REVIEW: Volvo S80 first drive

Only time will tell if buyers want this as an alternative to 5 series, e-class and others. Volvos have become nice cars with nice interiors.

Oh Goody! They toned down that horrendous "pinched trunk" look. Looks nice, but I doubt this a 5 series competitor

Wait a second. Fact check.


I can't find a website that lets me price a 2007 S80, because it isn't released yet, but the claim that:

"The huge safety gap that Volvo enjoyed in the market no longer exists. Still, the Swedish automaker has managed to give the all-new S80 some safety features only found on luxury sedans that cost twice as much, like a crash-avoidance system with brake assist."

I can't find a website that lets me price a 2007 S80, because it isn't released yet. The pricing the author states is:

"A 2007 Volvo S80 equipped with the inline-6 will start at less than $40,000, with the V8 version beginning at less than $50,000. That will put Volvo's S80 in the same price range as its competitors. So there's no price advantage over its more powerful rivals."

Let's assume that the Collision mitigation system is included in the basic model. Probably an incorrect assumption, because most stability control and most other things are an added option in the 2006 model.

Now let's look at some other vehicles with this feature.

Lexus IS Configured with Pre-Collision costs $34,990, which is actually less than the Volvo S80. I admit that you would be hard to find an IS configured with only a Pre-Collision option, but you should be able to pick one up for at least the same price and probably less than the S80 after you've added a few similar options to the Volvo S80.

Acura RL with the technology package that gives it a more active collision mitigation system costs $53,000. Hardly less than half the cost of the S80 and more in line with a V8 S80 after you've added a few options.

There are more cars less than twice the base price of a 2007 Volvo S80, which include a Colission Mitigation system and some for even less than the price of an S80.

Volvo hasn't lost the safety gap with more expensive vehicles, they've lost the gap period and introduced safety technology like collision mitigation just to keep from being ridiculously behind them.

Ford has destroyed Volvo's legendary safety and those looking for it should shop elsewhere.

not only that volvo's resale values also suck major nuts.