most luxurious volvo ever made?
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03-19-2006, 01:54 AM
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03-20-2006, 01:11 PM
RE: most luxurious volvo ever made?
http://www.forbes.com/2001/11/26/1126test.html
Swedish chauffeurs, like flight attendants on the Concorde, must be selected as much for their height as for their other abilities. Because the Concorde is designed to fly at supersonic speeds, its hull is thicker than most planes, thereby severely limiting the headroom in the aisles. In order to avoid crouching during the entire three-hour trans-Atlantic flight, it is best that flight attendants be shorter. For the same reason, it would be helpful if the chauffeurs who drive the Volvo S80 T6, which bills itself as an executive sedan, also had shorter legs, because otherwise it would be very hard for anyone to sit in the backseat without feeling cramped.
Now, Swedes in general are hardly Lilliputian, so one can't argue that Volvo's engineers didn't have six-footers in mind when they designed the car. The best excuse is that maybe in Sweden, being a socialist country, executives are more egalitarian and insist on sitting in front. That would make sense, except that Volvo has gone to the trouble of installing a handsome video console for the benefit of those riding in the backseat. While the Swedish are reported to be exceptionally family-oriented, it is unlikely that even they would consider the S80's luxurious leather upholstery suitable for children.
Which leads to the question: For whom has the $49,950 S80 T6 been designed? Is it for riders or drivers? Executives or families?
It's likely that Volvo doesn't really know the answer. In recent years, it has made a conscious effort to move away from its former reputation as a maker of safe, dull cars popular with college professors and suburban housewives. It has streamlined its distinctive, though boxy shape and rolled out suave new models like the S80. Much of this has to do with the fact that in 1999 it was acquired by Ford Motor (nyse: F - news - people), which hopes to use its global network to make Volvo a big-selling, mid-level luxury brand.
HIGHS:
Refined interior, turbo-charged engine and Volvo's famous safety.
LOWS:
Limited legroom, lack of sex appeal, overcoming competition from Mercedes and BMW.
READ MORE TEST DRIVES
It's a long shot. While no one would ever fault Volvo for the quality of its craftsmanship, the problem is that most Americans already identify Volvo as a niche car, not a luxury car. That market is already full of well-established brands
In its $50,000 price range, the S80 T6 Executive edition finds itself occupying the middle ground between the smaller German luxury sedans and the larger, but less status-heavy cars like Cadillac and Lincoln. (The regular S80 model with the turbo-charged engine, but without the luxury appointment of the Executive edition, comes in about $8,000 less.) This could be an advantage because its overall ride and interior styling are superior to the Americans but, once again, it just doesn't have the legroom.
For that matter, it doesn't have much room in the trunk. With 14 cubic feet, it's all right for a weekend trip or a few sets of golf clubs, but is considerably smaller than the 18.4 cubic feet of a Lincoln Continental. (The regular S80's seats can fold down to allow longer items to be passed through but the T6 Executive doesn't offer that option.)
And while the performance is impressive, there are few drivers, rightly or wrongly, that would choose a Volvo, even a turbo-charged one, over the BMW 5-Series or Mercedes' E-Class saloons. Luxury and power, after all, are what the Germans do best.
But there is also something about a Volvo that has justifiably earned it a reputation for being a cult car. Once a Volvo owner, the thinking goes, always a Volvo owner. So if you already own a Volvo, you'll probably overlook the Executive edition's minor problems and concentrate on its many positive features. If not, read on.
From The Driver's Seat | Should You Buy This Car? | Specs
What could be a negative for the S80--that it's not a Mercedes or BMW--could actually be played into a positive. Granted, these German marques are justifiably famous, but they're also a little too familiar. Particularly now that they have created such a wide model range that they can offer cars from $20,000 to $120,000, Mercedes and BMW aren't as exclusive as they used to be. Volvo, on the other hand, is still relatively unknown. If you pull up to the country club, its parking lot will doubtless be full of 7-Series and CLKs, but the odds are good that yours will be the only S80.
Further adding to your pleasure is the nifty twin-turbocharged, 268-horsepower inline 6-cylinder engine that delivers 0 to 60mph in 6.5 seconds, not the kind of speed people expect from Volvo. The car doesn't look fast either, which contributes to the surprise you'll feel when you punch the gas and rocket down the highway.
But be careful. Even though the standard 4-speed automatic transmission is smooth, the car has a tendency to wander a little bit when you try to merge into traffic lanes at full throttle; the torque-steer can yank the car off course. And although the S80 comes with clutchless manual shifting, so it is possible to corner more smoothly by downshifting prior to a turn, it's very hard to keep the car on its intended path when you hit the gas to exit the turn, since again all that turbocharged juice comes on-line in a jolt, grabs the driven/steering wheels and yanks them.
