Volvo's three "S" system for Bliss: speed, style and safety
Introduction
Volvo S80 – Review: You see a Volvo driving down the road and automatically you assign a persona to the driver: Smart; safety-minded. Glasses over contacts; organic over Albertsons. Maybe, in fact, you think the driver cares a bit too much for substance, the kind of person who drinks carrot juice – and likes it. For Volvo, that's not the case, at least not as much anymore. Like the nerd who starts working out, dumps his Spock costume and gets laser eye surgery, Volvo has emerged into a new identity: still smart, but a whole lot more fun and better looking, starting with the 2007 S80. Thoroughly redesigned, the S80 offers power, safety innovation and a sexy style – but at a high price tag that's definitely more German than Swede.There's a big valley behind Lake Perris, California, and that's where we began our test of the 2007 Volvo S80. After more than 300 miles of driving, we came away warmly impressed...but wanting for more. That's unfortunate, for our Electric Silver Metallic S80 can't offer much more: this mostly loaded car had a base price of $48,045, including a $695 destination charge. Add-ons included the Sport Package, with 18-inch Zubra Alloy wheels, ventilated/perforated leather seats, BiXenon Gas Discharge Headlamps and speed-sensitive steering, for $2,495; a Climate Package ($725), Audio Package ($1,550), Adaptive Cruise Control ($1,495) and Volvo's Blindspot Information System (BLIS) for $595. Add it up and our tester cost a whopping $56,025. About the only thing missing was the navigation package, costing $2,120.
Performance
You've really got to tell this powertrain what you want, in no uncertain terms. But when you do, when you put your foot into it, the S80 comes to life and provides a spry, sporting drive, the 4.4-liter V8 engine pumping out 311 horsepower and 325 lb. ft. torque. The six-speed transmission offers up smooth and predictable shifts, though the gearing felt pretty short. When you slip it into manual mode and hold the gears for a longer period, the S80's power really come to life, and the driving experience improves significantly. What didn't improve during our week of driving, however, was the S80's fuel efficiency: 16.4 miles per gallon in mixed driving is much too low.
Handling
It's due in part to our tester's 18-inch performance tires and a sport suspension with Sport, Comfort, or Advanced Modes, but we were surprised at the S80's jarring ride, even in Comfort mode. It didn't really pay dividends with a tight, aggressive handling character either. Good, but a little vague in the corners and not very tossable what with all-wheel drive and stability control keeping things straight. Then there's Adaptive Cruise Control with Collision Avoidance (ACC): You drive down the road, and the car in front slows to a stop. As you brake, you get closer and the ACC makes a sudden, loud noise and flashes a red light. At the same time, it primes the brakes for maximum stopping power. Yikes.
Visibility
If only all automakers treated visibility as seriously as Volvo. This S80, for example, is one of the easiest sedans to maneuver in traffic, thanks to narrow pillars, headrests that set down into the rear seats, and the wonder of Volvo's Blindspot Information System (BLIS). Dare we say it? The little lights located on the A-Pillar beside the rearview mirrors, are, uh, a BLISsful bit of technology. The lights blink when a car enters into the blindspot zone on either side, silently and subtly notifying the driver. Add to this the turn signal indicator lights on the rearview mirrors themselves, and it's hard to imagine a lane change accident. The BLIS system helps even more so, because the rearview mirrors themselves are a bit small.
Fun to Drive
At almost $60,000, any fun you have with the Volvo S80 is tempered by the price you paid at the dealership. Look beyond that, however, and its 311 horsepower and 325 lb.-ft of torque does provide for a fun ride. Add the Adaptive Cruise Control with collision avoidance (ACC) – that's a whole level of adrenaline shot fun you can usually only get at Seaside Sammy's Carnival Rides. Just smile for the red light...
Front Comfort
Riding on a longer wheelbase than the 2006 model, the 2007 S80 actually feels smaller inside, especially for legs. Front seats are comfortable, however, though they could use more thigh support, and driver memory controls are awkwardly placed above the eight-way power controls on the bottom left side of the seat, and why manual lumbar for a $60,000 car? Hmmm. Otherwise, the seats and cabin are nicely done. Foot room is compromised slightly, though, as the foot well limits space at the side and the dead pedal positioned too high. Overall, a cockpit that's slightly too small, but comfy enough to spend a commute or a long drive, thanks to a smart layout and quality materials. Getting inside is a little awkward, as driver ingress is impeded by a large steering wheel. Sure, the wheel tilts and telescopes, but the mechanism is hard to use.
Rear Comfort
For 2007, the Volvo S80 is taller than the outgoing model. While you can't tell by getting into the car, you can tell when you sit inside: There's plenty of head and shoulder room. For a sedan this size, however, it's pretty tight for feet and legs in the back row. The back doors are also small, making it harder to get inside and to climb out. We expected more leg room and hip room in back as well, though the seats are nicely upholstered and comfortable.
Interior Noise
A quiet car in terms of tire and wind noise, the Volvo S80 did exhibit a number of rattles and audible vibrations over a week of driving over various road surfaces, most of which sounded as though it emanated from the rear of the vehicle. This was most evident either on rougher than normal asphalt or when the S80 was high in the rev range. With an almost $60,000 price tag attached to the bumper, that's a little disappointing.
Loading Cargo
Trunk liftover is nice and low – no back trouble here – but the opening is too small for large and square packages, thanks to the design of the trunk lid. That trunk lid also seems hard to manipulate with one hand, an important thing, say, if you're attempting to load groceries. There's a small pass through that's good for long items, and the trunk is quite roomy and lined with quality carpeting. Inside, there are plenty of cargo areas up front, though the area behind the center control waterfall is a bit useless.
