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Thanks.
-rollie
rdollie@att.net
Of course there are other plans but after my analysis for my needs WG came out the clear winner.
Good luck.
-rollie
rdollie@att.net
1. Where is the pollen filter for the HVAC located and can I remove/replace myself?
2. How hard is it to replace the upper motor stabilizing rubber mount? It looks like it is cracked. It looks like it is one or two bolts perhaps?
ps This site has been a great source of info and insight into the Volvo S80 for my peace of mind.
The reason is that it will be difficult to sell them in any numbers at all.
US is still an SUV market, witness the success of the XC90.
The resources that would be wasted in an S100 would be better spent overhauling the current lineup, starting at the bottom and working up.
Then, you can build and command respect for a high $$$ sedan.
The A8, especially the A8L and S8 were not bad cars, but they had no snob appeal.
Audi, to their credit has overhauled virtually their entire lineup starting with the A4.
Now the new A8 has alot more street cred than before.
I only have 36 days left on my lease, and will be having to take it in for the insepction within a week or two. I have bascially come to the conclusion that, with all the problems I had with the car and with the dealer, I won't be buying/leasing another Volvo for quite a long time.
I just wanted some feedback on the inspection process. I am having the interior cleaned this weekend and will probably have the car washed well before taking it in. The only concerns are the following: 1, on a couple of the doors, there are 2-4 small dings from other cars' doors; 2, there is a paint scrape on the lower front right bumper. Beyond that, the car is in pretty great shape for having been in a city for over 3 years.
I am wondering how picky the inspection companies tend to be about repairs. I have had so much trouble with the car that I want to make turning it in as hassle-free as possible. I don't want to walk away with a huge bill for their "estimate" costs, even though the real costs might be 1/10th of that. Is there any negotiation I can do during this?
I will be test driving an Audi A4 1.8T tomorrow, and am hoping that I like it. I've had a chance to really look at one at a car show and am hoping I am impressed by it.
Thanks.
-rollie
rdollie@att.net
The Star has ALOT to do with it.
Th VW Phaeton is a nice car that will never sell cause it has the wrong badge.
Granted their may be a few Volvo diehards with the money to spend on a high $$ Volvo, but those people aren't enough to justify the expenditure of billions on a platform.
This kind of car cannot be done on the cheap.
The car looks beautiful every direction, except the BACK. Even still, I'd like to try it. Do died in the wool Volvo lovers, love it? And will it be reliable? Consumer Reports gives it bad marks.
Sonja in L.A.
Most S80 owners are conquest owners, meaning they came from another make.
I'm very well acquainted with the Volvo diehard and their buying habits having sold them cars for the last 6 years.
Second, I spent 4 years with a Mercedes dealer and the clientele there is very different from Volvo. Value has little to do with their decisions, they could buy a less expensive car, PRESTIGE and luxury are their motivations.
Volvo doesn't have, and never will have that level of prestige. You can't be all things to all people. You have to do what you do best.
For Volvo this means concentrating on providing safe, reliable, intelligently engineered vehicle for families at a value driven pricepoint.
This is where the S80 is, it is both larger and less expensive than its European rivals.
Even so, it sells in small numbers and usually only when subsidzed by Volvo.
A $60-70,000 Volvo has no value, nor could you argue that it would be "the best car in the class"
Mercedes, BMW and Lexus control that market.
Volvo's best hope is to dominate the $25-30,000 market and the $30-40,000 market, and to dominate the luxury SUV market like they do the wagon market.
We bought our 99 T6 in early 2000 and got a very good deal. The main motives were safety, comfort, and cost -- in that order. I had a long (100 mile) daily commute over 2 fairly dangerous Interstate highways. (An SUV was too expensive to operate as well as too hard to maneuver out of bad situations.) Consumer Reports had given the car low marks on reliability. We bought one anyway. Yes, the tranny was replaced at 19,000 miles. There were electrical and other issues. But, the car never failed to get us where we were going.
We recently traded the S80 for a 2004 Lexus RX 330. The main motives -- value and customer service. Can I recommend the S80? It is my understanding that the newer models have been more reliable. If that is true, I would say this is one fine car and you will enjoy it. One caveat -- resale values. Happy hunting!
My experience with WG has been exemplary and the service writers at my dealership have been similarly impressed (they said it's even easier than Volvo VIP plan for approvals.)
If I can answer any questions please let me know.
Thanks.
Russell D. Ollie Sr.
rdollie@att.net
Some background before my questions. I am considering buying my first Volvo S80. Due to a scarcity of free time, I want/need a car that will be reliable, under manufacturer warranty for many miles and won't require me to perform more than just basic services. This leads me consider a 2002 model with less than 20K miles.
