The V8 AWD no doubt is the best option but if you cannot come across that a T6 AWD Inscription should suffice. My aunt drives a 2010 3.2. While it is sluggish in comparison to the T6/V8 it is an overall highly efficient engine that does well over long periods of driving, especially on the highway. It gives you all power at once when you put your foot directly to the gas.


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Warpedcow gave me this advice (post #47 & #49):
http://forums.swedespeed.com/showthread.php?336193-New-V8-Owner&p=3994097&viewfull=1#post3994097

It was good enough advice that I've kept it for future reference.

 

Aww shucks!

Hello everyone!
Been reading these forums a lot, but I wanted to just ask directly to you guys what trim level/engine should I be looking at for an S80. I would say my top end budget is maybe $15k, but less would be better. I love the idea of the V8, but they're not the easiest things in the world to find it seems. So how about a 3.2 or a T6? Reliability is key for me, I don't want to be having to repair things constantly. A little power would be nice too though! The V8 is definitely my top choice if I can find one, but now I guess I'm just seeking overall advice from you guys! Thanks a lot.

Read my posts linked above, but in a nutshell for that budget you should find either an 09 or 10 V8 with the Dynamic chassis (very hard to find) or a 2011+ T6 with the dynamic chassis (very hard to find, particularly within your budget) but also consider without the dynamic chassis. If you can't find any of those at all, look for an 07-08 V8 with 4C (lots more common).

 

The (silent) majority of S80 owners drive a FWD 3.2. It's low-maintenance, as reliable as an anvil, and easily repaired by any independent shop. By 2016 standards it's not exactly a high performance engine, but it's still capable of squealing the tires and hustling down the on-ramp as quickly as any 1980s "muscle" car. There's some urban legend about oil consumption in these engines, but according to Consumer Reports it's confined to a small percentage of early XC60s and XC90s.

For stronger performance I'd go for a T6. Just understand that turbochargers and all-wheel-drive can only add to your long-term maintenance and repair bills. Especially if the previous owner skipped on maintenance, didn't allow proper cool-down time, etc.

As for the V8 model, I love Yamaha engines in fact I own a V Star 1300. But as good as they are, you'd want to check with your local indy garage to see how well they know the engine and can obtain parts for it. They're pretty rare where I live.

 

Very pleased with my 3.2. Simple and straight ahead to work on while providing plenty of daily driving pep. The 4C option gives added control and safety in the handling, but does had quite a bit of cost. Not as cool as the German cars, but not as expensive either. IMO.

 

Keep in mind that the S80 is not all that large. They offer a tiny bit of extra legroom in the back as compared to an S60, but overall, it's a tight car. I knew this going in when I bought mine, but I still constantly wish for a touch more room. I have a T5 and I test drove the V8, T6, and 3.2. You might want to check out prices of 2015/2016's, because they can be had pretty cheaply if you find the right dealer. If you don't need AWD, the T5 is a great setup - the transmission can deliver great fuel economy and it has enough power to keep things interesting when you throw the transmission into sport or manual mode.

 

Keep in mind that the S80 is not all that large. They offer a tiny bit of extra legroom in the back as compared to an S60, but overall, it's a tight car

Maybe compared to an S class Merc, this difference is not large...

If you're used to sitting in the back of an S60 (P2 or P3) then the S80 will feel much bigger.

 

Great input, thank you very much! I think I'll go drive a few different ones and see which one i like best.

 

Sorry, in my original reply, I didn't see the $15k price range comment. When I bought mine, I originally started looking in that range. It was crazy seeing the price range of S80s (maybe because there are so few), but I would see 2010/2011's with similar mileage/equipment and they could be $12k at one place and $22k at another. I eventually decided to substantially increase my budget, but I think you're really looking at the sweet spot in terms of value. You can get a good S80 for that money. I got a little hung up on having a 2012+ for the new dash and infotainment, and having lived with it now for awhile, I wouldn't have been missing out going with the older dash.

I talked with a few Volvo mechanics (I used to work at a dealership), and they warned me off the V8. They didn't think the T6 was too much of a risk over the 3.2. I would be patient and drive a couple and then wait for the right car to come along. It may be that you'd be OK with either engine (in terms of performance, economy, etc.), and the more you're open to, the better chance you have of finding a good car with a conscientious owner/service records/etc. Good luck!

 

We have an 09 S80 V8 and a 14 S60 T5. The S60 is most definitely cramped feeling inside and the seats pale in comparison to the S80. The T5 has plenty of power and good mpgs but it's boring to look at, my friends call it my Accord, and my parents refuse to ride in it. I pretty much 100% regret buying the S60 and once the warranty is up, it's outta here.

