty-grand, it may be a bit tough to stomach. You can get an Audi for far less, though the mileage and safety on the Audi isn't quite on the same level.
The Volvo S80 has great styling, and not just for a Volvo. The base model inline-6 is plenty peppy at 238hp, and the optional V8 makes it a veritable land-rocket. You'll still have all the comforts you expect from the line, and if you like Volvo, there's no reason you wouldn't love this car. I would caution that paying over sticker, even a nickel, would be madness, and that the smart money says you should pay a good thousand or two under sticker.
For the money, personally, I'd stick with a BMW, but I prefer the sporty suspension and rougher ride in lieu of pep. It is a luxurious ride, and with the 100% keyless operation, which allows you to just keep the fob in your pocket for everything from locking, to unlocking, to starting it up and driving, the unexpected benefits did make me happy beyond expectations. Still, it's a Volvo, so I expected a bit more. I'm not sure what, but technology has come that far, and it's getting ever-more-difficult to knock the socks off a jaded reviewer like me.
The good news is that, if you have a Volvo ten or twenty years old, you can rest easy in the knowledge that it's an exceptionally safe car, even by the most modern of standards. The S80 gives contemporary mileage and post-modern comfort, so make your decision based on that, and of course a test drive.