1999 Volvo S80 T6 review from Australia and New Zealand

Cooling system appears to have leaked and been patched rather than properly repaired prior to my purchasing this car as the patch still has a minor leak. I have not had this leak repaired yet as it has not gotten any worse in the two years that I have owned this car. But that fact that the system failed at all does show one of the weaknesses in the design and/or manufacture of this car by Volvo.

The struts are starting to fail.

The Dynamic Stability & Traction Control (DSTC) system occasionally loses compression. Not life threatening, but annoying nonetheless.

I've owned 2 Lexus, 1 Subaru, 3 Toyota, and 2 Fords (many with higher mileage, older when purchased, and purchased for less) that have been more mechanically sound than this car.

The handling of this car is nothing spectacular. But when packed with 4 adults (all 5ft 10in plus) and 1 child, and the boot loaded to the brim with luggage, it was not only still comfortable and roomy for everyone, but it was also extremely well balanced and responsive when pushed around some fairly tight hill cornering. Big thumbs up for this Volvo.

However, I'm very glad that I didn't purchase this car new, and can understand why it devalues quicker than it's rivals in the resale market. It's really not worthy of it's prestigious billing or in the same league as Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, or Lexus. In fact, I purchased this (used) for less than a Toyota Camry of the same year, mileage and condition.