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Since I haven't driven an S-80 with 16" rims I can't compare them to the 17-inchers. I test drove S-60's with either rim size (15&16"?) and couldn't tell the diff. I like the look of the larger rims. In theory, larger/wider rims and lower profile tires should result in better grip and possibly a smoother ride due to more rubber being on the road and gyroscopic precession. When taken to extremes, it can mean a harsh, unforgiving ride as the tires tend to function like electrical tape on a spool instead of having a cushioning effect. That's not the case with the S-80 IMHO. Finding replacement galoshes may prove to be an expensive treasure hunt.
Most dealers in our FL area get 2.9's in with Premium and 17's, and often the Climate Package. Makes perfect sense, mild winters require heated seats--doh! Not many of the Warm Weather Packages around here. Guess they're all up North keeping the torrid winter sun at bay. This could be resolved easily if but one very important Swede in shipping turned their mouse around the right way!!! I wish more of them came in with the four CD 300W stereo, it's beyond description, best ever.
Wifey, who will be the primary driver, is having second thoughts about colors now that she's seen pearl photos although none are local. She also said to put down a deposit on the gold one which I did--silly me. Tomorrow is delivery day for the gold car, no telling what will happen, women are entitled to change their minds right...and I haven't signed anything yet. Every Pearl car of any make I see, the driver has white/blue hair (sorry rick-va) and we're still young enough to be in the to dye or not to die phase.
As far as snow & mountain handling, we have few hills and no blizzards in FL. Maybe one of the Yankees with the Warm Weather Package and frozen tush will chime in. Seems AWD would be the logical choice. From my MD upbringing, FWD beat RWD, but not AWD.
Anyone out there use Volvo On Call Plus...and/or the hands-free cell phone through AT&T? The sales side of dealership is miffed on how to do it to it, tempted to dial 1-800-WHO-KNOWS.
In an effort to help interpret the eye-charts in the S-80 brochure, (or for the option impaired), here's what comes standard on the T-6 that is either an option or not available on the 2.9:
268 HP Bi-turbo bye-bye Audi Engine (worth $5K if you have it), Auto-stick-it-to-the-Bimmers optional manual shift tranny, EBA watch-out-for-that-idiot panic braking assist, DSTC anti-spin-rinse-panic cycle traction control, an extra 77 pounds of gosh knows what, On Call Plus 'can-you-rescue-me-now' Mattel armrest wired & handsfree phone (is it both?) with buttons that take place of that funny midget garage door on the dash, Front fog no-I-don't-have-my-brights-on lights, Interstellar/Planetary Observation/Ventillation Portal aka Moonroof, 17 inch (that's 48.972 newtons, right? Not the fig variety) Stentor wheels with ZF z-faster z-go z-less assistanzee un der shteering, and finally, Rear Foglight-- something I never thought I needed until I was backing up at 60 MPH one night without one, great thinking Gustaf!
As always, opine on!
I'm in Arizona and we don't order the warm weather pkg, those side and rear shades are a pain in the butt to use. Just get the windows tinted.
In our area the incentive is on the 2.9 and T6 only, its not a customer rebate.
Pearl white has been discontinued, at least for this year. No more Pearl cars may be ordered.
The 2.9 is out of production at this point.
On call plus, not worth it. Its an $895 option, except on the T6 where it is standard. Its a neat idea, but who doesn't have a cell phone these days?
I'm in Louisville, Kentucky and can get it for around $17,000.
questions:
(a) is that a decent price?
(b) this is not from a dealer and I will have no warranty or anything else once I buy. should I be worried? the Consumer Reports "Used Cars to Avoid" designation is really scaring me. and some of the transmission troubles discussed here aren't helping!
I really like the way the car looks and performs, but I don't have the time or patience (or money!) to go to the shop every three months for repairs.
is it worth the risk? any advice is greatly appreciated.
Of course leasing does not allow you to get the current incentive if you are purchasing the car - which my dealer said was worth $7500 (continuing through December 2003).