 

but it's boring to look at, my friends call it my Accord, and my parents refuse to ride in it. I pretty much 100% regret buying the S60 and once the warranty is up, it's outta here.

And it's not a matter of e.g the S60 being a lower trim or less equipped or anything? The V8's were all top of the line equipped, at least in europe, whereas the T6 is todays top of the line engine, the T5 is to the T6 what the 3.2 was to the old 6-cyl T6. And lol at your parents refusing to ride in it. Are they unable to get in and out of it or is it a matter of principle? I'd probably take a V60 T6 over my S80 V8, but that's just because I don't like the rear of the S60.

 

As a DD, 3.2 for simple longevity. Remember, it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow[emoji848]

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I know what you're saying and I've read the brochures too, but see this thread from 3 years ago ... http://forums.swedespeed.com/showthread.php?190342-Sport-lowered-chassis-option

Looks like it was an ala carte option, and probably special order.

 

I've got the window sticker for mine and it is listed as an add on, not a package. I'll take a picture when I get out to the car.

 

You're right, how did I forget that?! So now we know of TWO 2010 V8's with the sport chassis option. Good God man ... I have to find me one of these now, in pearl white of course ... or you could just sell me yours

 

OP said he doesn't want a car that is non engaging to drive. I tested a used S60 T6 (300 up awd) and it was a lot more engaging to drive than the S80 I bought for the bigger rear legroom.

The S80 driving experience is a lot more Lincoln than BMW. I would be more concerned with the radio than shock setup. Koni sports are 700 which is less than a stereo upgrade.

I am disappointed in the 4C and would skip it but for the monkey butt ventilated seats.

Iike the V8 because it runs on regular and I have a 4+ gallon a day commute. That's over $10 a week in gas I save.

Priority in my opinion
Monkey butt
Sound system
Suspension
Motor - assuming you want AWD and don't mind premium gas prices

 

I didn't think Volvo made a special exclusion of recommended fuel octane for the V8:

http://volvo.custhelp.com/app/manuals/OwnersManual/om_id/460

They recommend 91. 87 is minimum.

 

IIRC the manual also says regular is fine all time, you just won't get all 311 HP. the 8 requires regular at a minimum, but gets more power with premium.

My drive is mostly slow traffic or wide open highway. I don't need 311 HP to cruise at 75. The T6 requires premium.

Since regular won't harm the motor, and I use top tier gas, I'm good with regular most of the time. I get the same mpg

 

Not all s80s are the same
I purchased my 4c with the heated and cooled seats,xenon active headlights and the killer dynaudio system with 18 inch wheels set my s80 apart from many other ones on the road.it came with the trouble free 3.2


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Not all s80s are the same
I purchased my 4c with the heated and cooled seats,xenon active headlights and the killer dynaudio system with 18 inch wheels set my s80 apart from many other ones on the road.it came with the trouble free 3.2

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For the same reason you wont find many AWD XC90s in sunny California, you wont find many FWD S80s or XC90s in Colorado. I didn't want AWD when we bought our XC90. The dealer politely told me to go to NM to find one because he sees maybe one every six months. He then warned me about the fun I would have selling the FWD. I didn't believe him until I looked for a S60 when I bought my S80. There was an ad for a very nice looking FWD that lasted much longer than the ratty AWDs for sale.

 

We have had 3 S80 T6s -- /08, /10 and 13. Never any mechanical issues with engine/transmission. Any problems with any of these cars very minor but then again we have not kept any of them all that long. The first two were leased and the /10 had 45K when turned in. The /13 is going on 40K and has the sport suspension and the upgraded engine over the /08 and /10. A few observations to share with the OP FWIW:

1. The sport suspension is more engaging than the base suspension but this is a big, heavy car that one tends not to drive with the verve of something like an Acura NSX -- LOL. We are here in MI and the roads have so degraded that sometimes I find myself wishing we had the base/comfort suspension. Roads are so bad when we needed new tires I switched from 245/40/18 to 245/45/18s in the hope that the ride would improve a bit -- it did but make no mistake, if your roads are not very good where you are you may regret buying a car with sport suspension. 4C is a different animal of course. The T6 is a nice engine and in sport mode is quite quick. I don't use the extra power frequently but nice to know it is there when needed.

2. As for interior space (in particular back seat) the S80 while not as tight as the S60 does not have a generous sized back seat. The S80 is my wife's car. I have a /15 Audi A6 that has a huge backseat compared to the S80.