My questions ... are there any known maintenance issues with the 2002 S80 models? Any particular things that I should ask my independent mechanic to be sure to look at before I buy the car? Any opinions re: buying from a VA Volvo dealer who bought the "one-owner" car from a rental car company in Buffalo, NY? Are there any things that I should ask the service manager of the Volvo dealership before I buy a car from them? Is the T6 version worth the extra money from performance and reliablilty standpoints? Any specific options that are giving people problems and I should avoid?
Thanks.
I had the front spring seatings break this spring, left one in May, right one in June. The cooling fan went out in July but I'm under warranty for a few more months or 2k miles.
After almost 4 years, I don't consider those repairs excessive, but I'm glad I was on warranty. I've had it under Volvo service, and hope to run this car for another 100,000 minimum. Hope this helps.
I work, have 2 kids, take road trips--and do not want to spend time on the side of the road or at the service department.
Also, can one negotiate pre-owned prices?
Gives you 2 more yrs or 50,000 additional miles.
Won't cover paint or trim items.
Used Car prices are negotiable, but keep in mind the average reconditioning bill for a 2000 S80 to bring it to CPO specs is $1500-$2000, not including the price of the warranty itself.
The maintenance costs of a turbo and non-turbo are the same.
Thanks everyone!
hokieb--it seems like alot of miles on that 2000. I have seen many 2000's that have been leases and turned in this year with between 30-40,000 miles. I would look around some more.
Also, from a reliability standpoint, you have to look at everything logically. Volvo owners have high standards, as they should. Check out some of the other makes/models discussion boards and you get a feel for others. Also, make sure your Volvo is certified pre-owned with the extended warranty.
Does anyone have any similiar experience to share regarding a similar problem? Thanks.
Is this normal for a 2003 S80?
To get an extended warranty for a S80 with nearly 40k miles would cost you at least $2,500 if not the better part of $3,500 through Volvo. If you are outside California you can get a Warranty Gold plan (their top of the line plan) with no deductible and 7 year 100k coverage for around $2200 or so.
Too bad you're not here in Southern California where my S80 T6 with extended warranty is for sale!
Thanks.
-rollie
rdollie@att.net
Thanks.
I LOVE Volvos. S80 is my first choice. Safety has always been on top of my list. Few days ago, I was browsing NHTSA and IIHS crash test results and found the new Honda Accords have the highest crash ratings (just like S80). Looks like Accords have better crash rating than S40 and S60. This caught my attention. I started to look into the mechanical specs of Accords. I was surprised to find that V6 Accords have much more power than the base S80, and the interior/exterior size is about the same. More, Honda's reliability seems to be better than Volvo's.
Please don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to upset anyone. I love Volvos and never cared much about Honda products 'til I saw the crash test results few days ago.
The only thing that S80 has that Accord doesn't is the DTC. Does anyone know how and why an V6 Accord is almost $10K less than a base S80 while it has more horsepower (240hp), better reliability, and, most important of all, same star ratings in crash testings?
Look at EuroNCAP scores and IIHS scores. Volvo S80 owns the benchmark for things like rear impact collisions in IIHS tests, first and I think now 1 of 3 to get 5 stars all around in NHTSA, etc. If you look at the crash loads on the body over in EuroNCAP you'll see that the S80 is a much better choice. Also, these are two different classes of cars. As I recall NHTSA stars are relative to the class - a 5 star econobox is not necessarily safer than a 4 star Crown Vic for example (these aren't real scores by the way.)
If you want the safest car regardless of class you'll find your choices limited to BMW 5 series, Saab 9-5, and Volvo S80 based on consistent results across IIHS, NHTSA, and EuroNCAP (the gold standard.)
Good luck.
-rollie
rdollie@att.net
Saab is nice, but there aren't too many dealers around. I spend most of my time in Dallas and Houston. There is only one Saab dealer in each city.
MB E-class is great, but too expensive.
BMW... never liked it. they don't last too long either (reliability).
Audi and VW... hate to say this. Their cars are trash. I never got sick in vehicles. Took a ride in a Passat for an hour, and the bumpy ride almost made me throw up. Also, a friend has a TT. Man, the ride is punishing. The seat almost ate my [non-permissible content removed].
Volvo is rather reliable (compare with other European cars). Lots of dealers around. Price is not jacked up like others. Seats are comfortable. Most important of all, SAFE!!
Saab is nice, but there aren't too many dealers around. I spend most of my time in Dallas and Houston. There is only one Saab dealer in each city.
MB E-class is great, but too expensive.
BMW... never liked it. they don't last too long either (reliability).
Audi and VW... hate to say this. Their cars are trash. I never got sick in vehicles. Took a ride in a Passat for an hour, and the bumpy ride almost made me throw up. Also, a friend has a TT. Man, the ride is punishing. The seat almost ate my [non-permissible content removed].
Volvo is rather reliable (compare with other European cars). Lots of dealers around. Price is not jacked up like others. Seats are comfortable. Most important of all, SAFE!!