The 2.9 was replaced by the S-60's sportier 2.5T powertrain for the very reasons you mentioned, and as a bonus, AWD comes with it. I agree with your power assessment. We came from a 4-cyl Camry into an '04 2.9 so it's not like coming from the 'gutsier' V-6 Pontiac. It takes some getting used to and you have to be firm-footed and rev happy to get rolling quickly. It'll learn to shift based on your driving style, at least the newer ones will. The brighter side of this is you have to look at the tach to get an indication of what's going on under the hood as it's so quiet you can hardly hear it purr. Is the 2.9 underpowered, no. Silky smooth, yes. As zippy/ballsy as the 2.5T/T-6, never.
Volvomax,
I like reading your posts but we have a difference of opinion, that's OK. I got what I wanted, I'm sure you do that for plenty of customers even though your tastes differ. The Warm Weather Package window shades aren't a pain. Besides, I have yet to see tinted windows that roll down to optimize night visibility...think safety and engineered flexibility, after all, this is a Volvo. The Warm Package's UV reflective windshield is also a neat idea, probably will still use a shade though and since I only own one, can't compare exact inside temps in the blazing sun. Thank goodness our state replaces windshields for free should the need arise as I'm told it's about $800. We got Ash Gold instead of Pearl at a great price fresh off the truck. After a week of driving (not in a row) I'm not disappointed with the 2.9. Yes, the T-6 is grand, no, 5 grand, and typically appeals to 25 percent of prospective Volvo owners, that puts me in the majority and with lower payments. On-Call Plus is great peace of mind, like driving the safest car on the road needed help. We activated the built-in cell phone (via AT&T only) and although it's an older Ericsson TDMA model, it integrates flawlessly. Hands free works well, handset is there if you need utmost clarity and privacy, great sub for our handhelds. Radio volume drops when call comes in or goes out, you have caller ID, never have to take your hands off the wheel except to dial and even that can be done through memory once programmed. Again, phone integration is a safety factor. Some states require handsfree, Volvo once again engineered things the right way, bravo-Volvo! Getting the Nav system and On-Call with the phone wouldn't make sense as there'd be no excuse to call saying you were lost or couldn't find a gas station.
I haven't found one thing yet on our '04 S-80 2.9 (17's, Prem, Warm & Cold Packages, On-Call) that doesn't work logically or I would have designed differently. Great car, great price, thrilled daily.
Probably should have.
If the cars history shows the same problem while the car was under warranty Volvo may goodwill the repair. Otherwise your on your own.
Volvo promises to repair defects for 4 yrs or 50,000 miles, not 55,000. Regardless of your expectations.
As we all know, modern cars are very expensive to repair thus some genius came up with an extended warranty to pay for what shouldn't fail in the first place. I'm wasn't a believer in them until I got one for a '96 Caddi with 40K on it that we helped my mother-in-law buy (worth >50 bonus points) that was $1,900 up to 75K miles through GM. It was wrecked this year with 76K on it, (a drunk with 9 previous DUI convictions hit her!) and I checked with GM to see what it paid out. In 35K miles it paid $4,600 so even with $50 deductibles it more than paid for itself twice. I know that's off subject but the point is in most cases the darn things are worth it, even on a well-built Volvo where an accumulator or A/C repair can easily top a grand according to one savvy service manager whom I prodded anonymously.
Wanting peace of mind, I took out the Volvocare 7 year 100K mile zero deductible warranty and paid over three grand for it on our '04 S-80. That's outrageous unless you consider in four years I'll never be in Ringo's position of shelling out nearly a thousand clams to troubleshoot or several more for a new tranny. Call me a fool but it's like rolling dice, time will tell, I'm no longer a gambler.
If all else fails Ringo you may find a third party company that will offer a limited albeit expensive plan that might cover this and future problems. I hope no one from one of those companies reads this post, LOL.
Poor you. I understand what you mean about overlooking a small problem if you're not the regular driver, or thinking you heard something and not making time to check it out. Recommend you try the third party extended warranty, cheers.
Brrrr, bet you reeeeally need this right now. When I lived in MD for 19 years we used brooms, the really soft angled ones work good on unmelted snow and you can hack off the handle to your liking. I had some success with one of those California car dusters but the snow sticks. The bristle/scrapers were meant for windshields mostly so you're right in not creating scratch racing stripes. In fact it's not a good idea to use anything to remove ice or melted snow from a painted surface (besides heat) because even if the removal device won't damage the finish, the ice can. First choice is of course a garage or a long warm-up but I'm sure somebody will say extended idling is bad. If you go that route you may want to lock up and use two sets of keys so it doesn't disappear. Just my $.02 worth...have you considered moving South?