3. No offence meant (and maybe you can do your own repairs/maintenance) but with a 15K budget perhaps an S80 isn't the best choice. I ran an /06 Acura TL for 10 years and 140,000 miles that required the grand total of $1,200 in repairs (obviously not including scheduled maintenance). I'm sure I was a bit lucky and although I believe Volvo is far superior to BMW/Audi/Mercedes/VW when it comes to reliability over the long term, the S80 is still no Camry/Accord/TL and is going to cost well in excess of any of those cars to keep on the road over the long haul. Just saying.......

4. Last, some prefer the T6 while many others are just fine with the 3.2. If you can stay out of the boost (I drive very gently whereas my wife has a heavy foot) the T6 isn't horrible on gas. When I've used the S80 to commute to work (all city) if traffic not horrible I average around 22 mpg and on a long highway trip at reasonable speeds (70-75) in relatively flatlands can hit high 20s and rarely below 27. However, add some nasty traffic in city or higher speeds (80+) on highway and mileage drops significantly. I grabbed the car from my wife last weekend and was shocked to see 15.2 mpg on the computer readout. Not the biggest deal now with premium @ $2.50 here in MI but @ $3.50-4.00 a bigger deal to me. And by the way, the T6 runs like garbage in the city on regular. You can run regular/midgrade on the highway when cooler out but performance does suffer somewhat.

Good luck with your search!

Best,
Jeff

 

Mistake

 

Its funny to say the least that I had a convo in my head while typing that about if I should put high line luxury or Porsche dealership and I didn't put high line to let the op know it was from a manufacture dealership and I thought about this to be less obvious because as it being the highest priced and lowest millage S80 V8 in North America for sale I knew anybody who knows Volvos would have seen it. lol. I think, if it is the same car, they had it listed as having Savile Grey but it is actually Oyster Grey Pearl.

 

Haha it's funny you mention that, I keep an eye out for the S80 V8s listed especially 2009s/2010s. I remember seeing one listed a few weeks ago that had around 40K miles and was priced about what you paid. It was a 2009 but I can't recall it being Oyster. I thought it was Savile (at least that's what it looked like from photos) Do you have an Instagram?

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When we bought our S60 Inscription back in December I wanted Crystal White or Ember Black w/ Beechwood. She hated the beechwood so we got the black interior. I envy your car! lol.

 

(;
I think the white (especially Ice White) looks best with a darker interior (Beechwood Brown/Offblack more specifically). But Ember Black and Beechwood is a beautiful combination. My favorite will forever be Vibrant Copper and Beechwood though!

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Hi Logan,

I haven't driven the other engine models, so can't speak to that, but have a V8 and will share a bit of my experience - hope it helps!

I bought my 2007 S80 V8 about a year and a half ago, and it had 129k miles, nearing 150k now. It had only one key, had a front strut that was starting to leak (expensive to replace struts with 4C suspension), needed front brakes soon, and needed a new alarm. Also, it needed a new starter, something I didn't know at the time.

On the plus side, it had every option and package offered back then, including rear seat entertainment and everything worked. Loaded! Someone paid 60k or so for this car in 2007, and when I drive it, I feel like I'm driving a 60k car, every single time.

I only paid 7600 for this beautiful piece of machinery, and that included a new set of tires. I wouldn't usually mention the price, but I will here, since I think there are still bargains to be had if you are patient. Probably not for much longer though, as I believe buyers are valuing the V8s more in the S80 and also the XC90 and will continue to do so. You would need a private sale to get near what I paid, most likely.

I don't recall reading a post on this forum that mentions V8 failure. They may be there, but I don't think you will find many. The V8 is a sturdy, robust engine, it's a beast!. It goes like the wind when you ask it to and mine does it with no complaints or surprises, as I think most do.

I never tire of driving this car - I love it, I really do, but am wanting more performance - a bit more HP, more torque, better handling, along with a manual transmission. And the S80 is a luxury sedan after all, not a sports car (although you might not know it by the way I drive it sometimes, haha).

Still figuring out my next car, but I like my S80 so much that I'm considering keeping it in addition to a new car. This is no small extravagance for someone like me, who does not lead a lavish life, or wishes to, but this car really does have a hold on me.

If I have 2 cars, and the V8 never gets driven, then I will have my answer, but I don't think it will never get driven. ;-)

Mostly, I don't want to regret selling it (I could get another, but I like THIS one), and I'm pretty sure I will never have a car like it again.

So, consider this a solid vote for the V8!