Another problem is the power steering, which can feel too light at high speeds. Still, the car is plenty quick and responsive.
The ride is, for the most part, a plush one, befitting the "executive" nature of the car, and glides over all but the biggest potholes. The car is handsomely-appointed, and there are numerous touches, such as the rear window's automatic sunscreen and the built-in mini-fridge, that make the car seem far more expensive than it is.
Intro | Should You Buy This Car? | Specs
As was hoped, the S80 has become increasingly popular with executives since it was first introduced in 1999, and the Executive edition should win even more customers. For someone looking for a more discreet, and less expensive, car with excellent safety features, there is much to recommend it.
It all comes down to the question posed earlier. What will you be using the car for? If you want a comfortable, safe, unostentatious car with plenty of zip and refinement, this is the ride for you. But such a car is likely to appeal to the older driver, the kind of person who has always driven Volvos, or who no longer needs the space of an SUV or the status of a Mercedes. Younger--mid-30s and below--drivers might recognize the many attractive qualities of the S80, but it may make sense to go for the regular T6 model, which still has the turbo though not the executive trim in the backseat.
At roughly $42,000, the regular S80 T6 looks like the better deal. Even though it's still pretty much the same model that Volvo rolled out when it unveiled the S80 in 1999, the S80 is aging gracefully, and once Volvo, unlike most of its competitors, finds something that works, they tend to stick with it. The other reason the regular T6 is a better deal is that you are still getting Volvo's top of the line model--and they didn't leave anything out.
But it's also important to consider the S80's other natural competitor besides the Germans and the Americans: the Lexus GS 430. The GS 430 is more balanced, with the power more easily controlled than in the Volvo, but the steering in the Volvo will be more progressive, with better feel. The 430 has a classic Japanese sports-sedan feel, with everything, even the driving effort, on the light side of fun. The Volvo feels better at high speeds, so if your commute involves traveling at 80mph on the highway for a half hour each way, you might be happier in the more solid Volvo
Swedish chauffeurs, like flight attendants on the Concorde, must be selected as much for their height as for their other abilities. Because the Concorde is designed to fly at supersonic speeds, its hull is thicker than most planes, thereby severely limiting the headroom in the aisles. In order to avoid crouching during the entire three-hour trans-Atlantic flight, it is best that flight attendants be shorter. For the same reason, it would be helpful if the chauffeurs who drive the Volvo S80 T6, which bills itself as an executive sedan, also had shorter legs, because otherwise it would be very hard for anyone to sit in the backseat without feeling cramped.
Now, Swedes in general are hardly Lilliputian, so one can't argue that Volvo's engineers didn't have six-footers in mind when they designed the car. The best excuse is that maybe in Sweden, being a socialist country, executives are more egalitarian and insist on sitting in front. That would make sense, except that Volvo has gone to the trouble of installing a handsome video console for the benefit of those riding in the backseat. While the Swedish are reported to be exceptionally family-oriented, it is unlikely that even they would consider the S80's luxurious leather upholstery suitable for children.
Which leads to the question: For whom has the $49,950 S80 T6 been designed? Is it for riders or drivers? Executives or families?
It's likely that Volvo doesn't really know the answer. In recent years, it has made a conscious effort to move away from its former reputation as a maker of safe, dull cars popular with college professors and suburban housewives. It has streamlined its distinctive, though boxy shape and rolled out suave new models like the S80. Much of this has to do with the fact that in 1999 it was acquired by Ford Motor (nyse: F - news - people), which hopes to use its global network to make Volvo a big-selling, mid-level luxury brand.
HIGHS:
Refined interior, turbo-charged engine and Volvo's famous safety.
LOWS:
Limited legroom, lack of sex appeal, overcoming competition from Mercedes and BMW.
READ MORE TEST DRIVES
It's a long shot. While no one would ever fault Volvo for the quality of its craftsmanship, the problem is that most Americans already identify Volvo as a niche car, not a luxury car. That market is already full of well-established brands
In its $50,000 price range, the S80 T6 Executive edition finds itself occupying the middle ground between the smaller German luxury sedans and the larger, but less status-heavy cars like Cadillac and Lincoln. (The regular S80 model with the turbo-charged engine, but without the luxury appointment of the Executive edition, comes in about $8,000 less.) This could be an advantage because its overall ride and interior styling are superior to the Americans but, once again, it just doesn't have the legroom.