Build Quality
Volvo has a well-earned reputation for building quality cars, and the S80 looks to be no exception. The interior build is excellent; gaps are tight, knobs and controls have a nice heft, stitching is consistent and all around nicely executed. Everything feels nicely tapped down inside, save for too much noise while driving. On the outside, "Volvo" sill plates were nicely constructed and not likely to loosen, while the Adaptive Cruise Control sensor up front was big and garish on the grille. We noticed a few minor flaws and gap variances, notably around the trunk lid. That's a small complaint compared to what it provides in terms of safety, however.
Materials Quality
This is where "luxury" comes in. Sure, you've gotta have the power, but this is what many people assume comes with a $60,000 car, and mostly Volvo delivers. Material inside the sedan is generally excellent, though it's worth noting that not all of our staff agrees – see second opinions for more. Despite that staffer's weird ramblings, we found the leather to be comfortable and durable, and soft touch surfaces placed where fingers and elbows touch. Elsewhere, what Volvo claims is real wood grain has a rich look, though they'd do well to lose the wood piece on the shifter. There's quite a bit of hard plastic, sure, but it has a quality feel with a smooth, no-grain finish that flows with the rest of the materials inside.
Styling
This Volvo is actually sleek, with nice lines and a grown-up style that shows how far Volvo has taken its look and evolved it into a modern and sexy design language. Bravo! We especially liked the front traditional grille badge with slash – a shame that the big Adaptive Cruise Control sensor is parked there. Inside, the waterfall control panel is fast becoming a unique Volvo design. Though we never actually put anything behind it – there's plenty of other cubby hole areas – it's just cool, period, and a wonderful design touch. What's also cool is the lighting design; the ambient light, and the U-shaped main lighting, with spotlights, help to create an inviting interior environment, and a safely lit exterior when exiting or entering.
Storage
There are plenty of places to put stuff inside the Volvo S80, including a slightly small but livable glove box, big door compartments (even lined!), magazine holders behind front seats, and more. Above the cupholders, there's a small compartment that's deep enough to hold cards and keys. As much as we liked many of the interior design elements, however, the front seat cupholders could use a little revision. Too shallow, a hard turn may make your beverage tumble, causing distress, and, who knows – perhaps Volvo has a safety sensor for in-transit party fouls. In back, there's a fold out armrest/cupholder unit that gets the job done.
Infotainment Controls
On a scale of nit-picky-nits, this ranks right up there, but here goes: The tuner knob is too small. It's on the side nearest the passenger, so the driver must reach over and scroll, which takes a number of rotations. Otherwise, the stereo is simply laid out, with a knob for power/volume, one for tuning, and buttons for channel presets. It's so simply laid out, in fact, that it's nearly impossible to miss a button or control, even at a glance.
Climate Controls
Here's the heart of Volvo's signature waterfall design, centered on a profile of a person with arrows pointing to the upper, mid and lower level directional airflow controls. Buttons are simply laid out below this profile, along with safety system and heated/cooled seat controls. Of special note is how the profile, along with other controls, lights up in the evening. It brings the best of Volvo's new interior into vibrant life.
Secondary Controls
Steering wheel controls are easy to use. So are door controls. Duh. In fact, on the Volvo S80, they're even easier to use, so that's a double duh! No BMW/Audi mind games here, bunky. Just straightforward controls, as if it was a Lexus or something. On the steering wheel, for example, there's a LARGE volume symbol for volume up, and a small symbol to turn things down. Same goes for the Adaptive Cruise Control buttons on the door side of the wheel: one button to shorten the distance, represented with a short arrow, and another button with the opposite visual cue/result. On the door, a collection of power window switches reside, with auto up/down, along with rearview mirror controls set out in an intuitive manner.
Competition
Here's where the going gets tough for Volvo and its S80. No matter how advanced the safety, how cool the interior waterfall design is or how improved the sheetmetal styling, with an as-equipped sticker price of $56,025 it competes against some serious heavy hitters in the luxury market, starting with the BMW 5 Series, the Lexus GS lineup, Mercedes' E-Class and the Audi A6, plus more. A nice car, but one that struggles to compete at its fully loaded price tag. The base 2007 Volvo S80, with the 3.2-liter inline-six cylinder, sells at an MSRP of $38,750, almost 20 grand less than the top of the line all-wheel-drive V8 model with a front-wheel drive configuration and a pretty weak powertrain.
2nd Opinion -- Blackett
Volvo S80 – Thom Blackett's Opinion:
I think this Volvo may be one of the best looking family sedans currently on the market. Yeah, Volvo. The brand's designers are obviously now comfortable with curvy lines and sexy shapes, and inside they've carried on with the waterfall instrument panel that serves as a distinguishing Volvo element. However, that center stack is wrapped in hard plastic that's lousy to the touch, and worse, it's a hard spot for right knees in left turns. Other materials are better, but our tester was awash in a blindingly bland sea of tans, all of which served as buzzkill contrast to the alluring exterior. The powertrain was lively, but I was disappointed to find the manumatic shift handle fitted with chintzy bits of fake wood.
2nd Opinion -- Wardlaw
Volvo S80 – Chris Wardlaw's Opinion:
Volvo means well, but the overpriced S80's collision avoidance alert system only reminded me that I was driving like a jerk as I rushed through traffic to an appointment in L.A. Once, the alert flashed and sounded as surrounding cars came crushing to a stop and it appeared the guy behind me might crunch the Volvo's bumper, injecting an extra and unwelcome dose of adrenaline into my system. I recommend skipping this annoying option. Volvo's Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), however, rocks. The rest of the car is nice enough, with comfortable seats and a Scandinavian minimalist look. However, is it expecting too much that I think this 4.4-liter V8 should be getting better gas mileage than a Chrysler Hemi?
Photos courtesy of Ron Perry