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

Hi Logan,

I haven't driven the other engine models, so can't speak to that, but have a V8 and will share a bit of my experience - hope it helps!

I bought my 2007 S80 V8 about a year and a half ago, and it had 129k miles, nearing 150k now. It had only one key, had a front strut that was starting to leak (expensive to replace struts with 4C suspension), needed front brakes soon, and needed a new alarm. Also, it needed a new starter, something I didn't know at the time.

On the plus side, it had every option and package offered back then, including rear seat entertainment and everything worked. Loaded! Someone paid 60k or so for this car in 2007, and when I drive it, I feel like I'm driving a 60k car, every single time.

I only paid 7600 for this beautiful piece of machinery, and that included a new set of tires. I wouldn't usually mention the price, but I will here, since I think there are still bargains to be had if you are patient. Probably not for much longer though, as I believe buyers are valuing the V8s more in the S80 and also the XC90 and will continue to do so. You would need a private sale to get near what I paid, most likely.

I don't recall reading a post on this forum that mentions V8 failure. They may be there, but I don't think you will find many. The V8 is a sturdy, robust engine, it's a beast!. It goes like the wind when you ask it to and mine does it with no complaints or surprises, as I think most do.

I never tire of driving this car - I love it, I really do, but am wanting more performance - a bit more HP, more torque, better handling, along with a manual transmission. And the S80 is a luxury sedan after all, not a sports car (although you might not know it by the way I drive it sometimes, haha).

Still figuring out my next car, but I like my S80 so much that I'm considering keeping it in addition to a new car. This is no small extravagance for someone like me, who does not lead a lavish life, or wishes to, but this car really does have a hold on me.

If I have 2 cars, and the V8 never gets driven, then I will have my answer, but I don't think it will never get driven. ;-)

Mostly, I don't want to regret selling it (I could get another, but I like THIS one), and I'm pretty sure I will never have a car like it again.

So, consider this a solid vote for the V8!

Good luck and keep us posted!

I second that, I have worked with and consulted with Volvo techs and what I was told was the only S80 V8's they have seen issues with are from lazy owners.

 

T6 2011-2015 would be my first choice, the 304 hp one that is. Has an updated gearbox, TF80-SC gen II. Snappier in shifting, equivalent in power to the V8 but superior in fuel economy. Thus my second choice would be, and is as I have one, the V8. Would be an impeccable daily driver had I not had enough seat time in the newer T6, which makes the gearbox in the V8 feel a bit sluggish in comparison. Still a great car though. Third choice would be an older T6, 2008-2010. Or even a 3.2 if you find a well-equipped one.

As far as oil consumption issues goes, I believe only early 3.2 engines were affected, I've at least never heard of a T6 having such issues. On top of that it seems overplayed. The VEA engines are much smaller and much higher stressed. I don't know if it's too early to make claims since it's still a fairly new platform but from what I've heard the VEA engines that have consumed oil have been pretty thirsty at that.

Bottom line, I wouldn't be hesitant to buy a 6-cyl or the V8. Can't make any all too educated recommendations on the VEA engines though. They seem fine I guess, I'm assuming they'll work fine if taken care of.

 

All three of our S80s (all T6) never used any perceptible amount of oil between changes (every 5,000 miles because I want next owner to get a great car -- LOL -- actually I'm a total dinosaur and do not believe in extended oil change intervals no matter what anyone says). However, most mileage we accumulated before the two leased cars were turned in was 45,000 miles. My beloved /06 Acura TL that I (stupidly) sold to a friend at 140,000 miles neither consumed nor leaked a drop of oil. Liked all of our Volvos but liked the TL better -- either was a great car or I was lucky -- total expenditures in 10 years of ownership/140,000 miles for repairs = $1,200. Amazing.


Best,
Jeff

 

You guys are awesome!! Thanks so much for all the advice. Sounds like you really can't go wrong with any of the engine options. I'm going to try and test drive all 3 versions and just see which one I like the best.

 

It all boils down to options,options and options
High end dynaudio Stereo was number one on my list,with bi active xenon,large 18 inch wheels, heated and cooled seats.i opted for the 4c suspension. Had my s80 since 2008 with the 3.2
Didn't want or need v8.
The 3.2 t version is definitely interesting for myself.i am scared of the new 4 bangers for such a large car.
Its definitely more of a cruiser . Why dog such a large car......
Get as many bells and whistles as possible. Research version you want Makes driving enjoyable.


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Not sure if you're still looking but a customer traded a 2010 V8 Executive, Crystal on Beige, 56k miles...would be at the VERY top of your budget but hell of a car. PM me if you're interested.