For that matter, it doesn't have much room in the trunk. With 14 cubic feet, it's all right for a weekend trip or a few sets of golf clubs, but is considerably smaller than the 18.4 cubic feet of a Lincoln Continental. (The regular S80's seats can fold down to allow longer items to be passed through but the T6 Executive doesn't offer that option.)
And while the performance is impressive, there are few drivers, rightly or wrongly, that would choose a Volvo, even a turbo-charged one, over the BMW 5-Series or Mercedes' E-Class saloons. Luxury and power, after all, are what the Germans do best.
But there is also something about a Volvo that has justifiably earned it a reputation for being a cult car. Once a Volvo owner, the thinking goes, always a Volvo owner. So if you already own a Volvo, you'll probably overlook the Executive edition's minor problems and concentrate on its many positive features. If not, read on.
From The Driver's Seat | Should You Buy This Car? | Specs
What could be a negative for the S80--that it's not a Mercedes or BMW--could actually be played into a positive. Granted, these German marques are justifiably famous, but they're also a little too familiar. Particularly now that they have created such a wide model range that they can offer cars from $20,000 to $120,000, Mercedes and BMW aren't as exclusive as they used to be. Volvo, on the other hand, is still relatively unknown. If you pull up to the country club, its parking lot will doubtless be full of 7-Series and CLKs, but the odds are good that yours will be the only S80.
Further adding to your pleasure is the nifty twin-turbocharged, 268-horsepower inline 6-cylinder engine that delivers 0 to 60mph in 6.5 seconds, not the kind of speed people expect from Volvo. The car doesn't look fast either, which contributes to the surprise you'll feel when you punch the gas and rocket down the highway.
But be careful. Even though the standard 4-speed automatic transmission is smooth, the car has a tendency to wander a little bit when you try to merge into traffic lanes at full throttle; the torque-steer can yank the car off course. And although the S80 comes with clutchless manual shifting, so it is possible to corner more smoothly by downshifting prior to a turn, it's very hard to keep the car on its intended path when you hit the gas to exit the turn, since again all that turbocharged juice comes on-line in a jolt, grabs the driven/steering wheels and yanks them.
Another problem is the power steering, which can feel too light at high speeds. Still, the car is plenty quick and responsive.
The ride is, for the most part, a plush one, befitting the "executive" nature of the car, and glides over all but the biggest potholes. The car is handsomely-appointed, and there are numerous touches, such as the rear window's automatic sunscreen and the built-in mini-fridge, that make the car seem far more expensive than it is.
Intro | Should You Buy This Car? | Specs
As was hoped, the S80 has become increasingly popular with executives since it was first introduced in 1999, and the Executive edition should win even more customers. For someone looking for a more discreet, and less expensive, car with excellent safety features, there is much to recommend it.
It all comes down to the question posed earlier. What will you be using the car for? If you want a comfortable, safe, unostentatious car with plenty of zip and refinement, this is the ride for you. But such a car is likely to appeal to the older driver, the kind of person who has always driven Volvos, or who no longer needs the space of an SUV or the status of a Mercedes. Younger--mid-30s and below--drivers might recognize the many attractive qualities of the S80, but it may make sense to go for the regular T6 model, which still has the turbo though not the executive trim in the backseat.
At roughly $42,000, the regular S80 T6 looks like the better deal. Even though it's still pretty much the same model that Volvo rolled out when it unveiled the S80 in 1999, the S80 is aging gracefully, and once Volvo, unlike most of its competitors, finds something that works, they tend to stick with it. The other reason the regular T6 is a better deal is that you are still getting Volvo's top of the line model--and they didn't leave anything out.
But it's also important to consider the S80's other natural competitor besides the Germans and the Americans: the Lexus GS 430. The GS 430 is more balanced, with the power more easily controlled than in the Volvo, but the steering in the Volvo will be more progressive, with better feel. The 430 has a classic Japanese sports-sedan feel, with everything, even the driving effort, on the light side of fun. The Volvo feels better at high speeds, so if your commute involves traveling at 80mph on the highway for a half hour each way, you might be happier in the more solid Volvo
#8
03-20-2006, 05:49 PM
#9
03-20-2006, 07:58 PM
RE: most luxurious volvo ever made?
Good point. There was a time where there was a stigma attached to owning a wagon. Now I think that goes with mini vans not Volvo wagons. I swear none of my kids will own a mini van as long as they are called mini vans, but a Volvo wagon, in a minute. My son, who drives a BMW 325IS, likes driving the V70 when he needs to haul something. He always says that's a nice car.
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