Is the 2007+ Volvo S80 a good car? The 3.2 I6

[slacktide_bitog]

The second-gen S80 seems to be underrated, unless it is a pile of crap.

It is FWD, but it's a transverse I6. That's right, inline 6, not V6. Which means only one cylinder bank, one valve cover, etc. It should be MUCH easier to work on than a transverse V6! In addition, it is not turbo and not DI, either

While it was also available with a turbo-6 as well as a V8 (a 60-degree V8, based on the Taurus SHO V8 from the late 90s), it is the basic 3.2L NA L6 that is of most interest due to the possible low operating costs.

The 2007-2010 S80 3.2 was one of the last pre-Chinese Volvos, one of the last Ford Volvos.

While the possibly easy to work on engine seems alluring, is the car reliable? Volvo is probably better than any of the German cars, it may not be as good as Toyota. Because it looks much easier to work on than a G35/G37, IS250/350, ES350/Camry V6, etc.

It uses an Aisin 6-speed automatic transmission, not a DCT or CVT.

So, does anybody here have experience with the second-gen S80? Is this straight-6 a good one?

 

[atikovi]

The basic engine, block and head, is probably bulletproof. It's all the other stuff that goes bad. Throttle body and PCV system comes to mind right off. They're very nice cars if that's what you're looking for, but don't assume they will be cheap to keep unless you can work on it yourself or can ignore some issues. Like ABS or traction control inop. It's VW prestige with Mercedes service costs.

 

[heynow]

Originally Posted by slacktide_bitog
Volvo is probably better than any of the German cars


I would beg to differ.
I own a 2010 BMW X5, and recently drove and worked on a friend's 2007 XC90. Was not impressed with the quality of the car, or the ease of maintenance. And that says a lot coming from a guy who does all my own work on the BMW. A lot of the Volvo parts just seem really cheaply made.

 

[Kjmack]

Originally Posted by heynow
Originally Posted by slacktide_bitog
Volvo is probably better than any of the German cars


I would beg to differ.
I own a 2010 BMW X5, and recently drove and worked on a friend's 2007 XC90. Was not impressed with the quality of the car, or the ease of maintenance. And that says a lot coming from a guy who does all my own work on the BMW. A lot of the Volvo parts just seem really cheaply made.

You are right they are cheap , original brakes are crapola , suspensions fall apart continually , they burn oil , the S60 I just bought and dumped was going to be a money pit . As soon as the factory warranty was going to expire I sold . Only thing it had going for it was the nice seats and panel gaps . No dipstick , a oil level indicator that only works if your down more than a quart .

 

[clinebarger]

Yeah.....Get you some of that! You'll never complain about a transverse Toyota V6 again.

Sure....The spark plugs are easy to change, And intake manifold replacement is straight forward.

 

[Lolvoguy]

Originally Posted by heynow
Originally Posted by slacktide_bitog
Volvo is probably better than any of the German cars


I would beg to differ.
I own a 2010 BMW X5, and recently drove and worked on a friend's 2007 XC90. Was not impressed with the quality of the car, or the ease of maintenance. And that says a lot coming from a guy who does all my own work on the BMW. A lot of the Volvo parts just seem really cheaply made.


I agree. After being a service writer at a euro repair shop, the BMW is (still) better built than the Volvo.

But to be honest if I needed a comfy car for commuting I'd be hard pressed to NOT choose the I6 Volvo S80.

The only thing keeping me from choosing it would be the constant need for servicing/repairs.
I don't care how good the warranty is, or how low the purchase price is.
If it's not reliable enough to trust on a daily basis, it's not for me.

If anyone is interested in a later 00's Volvo I6, take a look at volvosweden's Youtube channel.
There you'll get a good feel for what maintenance will entail.
This user has done a great job of making the channel, and detailing several repairs and upgrades.
Sure, the T6 isn't the I6, but it's basically the same in terms of how to service.
Watching him do an oil change on his T6 was enough to keep me from wanting a Volvo

https://www.youtube.com/user/volvosweden/videos?disable_polymer=1
enjoy!

 

[ecotourist]

Originally Posted by atikovi
The basic engine, block and head, is probably bulletproof. It's all the other stuff that goes bad. Throttle body and PCV system comes to mind right off. They're very nice cars if that's what you're looking for, but don't assume they will be cheap to keep unless you can work on it yourself or can ignore some issues. Like ABS or traction control inop. It's VW prestige with Mercedes service costs.

I've owned both a Volvo (an '86 Volvo 740 Turbo) and a BMW (a '00 528i). The Volvo was an earlier design and my experience is limited to 2 cars so that's a limitation to my comments. They're both great road cars, so you could drive all day in either quite comfortably. The BMW accelerates and handles a lot better, but the Volvo had better seats. Overall, the BMW is more refined.

I've had them both for the long term, the Volvo for 18.5 years and the BMW is still going strong at 19 years. I put more miles on the Volvo (285,000 Km vs 170,000 Km over a similar period), but a lot of the miles on the Volvo were on the highway.

Parts, repairs and maintenance are expensive for both. But the BMW is actually more reliable and has cost a lot less to maintain. But then an E39 is said to be one of the more reliable recent BMWs. The problem with the Volvo was that some things had to be fixed more than once. I've had excellent non dealership repair shops for both which I would consider critical to owning either one. Because of the location of the oil filter I couldn't change the oil myself on the Volvo (turbo above and motor mount below so it had to be changed by feel) and with an oil cooled turbo and oil of the era it needed a lot of changing. I would consider that a poor design.

They were/are both fine looking cars as they got older, the BMW probably more so.

If I could buy either car new again, I'd buy the BMW.

 

[RooflessVW]

I wouldn't even consider an S80 unless it was the V8.

The V8 gives you a reason to deal with the maintenance.

 

[14Accent]

Nothing on the 3.2 is easy to work on. The belt drive is mounted inboard, above the transmission, and changing even the belt is a multi-hour job. Not to mention the vacuum pump failures, water pump failures, and oil leaks. If you want an S80, find a V8 that's never than an '06, when they fixed the balance shaft bearing problem.

 

[Buckhead55]

I am driving a 2010 S80 with the 3.2 engine. I bought it in January 2014 with 46,000 miles. It now has 86,000+. It has been very reliable and one of the best cars I've owned. The only non-maintenance issue I've encountered was the replacement of a brake accumulator at 75,000 miles. It is roomy with excellent seats and good visibility. It's a big front-wheel drive car so the handling doesn't match that of a Mercedes or a BMW but it's still quite competent. Controls are simple and straightforward--no screens. Top notch crash-test scores. In sum, it has everything I want and nothing I don't need. I intend to keep it for at least another 2-3 years.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Well, that is disappointing

Originally Posted by 14Accent
Nothing on the 3.2 is easy to work on. The belt drive is mounted inboard, above the transmission, and changing even the belt is a multi-hour job. Not to mention the vacuum pump failures, water pump failures, and oil leaks. If you want an S80, find a V8 that's never than an '06, when they fixed the balance shaft bearing problem.


D'oh!