1993 Volvo 480 ES review from UK and Ireland
"A sturdy sports coupe"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Cracked tailgate wiring loom - fixed under warranty.
Leaking rear light clusters - fixed under warranty.
Drivers' door hinge failure, causing the door to almost fall off - fixed under warranty.
Passenger seat belt buckle damaged after having to enter the car through the passenger door - expensive to replace!
Broken bonnet catch handle - cheap to
replace.
Original Volvo exhaust wore out at 87000 miles - difficult to find after-market exhaust systems for a 2.0 litre 480. New back box wore out after another 10000 miles - replaced under exhaust suppliers warranty.
Power steering pump and water pump failure one week after warranty expired - £500 for dealer to repair.
Flimsy seat belt tensioner - cheap to replace.
Clutch wore out at 120000 miles - £400 for the dealer to replace.
Recent loose heat shield sounded like a failing catalytic converter - shield only needed to be tightened.
General comments?
A lively performer and fun to drive - runs on rails! The 480's Renault engine is responsive and very reliable. After every Volvo service, the fuel efficiency actually improved, the car returning about 38.2 mpg average.
Visibility is generally good, but a little restricted to the rear. Efficient doors mirrors help to compensate for this, though. The interior is comfortable, with good supportive seats.
The ride is a little sports-carish, but still comfortable on long journeys.
The 480 has a lot of luggage space with the rear seats down, and plenty of small stowage spaces all around the inside of the car.
The amount of electrical accessories and computer assisted instruments will keep any toy freak happy!
The 480 is plagued with a few niggling design faults that were never really ironed out during the car's production. Later (post '93) models are a better buy than the earlier offerings - colour-coded bumpers, clear front indicators, improved alloy wheels and door mirrors, etc. and a few more under-bonnet improvements.
The 480 is high-maintenance, however, and a little costly to keep in good condition. Fuel economy, though, is very reasonable!
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| Great Car.. Great Design, Iconic!! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0 injection Manual |
| Performance marks | 9/10 |
| Reliability marks | 8/10 |
| Comfort marks | 9/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 10/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 79000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 135000 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Orion |
| Date of Entry | 22nd November, 2001 |