I'm looking to buy a S80 2.9 and I have read through all these very informative comments. My question is whether or not the $5000 incentive from volvo is offered in Canada? Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
I am looking at a trade-in of my 2001 S80 for a 2004 S80. My 2001 has a 10 disc cd changer in the trunk, installed by the dealer at purchase. I asked if he could move it over to my new car, and he said no, "The CD changer cannot be transferred because it is forever tied to your existing car. This is part of the security features on today's cars to make electronics useless if stolen however it also penalizes the consumer like so many other things in our society. If we try to transfer the changer to another car the software will fail and it won't play."
Are there any experts out there that can confirm or refute this statement? If I don't want to spend $950 for a new changer, any good ones out there that will work?
Thanks for any help.
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I am interested in a 99 S80 2.9 with 82,000 Miles. The car has all options - CD changer(premium sound) Dealer says it went through the Volvo Certified inspection. But B/cause of the Mileage over 80,000 it could not be Volvo Certified. And that the car was owned by the wife of the service manager. It was originally listed for $14,900. It is now on sale for $10,900 with no Warranty. Is this a good Deal? I live in Ohio. Please need feedback ASAP
Thanks
iknow1
We both know you have your answer, (notice the hiccup in post numbering, I got spanked, my bad) here it is for everyone else. The 10 CD can be swapped from one vehicle to another but will take the usual software download steps and stolen serial number confirmation through the dealer to allow it to work in your new prospective vehicle. I only wish I had one too, that wasn't hot of course.
Not to discourage what looks like a good deal, but I suggest you find some way to get an extended warranty unless you're a gambler. Something smells funny. Why would the dealer put it through the certification process if it wasn't eligible except to make a few more bucks? This equates to they'll stand behind it but they won't, be cautious, money talks, and you know the rest. This is surely a cash cow for the previous owner eventually if you service there. Insist on getting all repair and maintenance records as they should be well documented in the Volvo electronic database and on paper, especially with who owned it. 99's were prone to tranny troubles, rough shifting and hesitation. Most of this may have been fixed through software but think about possible repair costs if it isn't. Even a Volvo at this age will have an increased need for repair as items age or wear out. The general consensus is the early year S-80's are inconsistent in sustaining quality performance, not that they're poor quality. The fact that a Volvo service managers wife had it may help you leverage the extended warranty but don't be surprised if it's just plain too late. You may have another 150K trouble free miles in this car, or it could blow an engine tomorrow, would $10,400 be worth it...how about 13,000 with a good (aftermarket) warranty? Best of luck, keep us posted.
The security software can be very hard to get around, even for the dealer.
More to the point, the only thing you have to do is stay off the hard acceleration on that last mile to the garage and there's no need for any special shutdown process as the turbos will have spun down enough in speed to not be concerned about oil cooking and caking in the housing (which I'm not sure is even an issue as I don't recall the cooling method for P2 Volvos with turbos off the top of my head.)
Good luck.
-rollie
rdollie@att.net
The opinion of one, however skilled and Volvo-savvy, is still but one mans opinion, just like mine. Sodium chloride particles should be ingested concurrently.
The previous concern was possible turbo damage if you shut down the engine immediately after a high rev jaunt. Even with sound engineering you're more likely to damage a turbo (albeit any engine), 2.5T or T-6 included, if you pull in the driveway or garage, put your foot down to redline, and then turn off the key. If this isn't your driving style, you're golden. If you live on an interstate let them spin down at idle say 20 secs. This near-myth is not worthy of influencing your powertrain druthers. If anything it further justifies the non-turbo 2.9, less to go wrong.
I didn't see worlds of difference between the 2.5T and 2.9, continents yes, but not worlds. Our '04 2.9 has plenty of zip but isn't quite as sporty. The 2.5T is gutsier without a typical turbo rush. To me, the 5-cylinder engine isn't as refined as the 2.9 or T-6, doesn't idle as smooth, but does feel more responsive. Remember, with the exception of a head-snapping T-6 w/4C-chassis (or now the S-60R), these are luxury cars that can be sporty, not visa-versa.
