Faults:

A/C system developed a fault.

Oil leak (small, not serious).

Brake noise, need new discs (wear and tear).

Servicing + consumables.

General Comments:

S80 is a large heavy barge of a car from Volvo. Love these old executive cruisers. The car is amazing to be in, luxurious feel. Gorgeous to look at and great to drive.

My car is black outside and has a beige leather interior. Seats are the most comfortable I have sat in, and the wood effect is nice (if fake plastic ;)) but is never feeling cheap. Plenty of features on this model. Touch screen is small even by 2014 standards, but I still prefer analogue controls to use today.

2.4 diesel with the auto box is very fast. It also can manage 40 - 45 mpg, not great for diesel but good when you consider the weight and size and performance of the car.

Not cheap to buy and run, but well worth it if you want a classic solid executive car from Volvo, last of its kind.

Faults:

Gearbox gear changes are erratic.

General Comments:

A great car with plenty of power.

It is the 2.4 non turbo straight 5 engine with 170 BHP.

This car is currently 14 years old and is in great condition, and put a private plate on it and you would swear it was only a few years old.

When I bought it, the gearbox was a bit confused in choosing what gear to be in, and it sometimes was in a too high or too low a gear for the road conditions. This was rectified by changing the transmission fluid. I gave it a full service within a week of ownership and it now drives like new.

The seating is excellent with multi position black heated leather. The 9 speaker 4 CD stereo system is excellent, and sounds fantastic with a great bass sound.

Fuel costs can be a bit steep, but driven sensibility it returns around 28-30 MPG, but when you floor the accelerator it kicks down 1 or 2 gears and takes off. It's not sports car quick, but at traffic lights puts many cars to shame. The look on some driver's faces is a picture as the 5 speed auto box seamlessly changes up to the maximum speed limit very quickly.

It has climate control, cruise control, electric windows all round and electric sunroof, all adding to the quality of the driving experience.

With it being a Volvo, the only gripe is the headlights are on all the time when driving, and if you switch off the headlights, the sidelights don't switch off when you stop the engine and it doesn't have a warning buzzer. I had a few knocks on my door with neighbours telling me I had left my sidelights on, but I got used to it eventually. Because of that, it does use headlight and sidelight bulbs more frequently than most cars, but having a bulb kit in the boot is recommended.

All in all, this car is very well equipped, fast and comfortable. I will definitely buy the new shape eventually, but for now I will enjoy this car and hope my next one lives up to this one.

Faults:

The gearbox in the car is giving trouble. My garage tells me that it needs only some internal parts to be changed, but Volvo refuse to supply them, insisting that I replace the entire gearbox and associated parts at a cost of more than €5000.

General Comments:

I always found the car very comfortable.

The kids love the separate heating vents in the back.

I have done a lot of miles. It does not handle as well as the Mondeo for example, but is a lovely cruiser.

"Volvo Car Corporation does not supply parts to facilitate gearbox repair". My lovely car is now next to useless.