Hello All,

I'm new here and this is my 1st post.
I'm thinking about purchasing a 1999-2003 S80 or S60 in the next 12 months. I've admired these cars on the road and recently decided to find out more about them before I make a final decision. I'll be trading in my daily driver 00 Chev Cav. w/ 100K to get one of these. I'm a Teacher and think it is a little more Teacher looking.

1 What are typical maintenance issues?

2 Cost of typical maintenance?

3 Can a DIY type of guy handle fixing issues or is it a Dealer-needy car? IE I'll try to fix it and stay within my budget before I go to a Stealership.

4 A lot of Volvos...(fill in your thoughts)

5 Why do you all like them?

6 What will Volvo do for me?


Anything else you'd like to say would be appreciated. I'm probably missing some important answers due to my limited questions. I'm a good reader so you don't have to be brief.
Thanks,
BLACK KRYPTONITE

 

Don't get an s80 period. They drive like boats IMO.

Get a s70 or v70.

 

My boss has a S70. He likes it a lot. I don't really care for the body style. Something about the tailights on the 60s and 80 and the C Pillar make me really like these cars. I drive a Chevy Cavalier on a daily basis so a boat-esque drive might not be so bad. I'm really looking at adding 2 more doors and having something safe for my Wife and Son while still looking cool to me.

My other car (see homepage) is a 1996 Chevy Impala. It is a pretty big car so I'm use to driving something with size.

 

Do alot of research on this forum.
I would say to look for a 2002 or 2003 S60 or S80.
Don't buy from 1999 to 2001. They were the early years for the new body styles.

The S60 is more of a DIY car than the S80.

 

Listen to tech. I am a gearhead with a 1967 Pontiac GTO that I partially own with my dad that's back home and I swear by doing your own repairs. Because of the complexity of my 99 S80...I can't even turn a screw under the hood or upgrade the factory radio or exhaust without 3 sensors going off. And to make matters worse where I live the nearest Volvo dealer is well over an hour away. I can't even go to autozone and even make an attempt to buy the parts from outside the dealer because Volvo Cars USA has a freaking monopoly on all the OEM replacement parts. Everything is dealer, and these cars HATE upgrades.

Want to put on 18 inch wheels? It'll set off the "Drive Slowly, Serivce Urgent" message on the alert screen like it did with me when I upgraded recently from 16 to aftermarket 18 inch wheels. How about an aftermarket exhaust? You'll end up tricking your engine into thinking it's misfiring. That was something else that happened to me also. At this time, my car is running fine but I have 6 different error or service urgent alerts, along with the check engine light on that I am going to have to get fixed. It agonizes me, but I just don't have the money to take it to the dealer to get the computer tuned and cleared of the error codes. So I try and drive it sparingly just to go to the grocery store...the mall...short runs that are mabye no more than 10 miles round trip that I know will not labor the car the way it is right now.

Don't get me wrong, I love my S80....and I'd never sell it. But owning it is a love/hate relationship. You are in almost sheer happiness when the car is running the way it should, but it'll put a tear to your eye once it acts up....and it will. It's a wonderful car with a comfortable ride, and the interior is one of the best places to be. But these cars are EXTREMELY needy, and when they do break down...they will kick you in the face and run off with your wallet.

It also depends on what kind of financial funds you have to keep it up. I am a broke full-time college student in between jobs, and owning a S80 and needing a reliable car for school don't mix. I have emergency cash to repair the car if it breaks, but once when it did break just the 400 bucks I had for emergency repairs wouldn't even pay for one part...it wiped me out. I've had to beg my parents just to get it fixed because every time it breaks it wipes me out. These cars are great if you don't let anything that comes up go ignored, but be prepared to own one of the most high-matenience cars out there.

 

The only thing I'd do is maybe paint it. I know some people so I can get a quality job for a reasonable price. I don't want to change wheels or anything. Just a stock as a clock Volvo. No new nothing. I'm leaning towards the S60 from what I've read. It will be about 12 months before I pull the trigger, but I like to be prepared. I'm on a serious budget right now. 160 per week for daycare!!!! I do plan on keeping the car for at least 5 years. Thanks for the feedback folks. Keep it coming!

 

Your lucky I pay Double that for Daycare!!! Thats for 2
You will be better with the S60.
Find a good one. You will be happy with it.

 

If you're going to go with the S60....get the S60R or V70R if you want the added space of a station wagon. You won't regret it.

