doug_999

MMarshall....
Volvos have been known to have very numb steering. Did they excise the demons in this baby?

The XC90s we test drove last year had a nice tight steering in the 2.5T but an overly boosted steering in the V8 - way over boosted. Comments on the S80?

PS - nice review.

mmarshall

Well, there is a rather complex computer menu that you go through to "adjust" steering effort, though the car must be stopped to do so. Instead of a computer menu, a simple **** that twists left and right to lessen or increase the effort ( like with radio volume ) would have made a lot more sense.
Having said that, though, even fiddling with the computer steering control didn't make much difference in the feel, at least in the driving conditions I was in ( I didn't throw the car around any really sharp curves at really high speeds, but limited it, in suburban conditions, to just some mildly aggressive tossabiity). I noticed little, if any, difference in steering feel in normal driving no matter where the control as set (as I also did with the COMFORT/SPORT suspension). As I stated earlier, I could not get the suspension into the ADVANCED mode....perhaps the steering automatically changes with that; I can't say.

As far as the steering being numb, overall it is not as numb as in, say, a Town Car, Grand Marquis, or big Buick, but the difference between the S80 and the superb BMW power steering units you are used to is noticeable. No other company currently building sedans in the American market, IMO, can outdo BMW in this area, so if you are used to BMW driving, you are going to be at least mildly disappointed with the steering in almost any other sedan or coupe. But, in my case, it is not a big deal......my first priority in driving is not BMW-telepathic steering anyway......other factors, IMO, are more important, like refinement, traction, interior plushness, build quality, and value for the money.

To be honest, though, I have not yet sampled a recent Volvo R-spec sports sedan to see how its steering compares with the BMW 3 and 5-series...I will put one on my tentative review list for the future. Perhaps the Volvo R sedans have different calibration for their steering pumps than their regular sedans...I would not be surprised.

rai

I know you reviewed the Acura RL a while back.

I was thinking the S80 is a different take on the same type of car, heavy AWD mid-size with lots of goodies for $50K plus/minus

How would you rate the S80 v the RL?

Interior size, quality, power, fun, luxury etc..

Milla...

True but often times you get a bunch of other info that you have to sift through, how much easier it would be to have all the car reviews listed in one spot. All of what you want and nothing you don't.

Thanks 1sicklex that would be nice, seriously as many people (mostly females i know) who ask me about which car is a better choice, a quick and easy reference point would be nice. I've also enjoyed some of yours as well.

Lil4X

Great review, mmarshall! I've always loved Volvos, particularly the 544 that came to these shores as early as 1958. A friend's family had bought one after living in Mexico for several years where they had its predecessor, the 444 as their family car. That little 544 was simply amazing to a kid brought up on "Detroit Iron", and it was my first driving experience with a "foreign" car.

Years later I began dating a woman who was the bookkeeper and inventory control clerk for a large independent Volvo shop. She drove a new Volvo, and I didn't know which I loved more, her or her 460. In time, as the designated weekend maintainer (after she left her job and all that free service at the Volvo shop), I discovered the cost of keeping a Volvo on the road was a bit more than I expected. A Mercedes could have been maintained for less. I quickly discovered that most of the engine electrics and a good number of major components were shared with other European makes.

In the spirit of the budding common market, Bosch was supplying parts to practically every European manufacturer - which, if you were a careful shopper, could save you a lot of money. Ignition systems, alternators, wiper motors, and starters were shared between a number of makes. Searching for a replacement alternator for her Volvo, I discovered it was identical (including stamped part numbers) to the one in my Opel. I had previously discovered that the Opel shared parts with the early 1.6L Pinto, and while Volvo priced the alternator at $270 (1980 dollars), Buick, the Opel importer, priced theirs at $140, and the Ford dealer down the street carried the same part for $65. The parts were identical, right down to their inspection codes.

And the lady with the Volvo? Well, I married her. Some people will do anything to get their hands on a car.

doug_999

Actually it was the R (S60R) that got knocked for the terrible steering. Sounds like they made serious improvements to the S80...

mmarshall

The RL is one of my all-time favorites...a real benchmark ( though some CL members disagree with me on that ). It is THE car I would be driving if I were to spend 50K ( though Subarus are a better overall value in AWD at half the price) . There is almost nothing about the RL, outside of the computer I-Drive-like **** on the dash, that I really dislike about it...and even THAT ****, though confusing like all such *****, is very well-made with excellent hardware, like the rest of the car. As a daily driver, I consider it the best AWD sedan I have ever driven, with the Lexus GS 300/350 AWD in a close second.....just as I consider the new Lexus LS460 the best RWD sedan I have driven to date.
So, not surprisingly, the S80 has quite a set of shoes to fill when you compare it to an RL. The S80 does compare favorably to the RL, however, in the solidness of its body/door sheet metal and chrome, the power of its 311/325 V8 vs the RL 's 290/260 V6, its crashworthiness and many safety features, and the richness of its beige leather interior. But in a direct comparison, I'd still take the RL hands-down. Like the LS460, I found both inspecting and driving the RL to be an almost intoxicating experience...it is like a jewel inside and out.

Unlike the RL, however, less expensive ( $40,000 ) versions of the S80 are available........minus the V8 engine and the Haldex AWD. The V8 AWD model I drove listed for over 53K, a tidy sum....and that did not include every option; mine was a non-NAV model. RL's generally list for around 50K, but discounts are available from the slow sales ( those slow sales seem to be picking up now ).