This morning I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that after 2 years I made the last payment on my 2012 Volvo S80 3.2. So after 2 years and around 31,000KM what do I think of the S80? Read on.
THE CAR
I purchased the S80 as a CPO model in June 2014. The car was an ex-rental (which I didn't love) and had just over 14,000KM on the odometer. My car was a Premier model with the following options:
- Technology Package
- Climate Package
- Keyless Drive w/Personal Car Communicator
- Metallic Paint
After some bargaining I purchased the car for $27,200 plus Tax. I also got them to throw in an extra key (for a total of 3) and some winter floor mats.
MY EXPERINCE
Long story short, I love this car. It is comfortable, reliable (so far) and decently fuel efficient for what it is. Continue reading if you want more details.
- The ride is still great. The car is much smoother and quieter than my previous vehicle (A 2009 Pontiac G8) going over the potholed roads of Canada's Capital City. I am also happy to report that the cabin is still very well screwed together with no squeaks or rattles. The steering is nice and weighty and has a good feel. The handling could be a bit sportier but really that isn't what this car is about anyway.
- The 3.2 gets a bad rap here from some posters but frankly I like it a great deal. It runs smooth, pulls hard and sounds fantastic at WOT. I find I have more than enough power for the kind of driving I do. For the curious on regular gas I get about 20 MPG in mostly City and Suburban driving. On highway trips I get around 31 MPG cruising at around 126 km/h.
- The S80 is a fantastic winter car. I bought some good quality winter tires for it and have no problem navigating the snowy roads up here in the Great White North. I have not had to shovel myself out of a parking spot once since I purchased the car. I am sure AWD would have been nice but really the FWD S80 with winter tires should be sufficient for almost anyone.
- The S80 has pretty good paint quality. So far it still looks great after a wash and I haven't had any major problems with rock chips.
-The seats are very comfortable with lots of adjustment. Seat heaters are decent but could use a little more oomph on the highest setting. Weirdly enough my wife thinks the seats are good but not great and still prefers the seats in the Pontiac G8. The interior is holding up very well. Still looks new after a good detail and I still love the design and materials used.
- The parking sensors are great and make parking downtown way easier for this country boy living in the big city.
- The radar cruise is just fantastic. If you are looking to buy a used S80 this is almost a must have feature. I use it every time I go for a long highway drive and it makes the trip much more relaxing. I admit I was a skeptic when I first heard about the technology but now I am complete believer.
- The multimedia system is… decent. It has plenty of features and I find everything easy to find and use. My big complaint is it is capable of doing 2 things at once. If you change radio stations you better wait because you can't lower or raise the volume until the car is done thinking. Same if you set off a parking sensor. It gets a little old.
- The stereo itself has grown on me and I think it sounds great for being the entry level sound system. It is easily loud enough for me.
- Reliability has been good. So far I have had the following issues:
1. The front Volvo emblem replaced for fading (WARRANTY)
2. The START/STOP button fell off and had to be replaced (WARRANTY)
3. There is no three. Knock on wood.
- Servicing costs are a little steep here in Canada but if you have a good independent mechanic (which I do) they are manageable.
So obviously I love the car. What would I change?
- The engine, which is usually very smooth and quiet, can sound a bit rough on startup on a cold winter morning.
- I maintain that Volvo should let me set the car to unlock all the doors when I put it in park. This has caused no end of annoyance for me and passengers.
- The leather on the seats feels great but wrinkles and shows wear pretty easily. I treat it fairly often with leather conditioner and it still seems to be wearing more than I like.
- I wish the handling was just a BIT tighter.
Other than that I am very happy. I think a gently used S80 is probably one of the best used car deals around. The car is attractive, safe, reliable and relatively affordable for what it is.
THE CAR
I purchased the S80 as a CPO model in June 2014. The car was an ex-rental (which I didn't love) and had just over 14,000KM on the odometer. My car was a Premier model with the following options:
- Technology Package
- Climate Package
- Keyless Drive w/Personal Car Communicator
- Metallic Paint
After some bargaining I purchased the car for $27,200 plus Tax. I also got them to throw in an extra key (for a total of 3) and some winter floor mats.
MY EXPERINCE
Long story short, I love this car. It is comfortable, reliable (so far) and decently fuel efficient for what it is. Continue reading if you want more details.
- The ride is still great. The car is much smoother and quieter than my previous vehicle (A 2009 Pontiac G8) going over the potholed roads of Canada's Capital City. I am also happy to report that the cabin is still very well screwed together with no squeaks or rattles. The steering is nice and weighty and has a good feel. The handling could be a bit sportier but really that isn't what this car is about anyway.
- The 3.2 gets a bad rap here from some posters but frankly I like it a great deal. It runs smooth, pulls hard and sounds fantastic at WOT. I find I have more than enough power for the kind of driving I do. For the curious on regular gas I get about 20 MPG in mostly City and Suburban driving. On highway trips I get around 31 MPG cruising at around 126 km/h.
- The S80 is a fantastic winter car. I bought some good quality winter tires for it and have no problem navigating the snowy roads up here in the Great White North. I have not had to shovel myself out of a parking spot once since I purchased the car. I am sure AWD would have been nice but really the FWD S80 with winter tires should be sufficient for almost anyone.
- The S80 has pretty good paint quality. So far it still looks great after a wash and I haven't had any major problems with rock chips.
-The seats are very comfortable with lots of adjustment. Seat heaters are decent but could use a little more oomph on the highest setting. Weirdly enough my wife thinks the seats are good but not great and still prefers the seats in the Pontiac G8. The interior is holding up very well. Still looks new after a good detail and I still love the design and materials used.
- The parking sensors are great and make parking downtown way easier for this country boy living in the big city.
- The radar cruise is just fantastic. If you are looking to buy a used S80 this is almost a must have feature. I use it every time I go for a long highway drive and it makes the trip much more relaxing. I admit I was a skeptic when I first heard about the technology but now I am complete believer.
- The multimedia system is… decent. It has plenty of features and I find everything easy to find and use. My big complaint is it is capable of doing 2 things at once. If you change radio stations you better wait because you can't lower or raise the volume until the car is done thinking. Same if you set off a parking sensor. It gets a little old.
- The stereo itself has grown on me and I think it sounds great for being the entry level sound system. It is easily loud enough for me.
- Reliability has been good. So far I have had the following issues:
1. The front Volvo emblem replaced for fading (WARRANTY)
2. The START/STOP button fell off and had to be replaced (WARRANTY)
3. There is no three. Knock on wood.
- Servicing costs are a little steep here in Canada but if you have a good independent mechanic (which I do) they are manageable.
So obviously I love the car. What would I change?
- The engine, which is usually very smooth and quiet, can sound a bit rough on startup on a cold winter morning.
- I maintain that Volvo should let me set the car to unlock all the doors when I put it in park. This has caused no end of annoyance for me and passengers.
- The leather on the seats feels great but wrinkles and shows wear pretty easily. I treat it fairly often with leather conditioner and it still seems to be wearing more than I like.
- I wish the handling was just a BIT tighter.
Other than that I am very happy. I think a gently used S80 is probably one of the best used car deals around. The car is attractive, safe, reliable and relatively affordable for what it is.
