7th Feb 2010, 18:12
I'm in Australia, and I own a 2002 S80 T6 and a 1988 740 GLE. The 740 has nicer suspension than the S80. Apart from the suspension, I'm happy with the S80, although it is expensive to maintain.
If you drive on smooth roads, it gives a very nice ride, but hit a bit of a bump or two, and it's almost like you are driving through potholes.
I love the looks and styling, but it's hard to believe Volvo still hasn't done anything to improve the ride since it's first new-look models 10 years ago. What is wrong with their design engineers? Don't they test drive them on rougher roads?
Steve.
17th Mar 2011, 22:10
Maybe the suspension is a tad more "youthful" than the suspension on the Town Car... But guess what... They stopped making the Town Car... For a valid reason.. There are other ways of enjoying comfort... My 09 S80, my 04 XC70 and my 01 and 97 V70XC have always had the same seats... THE BEST! So those flat cookie sheet seats in your Town Car might have been good with that wallowy suspension, but when you have the right seats (Volvo does) then you are guarantee'd to drive the distance with no problem.. You obviously haven't driven that Volvo very far...
By the way.. My highest mileage Volvo (the 01 V70XC) has 361455 miles on it... Tranny has been replaced as this was the year of issues, but starts everyday, and even with the wear and tear, we will not trade it in.. Seats are still much better than my 05 Accord (which are excellent, but not a Volvo seat) or my 2007 Ford Escape..
29th Mar 2011, 22:41
I love my 2009 S80. I purchased it a year ago and can't find anything to complain about. I have driven it on curvy mountainous roads, in town and on the freeway. I love the feel. No complaints from me about the suspension.
The car looks and handles great... Definitely a winner in my book.
16th Feb 2014, 17:32
I have a 760 Turbo years ago that had 'soft' suspension, and it was ridiculous on corners. I actually thought it was going to fall over!! Firm and composed suspension is the way forward. In Europe we are used to cars that actually change direction when asked... in a few years, Americans will be too.
31st Dec 2014, 19:25
That is true. The S60 and S80 have unusual hard suspension for a car sold in the US. On quality roads one will never notice this, but at any moment on crappy roads it's another story. I also drive an Audi Q3 with standard (not low profile) tires, and it gives me nausea how much it bumps all over the place. The difference is the Audi also has hard seats on top of it.
In Europe, most car brands have their suspension calibrated as such.
2nd Sep 2015, 21:57
Well I prefer a car that corners well... and wobbles around... much like what the Europeans like. Besides... a firm suspension is an added safety feature... it's more stable in case of a sudden response.
I have a bad feeling that you have not passed the 40000 miles on that thing, as it gave me nothing but continued failures. 4 major ones so far... two covered by the warranty...
If you haven't put a lot of miles on that thing, then it's WAY too early to say how good this car is...
21st Oct 2009, 13:21
I'm pretty sure you're supposed to review the car if you've actually owned or leased it, or at least spent a significant amount of time with it. I can go down to my Volvo dealer and find out about the suspension myself, I don't need someone to give the car a horrible rating because they rode in it once and thought it was too hard.