You can usually find a pretty nice low mileage one that'll be worth your while. Turbocharged 5 cylinder with 300 hp and can eat a M3 for lunch? Sounds good to me!!!

Seriously though, look into the s60r. When I graduate from college, that's going to be my next car.

 

I personally got the S80 because at the time (2003) it was the flagship car and we found some good prices on preowned S80's. I feel in love with the Bose system(this was before I found out how much of a difference a subwoofer makes),the interior was roomy (the S60 was cramped for the backseat people), of course the safety, and the horsepower (at the time 197 was alot; now it seems every Japan import can blow the non-turbo S80 out the water).

Honestly I am leanining towards trying to just trade in my S80 and look for a turbo one (thanks to all the mods who recommended that before I tried to dive into looking getting it turbo converted). If not I will prob hang with it for another year or so and then go from there.

 

In my comments that will follow I am not trying to discourage you from turboing your NA. I am forewarning you of the trouble and money it will cost.

Items needed (Not a complete list)
1. Turbo or Turbos
2. Intercooler
3. Intercooler hardpipes
4. Downpipe or Downpipes
5. Turbo hoses
6. Vaccum lines
7. Injectors
8. ECU tune. This is this most important step in the process. You will need to dyno for countless hours to get a proper tune and then finding the right tuning software and program to use. This will be very exspensive and time consuming.

I would tell you to expect to pay upwards of $3,000-$8,000 in this maybe more, to do this right.

IMO and in many others eyes it is easier to buy a already turbocharged Volvo. Now if you had like a 240 it would be easier but still time consuming and costly. But with an s80 it will be more so.

 

Well.......

In 1999, when I first saw the S80 commercial, I told myself that's the one. This is even before I was married with kid. Why? The looks, safety, and I didn't want to have a car likes everyone else. And the price was right for especially if you compare it with BMW 5 series.

Now, 2000 S80 2.9L with only 45K miles later, I still like the look but that's it. I have to say that I wouldn't buy it again. Why? It doesn't have the quick acceleration like that of a Honda (even from day one). It lacks power going uphill (wouldn't know if until you hit one, felt likea Metro). Would you want a car with 45K original mile to have ETM acceleration problems, suspensions going out, and loud engine noise (nothing like luxury)? Imagine what kind of money you would have to spend just to be able to drive it the next 100K. As for resale value, I'm not sure if I can fetch $10K for it now; it was $40K out the door when I got it. That's $30K for 45K miles, and it's not even tax deductible.

Sounds like your money is hard earn, so I wouldn't spend it here. And yes, I am trying to discourage you!

PS: Tech, pls still give me "how to" advice after the above comments. It's hard earn money here too, so I have to do most of the fixing myself. I'm not sure if I want to buy an engine hoist to attempt the O-rings replacement. I would have enough tools for weekend specials if I have to go that far. [sm=boohoo.gif]

 

You must really have a bad one.
The only other advise I can give you is you should have waited one more year before buying.

Yes I will help you after this.
Everyone has an opinion and this is what the forums are for.

 

Did someone just mention that the s60r is faster than the m3, are u sure on that?


Anyway, I love my s80 t6, I did have my fair share of problems, but if i were to make the choice all over again Id get it again

I enjoy using the twin turbo power..... I use it so much I think they are gonna blow up on me one day lol... Im surprised they moved away from the turbo engines in the newer engines, but probably will cause them alot less problems.

 

Bottonline I think Volvo has some of the safest and longest lasting vehicles on the road. You are going to have a bad one in any brand, but the 3 Volvo's that I have owned have all been superior in quality to anything in the same price range or mileage.

My first car ever was a 97 850 GLT with 84k miles on it, I drove it till 150k and all I did to it was change oil and get alignments(I wish I had kept this car). The second Volvo I had was an 02 S80 T-6, I loved it and simply traded it because I've always wanted an R. Of course my current and 3rd Volvo is the 2004 S60-R that I currently blur around in


Bottomline tech is right, you probably got a bad one...try and stay away from first generation vehicles in any make that includes highly luxurious brands. My 850 was one of the last generations for that model, my S80 was 3rd generation, and my R is first generation but the platform(engine/powertrain) had been around for a long time...for example the 5cylinder platform that my R has was the same platform in my 850. Hope this helps!

 

No you're right....def it's going to be hard either way.

Thanks for the advice guys...