I tried, then ruled out the 2.5T partly because I have trouble shelling out this many clams and getting the 'mid-line' S-60 powertrain in Volvo's premium sedan... even though I agree it has merits in adverse weather and a more broad powerband. Also, Florida snowfall totals don't justify AWD nor could I ignore the $4K+ wallet tug for a T-6. Maybe you should go for a ride with my wife, you'd swear our 2.9 was a turbo...
Just my salty opinion.
Don't worry about the 5 cyl engine, its been bulletproof.
Also, the idle technique for the turbo only needs to be applied during extended high speed use.
I don't think that you will find it easy or desireable to change the lug bolts to studs.
Thanks for the response, wasn't trying knock you down at all but I don't think there's technical validity for the turbo concerns, they are bullet-proof. Curious if your guidance was based on introspect, opinion, years of repair histories, secretive Volvo training, do tell? Being somewhat science/physics savvy, I can't see what the extended in "extended high speed use" would matter. Is there special control circuitry or are there magic beans in the turbos resulting in synergistic inertia (I love a similar line Joe Pesci used in My Cousin Vinny)? Look forward to your response as the professor never taught me a thing about beans. I did take a class in horticulture, they never mentioned turbos, wink.
N'swede,
Thanks for the heads up on the front-wheel-drive 2.5T. Should be a a fine logical replacement for the silky smooth non-fire-breathing 2.9 '04. Probably a big seller in FL with the Climate package (heated seats-- only funny if you go to #1393). I look forward to your test drive feedback. Drive one of the '04 sixers too if you haven't already. My bet is you'll put your first-born up for adoption once you drive a T-6. If Volvo stuffs a different AWD in a T-6 (the S-60 one probably won't fit), lookout Audi!
Happy Holi- & Volvo-days to all.
What is the obvious benefit of a turbo I-5 over the current I-6? Other than the slight power gain, does turbos yield better fuel economy?
Few years ago, Car and Driver said that Volvo turbos are made by Mitsubishi. Is this still true?
I also heard that turbos are good for highway driving not city because of the "turbo lag". What do you think?
First midwest winter for a North Texas Volvo S80. After not using for a couple of days the orignal battery was dead. Got a new one, after a week of using the car everyday the new battery is dead too. Any clues for the battery drain?
THANKS.
This is totally different from the recommendations for US cars I have owned. They have been to move rear tires to the front on same side and to criss-cross the front tires to the rear. Also, the US manuals say the first rotation should be at 4-5000 miles, then at 6-8000 mile intervals.
I haven't called the dealer to ask if they follow the manual. It seems very few Volvo owners do any of their own maintenance based on the reactions to questions posed to the service dept. I have always done all oil/filter changes and tire rotations. I would bet the tire shops do not follow Volvo's recommendations on tire rotation.
Would appreciate any comments on tire rotation procedures and intervals. I had planned to rotate at 5000 miles until seeing the 7500 mile recommendation without any mention of the first one.
We have been very happy with S80 for the past three years plus.
Thanks for your suggestions.
6000 miles @ .20/mile is $1200.
If Edmunds TMV is 36,000 and your getting it for $31000 be happy.
V-max is right once again. Rejoice, the dealer has given you all they have. You could get what Edmunds considers a good deal at $31K. I was able to pick up a 'fresh' non-demo '04 2.9 for a almost three grand under Eddie's TMV about 8 thou under sticker. Mine depreciates that same 8-grand this year too. If you consider depreciation it's always a loosing battle, cars aren't a good investment.
The point of my response is to point out that while you'll be getting a good price on a practically new vehicle with almost a full factory warranty (44K left), you aren't bridging the depreciation gap but are still doing better than your average new car buyer with the additional discount. I'm assuming this is either a T-6 or 2.9 as there are no incentives on the 2.5T. If it's a T-6 it may hold value better than our 2.9 as that engine is now out of production.
Favorable financing may be a deciding factor if you can find a bank or CU that offers 3.9%/60, who knows if that'll happen again. Best of luck, keep us (I almost said abreast but that wouldn't be appropriate considering your gender) aware of your decision as maybe we can advise. Happy New Year!