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As long as you understand that it's a Volvo (not an Acura, Honda, Lexus, etc) and keep your reliability expectations focused on a Volvo product (which has expensive maintenance and upkeep), you'll enjoy the S80. I own a 2000 (check my username) and it's been a pleasure to drive and own. There are those on this board, who shall remain nameless, but will become readily apparent, that'll tell you to steer clear of the S80 at all costs. Recommend you take a more balanced approach when deciding whether to buy an S80 or not:
- What condition is the car in? I've seen Volvo's with 30,000 miles on them which were badly abused and not worth buying.
- Are there indications and records that the car was well maintained? You may want to pay for an independent Volvo mechanic to give the car a once-over, even if there's still some factory warrant left on it.
- Call the Volvo 1-800 number and have then run a check on the VIN for recalls and other TSB's.
- Always get a CARFAX report. Too many owners in too little time usually means the car has had some trouble that couldn't be resolved (yes, Volvo can, as all car manufactures can, build a Lemon from time to time).
- Try to get an extended test drive period. I test drove my S80 for almost two full days, logging over 100 miles on it in varying traffic conditions. This was a good opportunity to see if there were any problems that needed to be addressed with the dealer or if I even liked the car at all. Thankfully, everything worked fine.
- Buy an extended warranty.
In closing, understand that a lot of the people who post on this board are not happy customers (thankfully, I don't fall into that category). There are other good Volvo references at www.edmunds.com, www.swedespeed.com, and volvospy.com, the later two being more directed more towards the Volvo enthusiast.
Good luck with your decision.
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